Younger, Bree - Burn [All American Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Free Page B

hers.
    She jerked back, startled, before letting out a small relieved laugh.
    “Mister? Mister? It’s okay. I’m going to help you. Can you hear me?” He blinked his eyes closed and then opened them again, but they seemed unfocused, and she couldn’t tell if he knew what she was saying. Suddenly, he let out a low moan of such pain that Libby’s heart pulsed in sympathy. “I’m going to get you loose,” she assured him when his eyes closed again, hoping the man could understand her.
    She examined his bonds with a growing feeling of helplessness. He had been bolted to the ground with heavy chains and locks. She tried pulling up the stakes, tugging and bracing herself against the ground, but she just didn’t have the strength. They didn’t even budge. There was no way for her to get him free like this. What the hell could she do? She didn’t want to take the time to drive all the way back to civilization and then get someone out here to help her. He might be dead before she could do all that. Or whoever did this to him might come back. Hell. They might still be around somewhere.
    She could feel herself about to panic, her eyes darting nervously around trying to catch a glimpse of anything suspicious looking, but she saw nothing. She needed to do something to help him. To keep them both safe. Wait. Her gun. It was in her truck under the front seat. She always carried it with her when she traveled any distance. She would feel much safer with it—plus, the thought suddenly occurred to her—she might be able to use it to shoot through the chains.
      “Mister?” He opened his eyes again. They were such a clear blue that they seemed to pierce straight through Libby when they focused on her face. “I don’t know if you understand what I’m saying, but I can’t get you free like this. It’s impossible. I’m not strong enough. I’m going to my truck for my gun. Okay? I’ll be right back.”
    He shook his head, finally responding to her. “Don’t go.” The words were rasped out in a barely intelligible whisper. “Please. Hurts.”
    She had to close her eyes against the agony she saw etched on his face. Tears blurred her vision. “I swear I’ll be right back.”
    His eyes pleaded with her not to leave him alone and in such pain. “Help me. Thirsty.” He made as if to reach for her, but his hand was stopped by the chains. “Thirsty. So thirsty.”
    Libby bit her lip in helpless empathy. “I know. I know it hurts. I know you’re thirsty. And I don’t have any water here, but there’s some in my truck. I’ll bring it back with me. I promise. Let me go get the truck. I’ll drive it up here. Then I can get you to a hospital.” She stood. “I’ll hurry. I promise.”
    With one last desperate look at the poor man, she stood and began running back in the direction of the cabin and her SUV as fast as her legs would carry her.

    * * * *

    Ty shook his head to clear it. He tried to open his eyes again, but the piercing light hurt too much. Damn it, he hurt all over like a son of a bitch. It felt like someone had peeled off his skin and dipped him in alcohol. Jesus, it was hard to think through the pain. He couldn’t focus. Couldn’t concentrate. Had someone been here, or was he losing his fucking mind? He thought that a black-haired pixie had spoken to him. If he hadn’t been in such agony, he would have laughed at his own ridiculous fantasy. Maybe he was dead. Yeah, he was dead and she was an angel. An angel with midnight black hair, green eyes, and a voice like sweet rain. But that couldn’t be right. If he were dead, surely he wouldn’t hurt like a motherfucker.
    He hoped like hell she had been real. She had promised him she’d come back. Promised to help. Right? But she wouldn’t bend down enough so that he could taste her, so that he could take a deep drink out of one of her luscious veins and slake the raging thirst that was driving him insane. Thirst and pain. Thirst and pain. If he could just