Shadow Touched: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (A Touch of Vampire Book 1) by Becky Moynihan (great reads TXT) 📕

Hailey snorted from the driver’s seat. “More like scare some sense into them.”

“He’s not that scary,” Isla said, rolling her eyes.

He is, Hailey mouthed at me, and a small smile twitched my lips.

“I’ve got it handled, but thanks anyway, Isla. I really appreciate it.” And I did, more than any of them realized. I’d never had friends who wanted to watch my back before.

“I can’t believe Lochlan shoved Reid into oncoming traffic like that,” Isla said, buckling her seatbelt as Hailey backed up the SUV.

I frowned. “He didn’t. He was across the parking lot when it happened. He got there afterward.”

Now it was Isla’s turn to frown. “Then who did?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. Because I didn’t have an answer.

During the winding, scenic drive, the tension gradually left my shoulders, along with my confusion over Reid and Lochlan. I didn’t want anything to ruin this mini retreat, especially boys. Twenty-five minutes later, a single story, glass-front lakehouse came into view.

“Absolutely gorgeous,” I breathed as I stepped from the car. I’d traveled to quite a few places over the years, but the natural beauty surrounding us was on another level. Mixed among the deep green pines were oak trees in brilliant shades of yellow and orange, with the occasional pop of red. Behind the lakehouse, I could just make out the edges of a sparkling blue lake.

A plethora of birds chirped overhead, the only sound besides the rustling of leaves. No man-made noises but our own could be heard.

I closed my eyes and inhaled the crisp, spice-scented fall air. “Perfect.”

“Didn’t you just move into a house surrounded by woods?” Peyton asked with a laugh.

“Yeah,” I admitted, opening my eyes so I could grab my things. “But it’s kinda creepy sometimes.” I still hadn’t explored the basement.

“There’s a lot of mystery behind that house,” Isla said as she tugged a large duffle from the back. “I did a little research after you moved here and found out that it’s been vacant for a long time. I couldn’t find any information on the previous owners or why the house never sold, but I’ll keep looking.”

“Maybe they were murdered and their bodies were stashed in the basement freezer.” We all turned to gape at Hailey. “What? I read a lot of murder mystery novels.”

Except now I was thinking about axe murderers again. And was there a freezer in our basement? Great, I was never going down there.

“Maybe no one’s bought the place because it’s haunted,” Peyton dramatically whispered. “You know, ghosts with unfinished business or something.”

“That too. Hey, there’s a full moon tonight. We should tell ghost stories around the campfire.” Hailey pulled something from her bag with a flourish. “I’ve got marshmallows!”

“I’m more interested in that hot tub,” Peyton said with a jig. “I want to wear my new bikini.”

After we’d settled in and toured the house, we decided to do a little outdoor exploring before the sun set.

“You guys go on ahead and I’ll catch up,” I said as they started down a trail to the lake. “Forgot my phone in the car.” I could never pass up an opportunity to snap nature shots.

Rounding the front of the house at a jog, I spotted a gray truck parked near the bend of the long, private gravel road. I skidded to a halt, my instincts immediately on high alert. That truck hadn’t been there when we’d arrived. I inched forward, using Hailey’s SUV to hide me from view as I debated what to do. I could race back to the others. Safety in numbers, after all. But maybe it was only a neighbor.

Or a serial killer, my mind helpfully supplied.

I didn’t want to put my friends in danger if the person was up to no good. My phone was feet away in the back seat of the SUV. I could call the sheriff’s department and—

“Kenna.”

I whirled, unable to suppress a frightened squeak. When I saw who it was, annoyance replaced my fear. “You. How did you find me here?”

“Your friend Hailey talks a lot. Wasn’t too hard,” Reid said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Why are you stalking me, Reid Zimmerman?” My voice cracked through the air like a whip. I didn’t care how nice he’d been to me when I’d first arrived. His recent behavior was seriously freaking me out. “If this is about the night of the bonfire, I haven’t told anyone and don’t plan to. So you can stop bothering me.”

He shook his head, clearly frustrated—which was stupid since he was the one instigating this. “It doesn’t work like that. Look, I’m sorry for what I did. It was an accident. But it’s my responsibility to clean up the mess.”

Ice shot up my spine and I took a step back. “Mess? You mean me, don’t you. I’m the mess.” I could tell by his expression that I was right. “Please don’t hurt me,” I said, unable to hide the slight tremble in my voice.

“What? Kenna, I’m not here to hurt you. I came to—” A phone rang and he groaned loudly. Pulling the phone from his pocket, he checked the screen and swore. He shot me a clear warning look not to run and took the call.

“Yes?” When someone shouted on the other end, Reid pulled the phone away from his ear with a grimace. “I know! I’m not exactly new at this. You don’t have to tell me every time. I’ll be there in twenty.” More shouting. “Yeah, but she still doesn’t know—”

I took a slow step back, but Reid’s eyes tracked the movement. A growl rumbled in his throat and I froze. Freaking fates, he was going to kill me and stuff my body in a freezer. I could scream, but the only people who would hear were my friends, and I didn’t want them to get hurt.

Reid ended the call and stepped toward me, his movements jerky and