Stone Predator by Kennedy Harkins (important books to read .TXT) 📖

looked...stunned. Maybe it was because I had the nerve to order him around, or maybe he was amazed because I cared about something like a seat belt.
Most people would think my reaction was a little severe. Those people aren’t doctors. I’ve seen what happens to those idiots who don’t buckle up.
My parents had been in that category of ‘idiots’, now they’re 6 feet under and never coming back. At least I hoped they weren’t, the idea of zombies and vampires crossed my mind.
“Do you have a death wish, or do you just enjoy tempting fate?” He matched my tone from earlier and added a little ‘I can rip your guts out’.
I continued driving and answered him in a cold voice, “I don’t want you added to my casualty list.”
He was silent for a moment, not a long moment, but long enough to give me hope that he’d just drop it.
“Who else is on your list?”
“You’re not on it... yet,” I pointed out. The car was quiet and I knew he was waiting for an answer.
I sighed heavily, “Just patients. I’m a doctor remember? People die on my watch, it’s something you have to learn to accept.”
“Have you? Accepted it that is.” I could tell that he was mocking me, not in the obvious ways like sarcasm and silly voices. More in the way that his voice told me he didn’t think anyone could accept people dying as a part of everyday life. No not anyone, humans, it was clear to me in that moment just what his opinion of normal people was. But it went farther than that, I had a strong feeling he disapproved of females in my line of work.
I grew up in a small town that was currently in the Middle Ages, I was use to men who raised pitch forks at the very idea of strong women. Still I knew he had females in his pack, so it had to be a human female predigest.
Despite all my rationalizations, it stung, knowing he was just another one of those guys. I shook off the feeling quickly. I’d known him all of a couple hours, it shouldn’t matter to me what he thinks.
We rode in silence; whether it was because he sensed my anger or that he saw the tear that rolled down my cheek. It was just one, I don’t cry. Crying is for the people who can’t or don’t go out get drunk and start random bar fights, that’s the way to deal with problems.
I pulled up to the curb outside the house. I’d never been so relieved to see it in my life.
“Vivica-”
I held up my hand up to cut him off. “Look, we don’t need to talk. As far as I’m concerned helping Michael was my pleasure, so you don’t need to thank me or scold me or whatever,” I turned to meet his eyes. “After I get out of this car, you and I will never cross paths again. I don’t know what all happened tonight, but it doesn’t matter. The past is the past, I have enough to keep me preoccupied in the present and future.”
His lips turned up in a half smile that made my heart flip flop. “You’re wrong, we’ll see each other again,” it wasn’t a threat, but a promise. His voice held an edge of something. Satisfaction?
Before I could say or do anything I would regret, or worse something I wouldn’t, I opened the car door and practically sprinted up the stairs and into my home.
Melody

“Ellen,” I called into the silent house,“Ellen!”
A stereotypical Cherokee woman of 35 poked her face out from her scary neat bedroom. We had met on the plane ride here; she was moving back after staying with her family for a year and it was my first time here. We had hit it off and since neither of us could afford a vampire proof place on our own we decided to live together.
Her eyebrows raised at my slightly hysterical appearance, walked over to the fridge and got out the emergency ice cream without a word.
***

