by Martha Woods
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Small Town Sins
Martha Woods
Contents
FREE GIFT
Small Town Sins
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
The Vampire’s Desire
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Escaping the Demon’s Trap
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Mysteries of a Vampire
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
© 2017 Martha Woods
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For permissions contact: [email protected]
FREE GIFT
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Small Town Sins
Martha Woods
Prologue
He had been at the game a long time. His targets rarely lived long after he was given their names; it was nearly unheard of that they managed to successfully escape him. Yet, here they were, with him on the hunt once more.
Ethan wasn’t pleased. In fact, he was quite livid with the entire situation. That crafty little monster had managed to slip from his grasp and escape into the dark woods. It would have been easy enough to track it, injured and such, but the vile creature had knocked him out before scampering away, tail between its legs. That was how he saw vampires, at least. Disgusting monsters. Living off the blood of others, killing without a thought, harming the innocent and naive.
Ethan had been searching for the past two months for his present target, sniffing out any trail he could possibly find. The closest he came was finding a dead deer in the woods. While it had been killed by natural means—appeared to be a wolf, perhaps—the blood was drained. Two circular wounds in its neck. The creature had come through here, no doubt in need of some sustenance before continuing its journey. Animal blood was often the main choice of these creatures, but desperation must have settled in. It would be hungry - it would be hunting.
It didn’t take Ethan long to find the small town of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, nestled in those thick woods. If that monster was still here, if it had stopped to hunt, this is where it would come. It would have to; this was the only town for miles.
Yet the entire place seemed calm. The few homes scattered outside the town limits were friendly, farmers eager to lend a hand when they thought he had lost his vehicle, due to the fact he’d walked into town. It was nice, seeing such humble and hospitable people. These types of interactions kept Ethan dedicated to his work, enthralled with his hunting. He had to protect these innocent folks from the beasts in the dark.
A bell rang above his head as he pushed open the door to the diner, and Ethan greeted the young waitress at the front with a smile. He laughed at the surprise and confusion on her face as he tugged loose the scarf around his neck. “Evenin’, ma’am.” She giggled weakly, perhaps at his thick accent, as she grabbed a small menu and set it at the table he claimed.
“Evening. It’s cold out there tonight, huh? I, uh… I’ve never seen you here before.”
It wasn’t the only confused look he received. So strangers definitely weren’t common around here. Unique to find in such an expanding world, but very good for his business here. If he stirred up commotion, then the beast would certainly catch a few lingering eyes. It just meant he would have to ask the right questions of the right people—and a bit of charm always helped.
“Just passin’ through, ma’am. Though, might I say, I’m already startin’ to like this little town of yours.” He winked at her and got another giggle as reward. A little flirting went a long way when you had questions. “You get many strangers ‘round these parts?”
“No, never!” Setting a cup before him, she filled it with black coffee, occasionally sparing him a glance as he spoke. “We’re just lucky lately, I suppose.”
“Oh, lately?”
“Yeah, you’re the second guest we’ve had!”
Smiling, Ethan leaned back in the seat now, fingers drumming against the top of the table. Hot on the trail once more, closing in on the pathetic beast that eluded him. The hunt was on.
Chapter 1
“Have a good night, Mia. Remember to get some rest!”
The hospital's sliding doors parted, cool evening air wafting through
the waiting room, and Mia laughed gently, throwing a jacket on over her pink nurse's scrubs.
“Okay, Carol. I’ll text you before I turn in so you can even time me.” Smiling, she finally bid her friends goodbye and made her way toward the parking lot. The evening air, through chilly, was quite inviting. It felt good against her flushed face and helped keep her thoughts focused instead of wandering toward the clouds.
Setting a small cooler in the backseat, Mia wrapped her scarf tighter as she slipped into the driver’s seat and pulled out from the small parking lot. Living in a small town was terribly boring, but it had its charms. The hospital rarely overflowed with patients, and the nights were calm. Roads empty and the night still. It was Mia’s favorite time of the day, as she returned home, finally engulfed in silence. Giving her time to her thoughts and to herself.
