The Traveling Vampire Show

black leather pants. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she took Rusty’s ticket. Her lips were bright red. She smirked and said to Rusty, “You’re a big fella.”

He nodded.

She slid a fingertip down his bare chest. He squirmed and grinned. “Not eighteen, though, I bet.”

“Sure I am.”

She turned to me. “And you.” Still smirking, she shook her head. “I’m sorry, boys, but this event is for adults only.”

Thank God, I thought.

Nodding, I was about to turn away.

“We have special permission from Mr. Stryker,” Rusty said.

Away went her smirk. To the other ticket-taker, she said, “I’ll be right back.” Then she stepped past us. “Come with me, boys.”

Rusty started to follow her. I put my hand on his shoulder. His bare skin was hot and moist. He scowled back at me and kept walking.

I tried to speak, but felt choked at first. Then I forced it out. “We don’t have to see the show, ma’am. If it’s a problem ...”

Rusty gave me a murderous glance.

“If you’ve got Mr. Stryker’s okay,” the woman said, “it’s fine with me. They’re his rules.”

Rusty’s turn to smirk.

I gave him a murderous look. Didn’t he know we were being taken to see Stryker? Had he forgotten what Slim had told us? Or didn’t he care that this was the same guy who had rammed his spear up the butt of the one-eyed dog, picked it up with the spear and delivered it to the hearse?

I glanced toward the parking area.

If I made a run for it, would they come after me?

Probably not. Not with all these people around. The trouble was, Rusty might not come after me, either.

He really wanted to see the show.

So I stuck with him. The woman led us to the side door of the shack and rapped on it with her knuckles. A moment later, it was opened by Stryker. Light spilled out around him. He frowned as if annoyed by the interruption.

“Vivian?” he asked.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Mr. Stryker, but these boys claim they’ve got your permission to see the show.” She stepped out of the way.

Stryker’s eyes swept up and down Rusty. Looking somewhat disgusted, he shook his head. But when he saw me, his heavy black eyebrows slid upward and he smiled. “Ah, it’s you.”

I nodded. My heart was thudding. I wanted to whip around and run like hell, but I just stood there.

“Where are the others?” Stryker asked.

I just gaped at him and struggled to breathe.

“The lovely Lee Thompson and the spunky tomboy?”

I collapsed inside.

“They’re on their way, sir,” Rusty said. “We had to park pretty far off, so they sent us on ahead to save seats for ’em.”

“I see,” Stryker said. And the way he smiled ...

He knows everything, I thought. Knows it’s a lie, knows Lee isn’t coming because he’s already been to her house and knows exactly where she is.

Glaring into his eyes, I thought, What have you done to Lee?

Smiling into my eyes, he seemed to be thinking, Wouldn’t you like to know?

He turned his smile on Vivian. “We’ll make an exception to the age rule for my two friends here. See that they have excellent seats, will you?”

“Yes, sir,” Vivian said.

“And stay with them until their friends arrive.”

She nodded.

“Enjoy the show, boys.” Stryker closed the door, shutting out the tight.

“Come with me,” Vivian said.

As we walked behind her, Rusty cast a smile at me. A very smug one, as if he had single-handedly made it possible for us to see the show.

In a way, he was right.

I wanted to slug him.