A half an hour later I had told her everything, and I felt a little lighter. Ellen was my safe house, she could keep a secret. She didn’t interrupt at all during my little story telling and afterward she just put in one of my favorite movies; Jeepers Creepers. It actually helped watching a horror movie, like saying ‘hey it could have been worse’.
“So,” Ellen said seriously, “was he hot?”
I groaned, “Yes, because that’s the most important thing you need to know to understand my story.”
“So, he was hot.”
“He also doesn’t think women have any business in the work force.”
That quieted her up, being a female paramedic was just as hard as being a female doctor. I got up and stretched out my aching body, I can only imagine how bad it’s going to be tomorrow.
“I’m gonna hit the sack. See you tomorrow,” after a quick glance at the clock I corrected myself, “today.”
I walked down the hall past Ellen’s room and on to mine. It was nowhere near clean, but I liked it this way; I could find anything by just looking at the floor. Sinking into my fluffy purple bed, I fell asleep quickly and dreamed of a man with coal black hair and emerald green eyes.
***
I awoke to the smell of eggs and bacon, an aroma that brought me to my knees. I ran as fast as I could out the the kitchen.
I sat down at the two person and stared at Ellen’s back, willing her to cook quicker.
“Hungry?” She giggled, probably feeling my gaze on her.
“Ravenous,” I replied.
She turned around with two plates full of breakfasty goodness, I think people in China heard my stomach growl.
We both plowed in, no time for talking, just eating. I glanced over the the wall clock in between bites, about 7:30 AM. I had work in half an hour, but I was seriously considering just spending the day with Ellen. She works the night shift, a night owl. Before I could say a word about staying home she pushed me towards my room with a stern face.
“Get dressed, save your vacation and sick time for some time when you feel amazing and can enjoy it.”
I groaned, mostly because she was right. Hobbling back to my bed room, I mentally went through my wardrobe. I had an idea of what I wanted to wear now I just had to locate it.
Ten minutes later I was clean, nice smelling, and reading to go. My outfit consisted of a just above the knees black skirt, ballet flats, and a red silk shirt. My style was more of a jean mini skirt and a t-shirt with a funny quote on it, but doctors don’t wear that to work.
I called good-bye to Ellen and walked out the door. Last night Ellen had come home with a rental car that the mechanic said we could use until our car was fixed, which was good and bad. Good because I wouldn’t have to walk everywhere, bad because its presence meant the mechanic wasn't going to get our car back to us for awhile.

***
Oh, what a day. I had volunteered to work in the emergency room, yeah I make bad decisions on a daily basis. A girl came in from a car accident, blood everywhere, the other two that were in the car died. Seat belts people! Anyway, I was working with a pregnant woman who had fallen down the stairs, no serious damage, just a few stitches.
By the time I got to the girl it way past to late and she’d been down to long. Her name had been Sasha Navode. I called it and told the surgical intern who had been working on her to take a break, she looked like shit. So there I was on my way down to the morgue, my least favorite part of the job. I stored the body quickly and started on my way up stairs to leave for the day.
Silent sobbing echoed through the halls, probably a family member of one of the deceased, I thought. I made my way down the hall to check it out, you really aren’t suppose to be down here without medical personal. Turning the corner I saw a Candy Striper, she looked to be about 15 with long red hair and freckles. She was crazy thin, kind of like myself, when she saw me she sprang to her feet. I’m a little taller than 5’8”, so she was about 5’7”.
She desperately tried to dry her eyes and hide why she had been down here, but fresh tears just replaced the old ones. After a few seconds she gave up and sank back down to the floor. I sat down beside her, while she avoided my eyes.
“What’s a pretty girl like you got to cry over?” I tricked her into giving me a small smile. “It’s a guy thing, right? Men, I tell you, if we didn’t need them to keep our species going...” This got a laugh.
“No, it’s just...some of the other girls...” she trailed off sadly. I wondered what she had done to get on their bad side. She was very pretty, so it could have been envy.
I put an arm around her, “Men are bad, but women will tear you down from the inside out. Are you new in town?” She nodded. “Just give it some time, you’ll find people who you belong with. Just forget these girls, no one needs bitch friends.”
I stood up and helped her to her feet. It was almost the end of my shift and no one was going to notice if I cut out a little early.
“Come on, sweetie,” she grinned as I practically dragged her out the hospital.
We walked over to the parking lot and I unlocked the door to the rental, a rusty old pick up. Despite my negative thoughts this morning, it was kind of growing on me. I loaded her baggage, which was enough to choke a horse. It consisted of two enormous duffel bags and a backpack. I made a mental note to ask her about it.
I started the car and looked over at the passenger seat, “I just thought to ask, what’s your name?”
“Melody, but everyone calls me Mel,” she said happily. I smiled, everyone deserved to have at least one friend.
“I’m Vivi,” I shook her hand, “Do you have a ride home?”
“I’m suppose to call my dad when I get off, but that’s not for an hour,” she frowned obviously she didn’t want to go back in there, not that I blamed her.
“Perfect, I’ll drive you home.” I didn’t leave it up for discussion. Rolling our way out of the parking lot I drove my way over to my favorite