Of course, she wasn’t going home. Not yet. She turned off before continuing down the road toward her small bungalow. The road she took was thin and worn, gradually beaten down by the many tires that traversed the path. Every so often she felt a bump and simply sighed in resignation. The road’s condition had been presented to the town council several times, where it met with smiles and false promises. They would see to it; this matter was being handled. Funny, it had so far taken over fourteen years to handle a single complaint. Pulling off the road, she turned into a small parking lot, with small tree logs marking the spots.
She stepped out, fetched the cooler from the backseat, and made her way toward the small inn. No need to bother locking the car; in this Ligonier, Pennsylvania, there were more trees and animals than thieves. Everyone knew her car, and she knew everyone currently staying at the inn. The family of locals, those who couldn’t afford better, and those passing through.
Well, that was a lie: there was only one individual passing through, and that alone was shocking. Ligonier rarely had visitors. Small twigs snapped underfoot as she made her way toward the door. Number 13, a room she had visited several times of late, only during this time of the evening. When no one lingered, when she was free from prying eyes and whispering rumors.
She reached up to knock, but the door opened before her knuckles met the surface, and Mia laughed in surprise.
“Hey, Vaughn.”
A handsome man in a black button-down smiled back, a sharp glint in his pale blue eyes. Unlike her, he didn’t seem bothered at all by the cold evening breeze. His arms were exposed from his rolled-up sleeves, the top few buttons askew. Mia, in her tightly wrapped jacket, felt rather jealous of his inability to feel the cold as she did. He stepped aside and ushered her in, gently closing the door behind her and locking the bolt.
Vaughn always locked the door, always. Both the knob and bolt. Mia couldn’t recall the last time she'd locked her home. She couldn’t remember the last time there’d been a robbery. Occasionally local teenagers caused trouble, but even that was rare, and they usually apologized shortly after. The children around here were raised by good, honest parents and often came out the same. The worst ‘crime’ she could recall was several years back, when she was in high school. Some students drank far too much and crashed their car through a fence and into a tree. Several cows escaped, and the students were quite injured. Thankfully, the only fatality was one of the cows.
“Miss Mia, I was fearful you would not grace me with your presence tonight.”
“Oh?” She laughed again, feeling warmth spreading through her limbs at his words. It was so nice to have a friend who wanted to see her, wanted to hear about her day.
“I worry that every night, darling. Your presence is a blessing I do not overlook. Each time we meet, I am thankful. Never think me ungrateful for the time you spare.”
Eyeing him a moment, Mia just giggled and made her way toward the small table tucked in the corner. Sometimes he was a little over the top, but she liked it. Her new friend was so different from everyone else in Brixton. So much classier, so much more attentive. Setting the cooler down, she began to unwrap her scarf as Vaughn gathered cups from the cabinet.
“Tell me, how was your day at the hospital? I hope you did not face many obtuse patients?”
Vaughn’s way of speaking was always strange to Mia; she found it both silly and appealing at the same time. He spoke clearly and had a wide vocabulary, yet she still couldn’t help but giggle from time to time. His words were always so proper and precise. Completely different from the men around her, who preferred slang and often vulgar language. Working in a hospital, she rarely dealt with happy visitors, and got to hear the worst cuss words, often aimed at her. At times, Vaughn spoke in the same manner as her grandfather, though his tone was more cultured and his light accent was hard to place. She guessed it was European.
“Nothing like that, just getting the children ready for school. Lots of shots, lollipops, and dinosaur Band-Aids. If you can’t tell, it was super thrilling.” She rolled her eyes, setting the cooler inside the fridge.
Despite what a gentleman Vaughn acted, his fridge was still that of a bachelor who hadn't learned to cook for himself. There was little food inside the fridge, which was now only filled thanks to the cooler. Mia knew for a fact the only things Vaughn had to drink were tea and wine. Mia found this small fact about Vaughn rather cute; it made him seem more human and less like a fantasy she'd made up in her head. Sometimes she felt he truly was, because she had never met a man so collected and kind before.
Stepping away from the fridge, she took a seat at the table and accepted the proffered cup of tea.
“Thank you, Vaughn. How has your day been? Your arm looks much better than before. I can barely see the mark.”
