Talbot - Vampire Protection

Vampire Protection

Copyright 2017 by Julia Talbot

Cover illustration by Erin Dameron-Hill

Published with permission

Edited by Paige Prince

1380 Rio Rancho Blvd #1319, Rio Rancho, NM 87124

ISBN: 978-1-942831-79-2

All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Law.

First electronic edition published January 2018

Printed in the USA

Vampire Protection - Midnight Rodeo 8

By Julia Talbot

Chapter One

Peyton Langtree rarely made phone calls. He had the most recent iPhone with all the bells and whistles, of course, but he didnt love the weird, dislocated feeling of talking to someone hundreds of miles away.

He came from a more concrete time. A time when, if you wanted to talk to someone and could not travel, you sent a very laboriously drafted letter. Calling seemed too easy, as if black magic were involved and you would pay someone far more dire than AT&T later. Peyton had seen too many people who were forced to cover the cost of their magical bargains. He wasnt into that at all.

In the case of today, at this very moment, calling was necessary, so he pulled out his sleek, fancy phone and dialed someone hed known too long.

Hello? The voice was pure Texan, deep and drawling, and as familiar as yesterday, even though it had been ten years easily.

Cody. How are you?

Peyton? Is that you? His dear friend sounded pleased, which was handy. He would have had one hell of a time if Cody had been angry about the way they had parted the last time. Peyton did tend to bring trouble with him.

It is. I know its been a while.

Cody snorted indelicately. It always is when you get to be our age.

Youre still just a baby.

You wish. These hooligans I work with make me older every day. The fondness in Codys voice was obvious. He clearly loved his job.

Yes, Cody worked in a large paranormal rodeo company, and all those supernatural beings in one place had to be challenging. Mmm. Where are you now?

Dallas, heading toward Lubbock. Why? Are you still in Boston?

Im in Maine right now, Peyton murmured. Brr.

Youll be a block of ice, you cold-natured bastard.

I know. I was hoping to To what? Get Cody to find him a place in Texas? To get transport to Mexico? He needed help.

He swore he could hear Codys eyebrows gyrating. Hoping to?

Find a place to hide.

Really? What did you do?

Peyton sighed, thinking how hard hed fucked up in the last month or so. Well, for a start, I killed a vampire who attacked me. In Boston. How was I to know he was the overlords son?

Oh dear.

And I didnt know that that same overlords wife would come avenging her born son Peyton shook his head. Of all the luck.

Oh hell. A woman scorned. So, you went to Maine?

I was going to go to Canada. Then I thought of you and took a day or two off from running while I got the nerve up to call.

I suppose I should be pleased I was only second in line, Cody said drily.

Ha ha. He rolled his eyes. Canada was amorphous at best.

And I am more specific, I take it?

Yes. Youre also mobile and cloaked by warlocks. He had to get the hell out of Dodge, find a place where a decidedly old-fashioned Southern guy could hide. In the dark. Sunlight bad.

Well, youre welcome to come travel with us for a bit. Were a motley bunch so you ought to fit right in. Codys drawl lengthened, his old friend laughing at him.

You know full well that you and I were neighbors on the ranch, you butthead. He could cowboy up, at least in the old-west way.

Mmm. You were rich and I was a hand. Cody chuckled. I aint bitter. I had the better deal.

Indeed. Cody had never been whipped near to death for being found with a man in a compromising position. Still Cody had saved him, brought him into a world of lust and blood and eternity, and he was grateful.

So, come on, and well get you hid, honey. Cody made it sound so easy, which he supposed it was in this day and age. So much easier than having to travel in an airtight coffin for weeks in a wagon

Dallas. I cant be there for three days, but Ill be there.

We do a lot of shows in the area. Cody chuckled, the sound warm as honey sitting in the sun. Youll have to cowboy it up some. You do remember how.

Im not expected to participate in the show, am I? Roughstock wasnt his forte.

Youre not interested in team roping?

No. No and no. Ropes took off fingers and regeneration wasnt one of his abilities.

Perhaps mounted shooting then, in case we need to show off something you can do.

That could work. I will make that my cover story, then.

Indeed. Travel safely. I expect to find you with your head still attached.

I would like that, Peyton murmured. Very much. Thank you, Cody.

Youre welcome, troublemaker. I look forward to seeing you again.

Same here. Peyton smiled suddenly, feeling better than he had in weeks. He would go back to Texas and stay with Cody and get his cowboy on for a time.

It had to be more fun than hiding out among the moose.

Or having his head chopped off by a vengeful momma, which in Maine was still a distinct possibility. He needed to be much farther away from Boston than he was now.

Time to go.

Chapter Two

Grizz stretched, his back popping hard. Hed been off work for about two weeks after getting his ass stomped by his own damned horse after he jumped too soon on a steer during bulldogging. Well, not on the steer. That was the problem. Hed missed. Steer wrestling kinda required a guy to land on the livestock.

He was healed up now, but he was being lazy as fuck and sleeping late, then napping in the sun wherever the whole rodeo decided to park.

The sun had just gone down, and he was hungry. Maybe it was time to head to the kitty court and see what smelled so good. The werecats were damn good cooks, and they ran concessions with an iron fist.

If he was lucky, thered be fried fish. Brax made the best fish and chips. Well, and Dimitri too.

God, he loved fish and chips.

He grabbed his keys so he could lock his trailer and headed out.

Hey, Grizz. Just the man I want to see. Cody the boss cowboy walked up to him, smile flashing white in the gloom, his fangs just visible.

Hungry. Talking got iffy when he wanted food.

Tell me about it. Cody flashed him some longer teeth.

Not feeding you, Boss. Sorry. He had to grin at that. Cody was totally out of his league, even if he was sexy as fuck. Besides, everyone knew he still carried well, not a torch. Fire bad for vamps. But Cody still had a thing for the other boss, Philip, who spent most of his time at corporate.

Cody sighed dramatically, laughter ringing out immediately after. I need a favor, Grizz.

No shit? He actually stopped and stared. Cody didnt like to be beholdin to anyone. From me?

No shit. I have a friend--an incredibly old friend--whos in trouble and is coming to Cody pursed his lips. How to put this delicately?

Hide out? Why beat around the berry bush? Lots of folks at Darque and Knight rodeo had shady pasts. All of them were hiding from the mundanes, regardless, so another reason to keep a head down was just another reason.

Exactly. Im not sure how much he remembers about the cowboy way, you understand? I need him to blend. And we vamps dont blend. Im hoping youre intimidating enough to keep too many questions at bay.

Hmm. You want him to travel with me, youll have to help me make a few mods to my bus. He had decent shades for when it was hibernation season, but he had no idea if they would hold up for a vamp. He assumed it was a vamp if it was an old friend, and that Cody wanted him and said vamp to act like traveling partners.