Page 10 of Kentucky Nights (Dead Man’s Ranch #1)

I try not to get lost in the catastrophic color of his eyes and remember they are the color of murder. “Why? You’re going to kill me anyway.”

He takes one step forward to try and stop me.

“Dru, Darlin’, hurting you has never once crossed my mind.

You’re safest with me. I’m not sure what vampire you ran into before, but they aren’t like me.

We can talk about that if you want, but remember this, I could have left you in that shack.

I could have done a lot worse. I could have finished you off and drank what little blood you had left.

I killed all those shifters to save you.

The wounds on your body were pretty bad.

You had lost a lot of blood and…I healed you. ”

The hesitancy in his sentences tells me he isn’t telling me the entire truth. Do I care about the truth, or do I need to be thankful that he saved me?

“You are still weak from the blood loss. I’ve made you breakfast to help get your energy up. You need to eat.”

I inch closer to the window, still not fully believing him. “Did you play with my mind like the other vampire did?” My fingers curl around the window frame, the adrenaline pumping in my veins, shouting at me to risk my life and jump.

The muscle in his jaw ticks from clenching his teeth together. “When you’re up for it, you’ll tell me all about this vampire who took advantage of you so I can kill him. To answer your question, no, I did not use that trick on you.”

The slight click of the lock has Kentucky inhale a sharp breath. “Don’t, Dru. After all you have survived, you’re going to risk your life jumping out of a window? I won’t allow it.”

He’s right, but the closer he gets to me, the more my knees tremble, and it isn’t because I’m afraid. It’s because, for some reason, I want to leap into his arms. Why would I want that? The thought alone has me opening the window.

“Just tell me who hurt you and I’ll prove it, Darlin’. I’ll bring you his fangs if it means you will rest easier.”

“You’d kill your own kind?” The breeze swaying the curtains can’t hide the surprise in my voice.

“They aren’t my kind, Darlin’. I’d kill them all for you if it meant your heart got to beat for another minute.

I smell how afraid you are, so I’m going to give you space.

I’ll go if you promise not to jump out the window.

” He steps around the foot of the bed, and I lean against the windowsill to get as far away from him as I can.

He points to the heavy wooden door to the right of me. “There’s a bathroom there. You’ll find everything you need. There are clothes folded on the vanity. I’m afraid I don’t have anything in your size, so hopefully what’s in there will suffice.”

My nails dig into the windowsill to strengthen my grip. “I should want to kill you,” I say out of nowhere, tears brimming in my eyes when I think about the way that vampire bit me, the way the shifters clawed at me in the shed. “I should want you all to die.”

“I agree. You should.” He backs away, opening the bedroom door with iron hinges, the top of it arched and wide to fit his body frame. The design in the wood is intricate, with a beaming sun casting down on a large amount of land. A few cattle graze the pastures, and a horse stands guard with them.

His brutal honesty takes me by surprise.

“Now, I’m trusting you, Darlin’, but I’ll save you again. I’ll save you every time, even if it means saving you from yourself.” He eyes the window, gripping the tip of his hat with his wide fingers, he tilts his chin to his chest, and walks out.

I’m left staring at his strong back and the way his muscles flex when he grabs the door handle to shut it. With a soft click, I’m alone in the massive room with a heart that aches, and I have no idea why.

I’m not sure if I would have jumped out the window. I do know it was a dumb thought because that’s a farther drop than I imagined in my head. I would have broken a bone, at least.

Another door slams in the house, followed by loud thuds going down the steps. Spreading the charcoal-colored curtain to the side, I lean out the window to see Kentucky walking towards the barn.

Even though I’m in a stranger’s home, I will say it is a stunning property. The house is rustic and made out of thick logs and stone. Kentucky must have added to it over the years. Some areas are a little more outdated than others, giving them more character than your typical cookie-cutter home.

I continue to peek at Kentucky walking away from me. The further he gets, the more my soul hurts.

He must sense my eyes on him because he stops mid-step, turns his chin to his shoulder, and even from here, I can see the rise and fall of his muscular shoulders.

Kentucky locks eyes with me, and the sun breaks through the rain-filled clouds. The bright rays reflect off the red irises, reminding me of what lurks underneath the cowboy.

Thunder clashes above, the clouds suffocating the sun with the promise of a storm, and the bright red glare coming from his eyes is gone.

A large tree with long, zig-zagged and misshapen branches hangs over him, protecting him from the light rain that has started to fall.

As I take him in, my eyes fall to his jeans that fit him in all the right spots, cupping his bubbled butt and bulging thighs. I shouldn’t notice his body. I shouldn’t notice the sharp edge of his jaw. Even with the thick black beard, I can tell this man is carved out of the material all women want.

He places his fingers on the brim of his hat again, giving it a tilt.

I hate to say this, considering the circumstances, but it might be the most attractive gesture I’ve ever seen a man do.

He turns, walking out from under the canopy of the tree that was protecting him from the rain. One thing I notice about Kentucky is that he is never in a hurry. He is still walking like I would or how any person would.

Why isn’t he using his vampire speed? He could get everything done in seconds and do whatever he wants for the rest of the day—whatever vampires do.

Wait, how is he in the sun? Actually, how was my kidnapper in the sun too? I thought vampires caught fire in the daylight? Vampire questions convolute my mind, and I want to know their truths.

I close the window, locking it in place, and lean my head against the wall.

I take a large deep breath and blow it out slowly to calm my anxiety.

It’s fine. I’m fine. I can leave whenever I want and go home.

I can’t say I was held hostage by a vampire, then shifters, and then another vampire saved me, but I’ll think of something.

Anything is better than the truth.

Carmen is probably losing her mind with worry right now, and hopefully, my job is still waiting for me. I’m a dentist back home, and I’ve worked too hard to get that job for it to be taken away from me like this.

I have to find a way home.

My fingers play with the hem of the shirt I have on to relax me. Only to realize the clothes I’m wearing aren’t mine.

It’s Kentucky’s.

If I’m wearing his shirt, it means he saw me naked. Heat tempers my cheeks with embarrassment. Until now, no man has seen me naked. I haven’t dated or had sex. I have never wanted to. I’m not ashamed to admit that.

Most men do not meet my standards. I don’t know Kentucky enough to say what kind of man he is, but he had the respect to cover me with the shirt from his own back to give me privacy.

I think that speaks volumes. It should be what every person would do, yet this world isn’t as kind as I wish it to be.

Bringing the material to my nose, I inhale, getting the faintest hint of coffee and pine.

“Yeah, I need to shower.” I glance down, wondering how Kentucky could manage to be in the same room with me, given how dirty I am.

My left arm is clean, while the rest of my body is caked in grime.

Wait a minute. The rag he had in his hand.

I crawl over the bed and stare at the cloth in a bowl of murky water. He was bathing me. What kind of vampire does this? He can’t be this gentle or good. I’ve seen what they can do.

What is his endgame?

And what did he mean when he said he’d killed them all for me?

My head swims with confusion, hunger, and dehydration. I can’t think about Kentucky like this. He is the enemy. He probably wants to suck me dry like the other vampire who tied me to a chair.

No. I will not be fooled by his lush, charming accent, muscles, or cowboy hat. It’s all a rouse, somehow; his kindness, his patience, and even his honesty are in question.

All the stories I heard growing up tell me vampires are soulless, and so far, my own experience proves that.

Yet past my fear, past the doubt, and in the deepest part of my heart, something is telling me Kentucky’s soul exists, and it doesn’t compare to anyone else’s.

I’m not sure how to trust him, but I don’t have to.

I’m leaving when I have the energy, and Kentucky will be in my rearview.