“Yes, well, we both know I have your nurturing to thank for such a feat.” He smiled warmly, his eyebrows lifting to acknowledge her.
She would never understand why he was so sweet to her. Such an educated man, with stories that filled her mind and heart with wonder. Vaughn generously gave her a glimpse of the world beyond her little bubble. Mind-boggling for a small-town girl, yet it was also enough to seduce her back into her fantasies of escaping this place. She’d been dreaming of it for years, though reluctantly had let it go. That forgotten drive was back, full-force, and pleading at her to see all these places Vaughn spoke of when they shared tea together.
Despite their talks nearly every night, Mia’s head still reeled from the fact she even knew Vaughn. Their introduction had been quite unconventional, and she often found her mind wandering back to that night.
Stepping out into the poorly lit parking lot, it had been a miracle Mia had even seen him in the dark, slumped over on the bench just outside the hospital and struggling to breathe. Mia had barely managed to drag him back inside the hospital and clean the poor man up. Vaughn had been in terrible shape, blood spreading on his shirt and massive gashes on both his arm and stomach.
It had been a very stressful night for the hospital; they rarely ever had major injuries here. Mostly incidents during hunting, bullets hitting the wrong targets or sometimes a buck clipping its assailants. This, however… the large gashes were awful, far worse than any hunting wound the hospital had worked with. This had not been an accident; this was intentional and violent. Despite how close they had become over these last few weeks, Vaughn still refused to tell Mia what had happened, who had hurt him.
“So!” She perked up from over her tea cup, snapping out of her thoughts and smiling warmly as she sipped the liquid. “Growing bored of this little town yet? I know there isn’t much to offer. Honestly, I’m shocked you’ve stayed this long.”
He chuckled “Ligonier holds more charms than you realize. I enjoy how quaint the area is. The forest is quiet, yet comforting. It is welcoming as well. Its inhabitants are shocked anytime they see me, but kind nonetheless.”
That was true; locals always became terribly startled when visitors lingered even for a night or two. It didn’t help that Vaughn was quite eye-catching—it was very hard to overlook such a handsome man. His grown-out, wispy strawberry-blonde locks and lig
ht, striking eyes were enough to stop anyone in their tracks.
“I enjoyed walking through the town earlier today. I am quite impressed with that blue restaurant. Though small, their coffee, and biscuits with gravy, were quite good. I never thought of pouring gravy over a baked good, but I had no complaints.”
Though Mia wouldn't have thought of biscuits as baked goods, or a diner as a restaurant, she simply snorted into her cup, setting it down and eyeing the man across from her. A puzzled look blossomed on her face as his words settled in. Vaughn had taken a stroll through town and stopped in for a bite? It was strange, not something she expected, and she couldn't picture this refined, elegant man sitting in Jerry's American Diner. Or eating at all.
“It’s a diner.” She often found herself correcting him on terms, though she wasn’t annoyed. If she was being honest, it was rather cute. “I’m a tad confused. You went to eat at a diner? Can you…” Her head fell to the side slightly as she trailed off, and Vaughn smiled knowingly.
"Ask, darling. I hardly mind.”
“Can you, like… gosh, I’m so sorry. Can you eat food? I mean, I know you’re... well.” Vaughn smirked now, eyes narrowed. Mia shifted a little uneasily in her seat, a thrill running through her.
“Go on. You can say it.” Vaughn's gaze was unwavering, expectant, almost hungry.
“A...vampire.” Her eyes flicked to the table's dark wood, then back to the pale man seated across from her. Seemingly satisfied, he leaned back in his seat, hands clasped around his tea cup. Mia knew his fingers, always chilly, must be soaking up the cup's warmth, and watched as they curled almost lovingly, stroking the cup's sides. When he spoke, his voice was softer, lower.
“Darling, considering how much time has passed and the secrets with which I have burdened you, I hardly think you need fret so when speaking with me. Do not be frightened to say the truth, but speak those words with confidence. Far more suiting, if I may say so.”
His words caught her off guard, and Mia wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. After both saying what was on her mind and hearing his response, she felt rather silly.
