Phoenix agreed, and her respect for Talia grew. Drew didn’t make the best first impression. His second and third impressions weren’t usually great, either. Then again, the same could be said of Mason, so Talia was probably more tolerant than most. Before she could say anything else, her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number. There’d been a time when she would have sent a call from an unknown number to voicemail, but those calls tended to be from her cousin now. Even though it was no longer necessary, Shayla still ditched her prepaid phones on a regular basis.
“Hello,” Phoenix answered.
“It’s me,” Shayla said.
“Where are you?” Phoenix asked, trying to keep her voice level so as not to spook Shayla.
“I’m in your area for a couple of days,” Shayla replied in a tired voice. “I was wondering if we could grab lunch.”
“Yes,” Phoenix told her. “There’s a lot I need to talk to you about.”
She hesitated in telling her cousin more because she had a feeling Shayla would run as soon as she knew there was any danger to her. It was a tough call because she wanted her cousin to be prepared for any danger. Still, she decided the best way to protect her was to get to her as soon as possible.
“How about now?” Shayla asked.
“I’m out of town until tomorrow,” Phoenix explained. “Where are you staying?”
There was a long hesitation, proving Shayla was as paranoid as she’d been when they’d both been hiding from Shayla’s psychotic brother.
“I’m at a Comfort Inn,” she replied. “There’s this Thai place that looks good down at the little shopping center.”
“Where is it?” Phoenix asked in hopes of getting Shayla to reveal more about where she was staying. “I want to look it up to see if I can find any reviews.”
“Castro Valley,” she replied after a pause. “It’s close to where your vampires are staying, so I figured it would be convenient for you.”
“That was nice of you,” Phoenix told her. “Would two work for you? I should be back by then.”
Shayla hesitated before responding. “Sure. I’ll text you the restaurant details tomorrow.” She ended the call without waiting for Phoenix to reply.
“Where is she?” Drew asked.
“Castro Valley,” Phoenix replied. “She wants to meet for lunch. I’m hoping I can convince her it’s safer to stay with us.”
Drew snorted. “It might be easier to kidnap her.”
“Now, you sound like Aiden,” Phoenix muttered. Aiden was Drew and Isaiah’s cousin, and for some insane reason, he believed there was a romantic way to kidnap someone. Phoenix found it disturbing how many Draksel relationships had involved kidnapping. The men in their family could be more than a little clueless.
“I didn’t mean it the way Aiden does,” Drew told her. “We can’t keep Shayla safe if we have to chase her crazy ass all over the county.”
“I’m tired of you calling her crazy,” Phoenix muttered.
“You might be tired of it, but that chick is eating with only one chopstick,” he stated.
“Not this again,” she grumbled, wondering if Drew spent his spare time searching for new ways to say someone was crazy.
“The girl is seriously four cents short of a nickel, and you are hearing this from an expert,” he assured her.
“Being crazy doesn’t make you an expert,” she argued.
He shrugged and moved across the room to toss his empty water bottle in the trash. “You think some doctor knows crazy better than me?”
“We are not discussing whether or not Shayla is crazy,” Phoenix insisted before letting out a sigh. “She needs help, but it’s understandable considering what she went through.”
“I guess she has good reason for being a little off,” Drew agreed. “Are you going to answer my question about where Shayla’s staying?”
Isaiah walked in the door just as he asked the question. He’d been checking out Mason’s laptop and discussing internet security. Phoenix had decided to leave them to it since she didn’t understand most of what either of them were saying when they talked computers.
“You have information on Shayla?” Isaiah asked, setting his laptop bag on the table. Phoenix resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She’d insisted she was going to stay in the trailer while he was gone, but he’d been concerned she’d go out and leave his computer unguarded.
“She called me and asked if we could meet,” Phoenix told him.
“We should get someone to keep an eye on her,” Drew suggested.
“Good idea,” Isaiah agreed. “I’ll get the information from Phoenix and get someone over there.”
“It would help if we could get Aiden near her,” Drew mused.
Aiden had a rare talent that allowed him to find anyone he’d ever met. He could sense the differences in everyone’s life force and focus on the one he was looking for.
“I’m hoping she won’t run once she knows she’s in danger,” Phoenix admitted.
