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

of my jacket and yanked me to him. “You really don’t want to do this,” I growled and jabbed my elbow into his gut.

He retaliated by seizing my bicep in a punishing grip. I sucked in a pained hiss. Before I could scream, he taunted, “Why? I don’t see those boy toys of yours. It’s just you and me, dealing with some unfinished business.” I struggled to free myself but he only squeezed harder, forcing tears to my eyes. “I have a message for you. Everett says hi and that he’ll see you soon. Oh, and he said don’t bother trying to run. He’ll track you down to the ends of the earth.”

With that, he released me and sauntered off, leaving me bruised and shaken. Long after he left, I continued to stand in a daze, wondering what on earth had just happened.

When someone touched my shoulder though, I whirled, ready to put up a fight. “Get your hands off me,” I spat before realizing it was Kade.

Oops.

All on their own, my eyes swept the area, searching for Lochlan. My heart sank when he was nowhere to be found. My body seriously needed a time out. It clearly had terrible taste in guys.

“What’s wrong?” Kade said, seeing way more than I wanted him to.

“August,” I let slip before I could think better of it.

“What did he do, Kenna?”

I bit into my bottom lip and avoided his probing look.

He swore. “I’m calling Loch.”

“No!” I burst out, lunging for his phone. He jumped back before I could touch his bare hand. I dropped my arms with a grimace. “Sorry. I’ll tell you, but . . . don’t call Lochlan, okay?”

His eyes narrowed. “Why? Because of yesterday?”

“Yes and no. He threatened to kill August the next time he touched me, and I really think he meant it.”

“He did,” Kade said matter-of-factly, and I groaned.

“See? You can’t tell him. Sure, August is a bully and has left a few bruises, but I don’t want him killed.”

Kade’s brows slammed downward. “He hurt you? Then I’ll take care of him myself.”

He started to leave, no doubt planning to pummel August into the ground. Desperate, I blurted, “Who is Everett?”

Kade froze. He backtracked and was in front of me so fast that my mouth popped open. “Where did you hear that name?”

“I-I heard Lochlan mention him yesterday,” I replied weakly in the face of an impassioned Kade. Thank the fates I had remembered in the nick of time. Mentioning what August had said would undoubtedly send him over the edge. As much as I loathed the blond-haired neanderthal, I didn’t want him killed because of me.

At my words, the blue fire in Kade’s eyes dimmed, and he shook his head with a resigned laugh. “You really do have excellent deflection skills. Fine, I won’t harm the dirtbag. But I’m getting him expelled from the school.”

“Deal. Now who’s Everett?”

He sighed, scrubbing both hands down his face. “Everett is Lochlan’s older brother. But the less you know about him, the better.”

I crossed my arms and cocked a hip. “Why, is he even less charming than Lochlan?”

“Look, I know Loch messed up big time yesterday, but I promise he has redeeming qualities.”

“Does he secretly save baby animals and help old ladies across the street?”

Kade gave me a somber look, clearly not amused. Neither was I.

“I know he’s your friend and all, but he could seriously use a lesson in manners. Why are you here, anyway? You weren’t in school today.”

He shrugged carelessly, but his shoulders were rigid. “Loch just wanted to make sure you got home safely.”

I blinked, caught off guard by his explanation. Then huffed and turned for my car. “You can remind your master that my safety is none of his business. Our deal is null and void.” I slid into my car and started the engine. “Oh, and tell him thanks for the dagger, but stop leaving me roses.”

He grabbed the door before I could shut it, demanding in a sharp voice, “What did you say?”

I frowned up at his penetrating stare. “Uh . . . about the deal? You heard me yesterday. I don’t want Lochlan—”

“No. The very last thing you said. What was it?”

Okay, his intensity was starting to wig me out a little. “I don’t want him leaving me roses anymore. Especially if he’s not going to apologize for yesterday’s behavior.”

Kade continued to study me, disbelief now etched on his face. “He’s been giving you roses?”

“Yes,” I said slowly, my frown deepening. “He leaves them on the windowsill at night while I’m sleeping. Which is considered breaking and entering, by the way.”

“Holy mother of Moses,” Kade breathed, letting go of the door to shove both hands through his hair.

After a beat of watching him silently freak out about something, I sighed and snapped the door shut, taking off without another word. I needed a long soak in the tub after this strange, craptastic week.

16

“I seriously can’t believe you picked out vampire outfits,” I said to Isla, mock-scowling at my reflection. I watched her adjust the high collar of my red-lined cape with a gleeful look on her face, clearly not sorry for her costume choice.

“They’re ‘sexy princess of darkness’ costumes,” she corrected, and handed me a dark red lipstick. “You don’t have to wear the fangs.”

“Good, ‘cause you can’t swallow your spit with those things in,” I muttered, leaning forward to apply the lipstick.

Despite my protests, I actually liked the outfit she chose for me. The shiny black bodysuit fit me like a glove, and it wasn’t too low. My boobs weren’t about to fall out or anything. The only other skin left exposed were my hands, unlike Isla’s costume, a lacy vintage top with flared sleeves and barely-there black shorts. She still looked vampirish though with her blood-red lipstick and high black collar. Paired with leather, thigh-high boots, she put the sexy in vampire.

If she was hoping these outfits would get a reaction out of Lochlan and Kade though, she would be