KISS OF DEATH
The Morganville Vampires, Book 8
estimated release: April/May 2010
by Rachel Caine
pre-order from Amazon Immortal Fiction
The way the Glass House worked, on a practical level, was that there was a schedule for the stuff that had to be done. Cooking, cleaning, fixing things, laundry. Technically, they were all on every housemate’s list. In practice, though, what happened was this: the boys (Michael and Shane) bribed the girls (Eve and Claire) to do laundry, and the girls bribed the boys to fix things.
The basement of the Glass House was big, dark and creepy, which wasn’t really such a surprise. Most basements were, and this was Morganville. Morganville went in for dark and creepy the way Las Vegas went in for neon. Apart from the one area Claire was in, with a battered washer and dryer, a table that had once been painted some kind of industrial green, and some shelves filled with unidentifiable junk, the rest of the basement was dim and quiet.
She had the music cranked up so high that she failed to hear steps coming down the stairs. In fact, she had no clue she wasn’t completely alone until she felt a hand touch her shoulder, and hot breath against her neck.