“If you thought that was a possibility, you would have told her about the danger over the phone,” Drew added before leaning in to hug her. “I’m going to get some sleep. My guess is you’ll be waking me up at the ass crack of dawn so you can have lunch with Shayla.”
“You know me so well,” she replied. “Are you really okay?”
Drew looked startled by her question. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You said Talia was worried you were upset,” Phoenix reminded him.
“She was wrong,” he insisted. “I’m fine.”
She eyed him suspiciously, knowing there was something bothering Drew.
“I really am fine,” he insisted, walking over to give her a quick hug. “Promise you won’t tell Lydia about this conversation.”
Phoenix gave him a sweet smile. “I don’t know if I can make that promise when you’re hiding things from me.”
Drew let out a frustrated groan. “Listen, Nixie. If I need to talk, I promise to tell you. I’m not sure I can handle another spa day this month.”
“You love them,” she insisted.
With the door open to leave, he paused and looked over his shoulder. “I don’t love them, but I do love Lyd. Don’t tell her I said that, either.”
“I won’t tell her,” Phoenix assured him.
Drew nodded and left without another word.
“What was all that about?” Isaiah asked, his eyes on the door.
“I’m not entirely certain,” Phoenix admitted.
“Do you think I should go talk to him?” Isaiah asked.
Phoenix shook her head. “He’ll be okay.” That was one thing about Drew—he was a survivor.
Chapter Thirteen
Talia was ready to punch Mason in his smug face.
“What right do you have to go behind my back and try to convince our uncle to hide me somewhere?” she demanded.
Mason let out a frustrated breath and ran his hands through his hair, tugging at the ends. “There’s no reason for you to get upset about this.”
Talia put her hands on her hips and glared at him. The weasel had gone out to get a drink. At least, that’s what he’d said. She soon discovered he was talking to their uncle about her. “Do you really believe there is no reason for me to be upset?” she demanded. “You went behind my back—treated me like I’m too helpless to deal with the danger to Shayla.”
“You’re also in danger, if they realize who you are,” he argued.
“Which is exactly why I need to be involved with this situation,” she shot back.
“That and to mess around with the vampire?” Mason asked.
“What the hell are you talking about?” she demanded.
“I saw you hug him,” Mason accused. “I stayed around the corner for a minute, not sure I should interrupt.”
“You shouldn’t have,” Talia told him. “My friendship with Drew is none of your damn business.”
“Oh, so now you’re friends?” he asked. “Friends don’t rub up ag
ainst each other.”
“I’m tempted to kick your ass for saying something that stupid. Seriously, Mason, what is wrong with you?” she pushed. “You know damn well I can take care of myself. If I want to spend time with Drew, that’s my business.”
Mason started to open his mouth, but she put her hand up to silence him.
“Not another word out of you, Mason,” she warned. “For whatever reason, you seem determined to say something stupid tonight.”
“I’m trying to protect you,” he insisted.
“By insulting me?” she asked.
“How is it insulting you to want you to stay out of this?” he shot back. “How is it insulting you to want you to stay away from that vampire?”
“I can’t be around you anymore tonight,” she told him as she headed toward the door.
“Where are you going?” he asked. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“Thank you for telling me what time it is,” she said with a forced smile. “I wouldn’t have been able to figure that out on my own. How would I ever be able to do anything without you to take care of me?”
Mason put a hand on the door to keep her from opening it. “I’m not saying you’re helpless, Talia. You’re my sister—maybe not by blood, but my sister in every way that matters. I love you.”
“This is about so much more than you treating me like I’m helpless,” she told him. “I love you, Mason, but since we learned my DNA donors are looking for me, you’ve been acting like a dick. Your attitude is totally fucked up.”
“You’re right,” he agreed with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”
She nodded. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
“Right,” he agreed, stepping away from the door. “We should go to bed.”
“I’m not sleeping here tonight,” she told him. “Phoenix will let me stay with them. If I stay here, I’ll end up stabbing you.”
On those words, she grabbed her phone, stormed out, and headed toward Phoenix and Isaiah’s trailer. She stopped, realizing the lights were already off. With a sigh, she decided it would be rude to wake them up and ask to sleep there. They barely knew each other. Mad at Mason or not, it was also foolish to take off in her pajamas at two in the morning.
