Page 34 of Vampires, Whiskey, and Southern Charm

He stared blankly.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” I clarified.

“Ah. Then we are in agreement.”

I nodded hesitantly.

“Are you certain?” he added. “Because I hear one of those men attacking your uncle in the warehouse as we speak.”

My stomach rolled. “What?”

“Your little woodchipper threat worked, and the three men left the bar two minutes ago. Now they are in your warehouse, dragging your uncle into their den.”

That hole was theirs? “Ohmygod! Stop them!”

Montgomery sighed. “Very well.”

I blinked, and he was gone. I sprinted out the back door, toward the warehouse, too frantic to even realize I had no weapon.

“Uncle Jimmie!” I pumped my arms and legs, moving as fast as my feet could carry me.

I entered the warehouse and found Jimmie lying facedown on the concrete. Stark was busy squeezing the life out of the bald vampire.

I rushed to Jimmie’s side and flipped him over. He had a gash on his neck where the blood trickled out at a liberal pace.

“Oh no. Oh no!” I took off my apron and pressed it over the wound to apply pressure. “Someone call an ambulance!” I yelled.

Stark tossed the limp vampire across the room, the body slamming against the block wall and then sliding down.

“Help him,” I pleaded, holding Jimmie in my arms, trying to stop the blood. “Get him to the hospital!”

Stark came over and dipped his ear over Jimmie’s chest. “I’m afraid he won’t last that long.” Stark raised his wrist to his mouth and bit down. Two small pools of blood formed on his skin.

“What are you doing?”

“Saving him.” Stark made it sound like no big deal.Just making a sandwich here, woman. Want pickles? Mayo? Some guac?

“You can’t give him your blood!”

“Do you want him to live or not, Masie?” Stark asked blandly.

Yes, but not as a vampire. “Will giving him your blood turn him?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. It all depends on how close he gets to death, and that will depend on you. Do you wish to keep talking?”

“No. Fine. Do it.” I looked away, not wanting the image of this moment to haunt me forever. I didn’t really understand how one became a vampire, but I had to assume it involved giving a person vampire sauce.

I turned my head just in time to watch Stark’s wrist wounds close. This was insanity.

I covered my mouth, trying not to imagine how awful it would be to see my uncle turned into a strange, bloodthirsty monster. “How long will it take until we know?”

“Again, it depends. If his heart stops before my blood enters the organ, then he will die right away. If his heart is in the midst of a normal, healthy rhythm, he will heal.”

“And ifnotthose two things?” I asked.

“If his heartbeat is erratic, only moments from stopping, he will become like me.”

I winced.