Scanning the trailer park, she saw lights on in one particular trailer. Asking to sleep with Drew was a bad idea—definitely something she should avoid. Still, her feet began moving in that direction, and soon, she was knocking on his door. Bad idea or not, it was too late to turn back.
Chapter Fourteen
According to his clock, it was a little past two in the morning when the knock on the door pulled him from his fitful sleep. Eyes snapping open, Drew was surprised to find the lights still on. Since he wasn’t expecting anyone, and it was too early to leave, he was on edge. That was what came from growing up with a serial killer. He’d never known when to expect his mom to wake him up for an adventure. That had been her word for killing. His mom would prance into his room, talking about the exciting adventure she had planned for them. Each time she’d come to his room, his gut had tightened with apprehension.
Padding across the room in his boxers, he opened the door a crack to find Talia standing outside in nothing but a purple tank top and grey pajama pants. It was too cold to be out in so little, and he had no trouble making out the hard peaks of her nipples. One corner of his lips kicked up in a smirk as he appraised her.
“Don’t tell me Mason couldn’t keep you satisfied. Did you come over here looking for love?” he drawled, smirk still in place. He had no clue where the desire to tease her had come from.
She snorted. “Whatever. Mason was on the verge of getting stabbed in the balls for being a manipulative dick, so I figured I could sleep on your couch.”
“Do you always invite yourself into guys’ places?” he asked, unable to believe she’d just shown up assuming she could share his trailer.
“Just yours,” she shot back. “So, are you going to move out of the way or leave me out to freeze my ass off?”
“I’m not sure about your ass, but your tits seem to be freezing off,” he remarked as he stepped to the side so she could enter the trailer. Drew knew damn well he wasn’t going to get a good night’s sleep with Talia in the trailer with him. Still, he had to admit that he was glad she wasn’t in bed with Mason. It shouldn’t matter to him, but it did. Talia intrigued him. She wasn’t his normal type, but there was no denying he wanted to know her better. The fact that he couldn’t pick up anything from her sexually made it more relaxing to be around her and added to his attraction to her.
He watched as she walked by him, unable to take his eyes off her round ass. She wasn’t trying to appear sensual. There was no exaggerated sway of her hips. If anything, Talia had a very no-nonsense pace. Realizing he needed to get his mind off sex, he decided pissing her off was a good way to start. Pissing people off was a skill he excelled at.
“The sofa in here is crap, and too small for you to sleep on,” he began as he sprawled out on his back in the middle of the queen-sized bed with one leg raised, mostly to cover his erection some. “You’re welcome to share my bed. Did you want the top or bottom?”
“Perv,” she muttered, ignoring his invitation and setting her phone on the bedside table. “Move over. I’m too tired to play games.”
“I don’t even get a slap in the face?” he asked.
She let out a snort of laughter. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Drew chuckled and scooted to one side of the bed before patting the spot beside him. “Sick fuck that I am, I probably would like it. You’re right about us needing to get some sleep, especially if you’re going to insist on driving tomorrow.”
Talia settled onto the bed and rolled to her side to face him. “I can never tell if you’re flirting with me or just trying to be an ass.”
“I’m not sure there’s much difference when it comes to me,” he admitted. “What’s the deal with Mason? You guys have an open relationship?”
Talia’s her face morphed from confusion to humor. “An open relationship?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “Even if you’re fighting, I can’t imagine he’d be happy about you sharing a room with me.”
“Mason is essentially my brother,” she explained. “His parents raised me. As far as me sleeping here, no, he won’t be happy, but I really needed to get away from him.”
Drew said nothing as he mulled over what she’d just admitted, wondering if it changed anything. “I totally misread that situation. You aren’t easy to read.”
“And it frustrates you,” she deduced.
“It should,” Drew replied thoughtfully. “I should be annoyed that things aren’t the way I expect them to be with you. Instead, I like it. Why do you suppose that is?”
“It’s because you’re a total nut job,” she told him, her lips twitching. “Absolutely bonkers.”
“Way to state the obvious,” he said with a laugh. “Do you want to talk about what happened with Mason tonight?”
Talia rolled onto her back so she was no longer looking at him when she replied. “I appreciate the offer, but we’d be up all night if I started trying to explain this to you.”
There was a pause where neither of them spoke. Drew wanted to tell her he didn’t mind being up all night with her. He’d love to listen to her problems like she’d listened to his earlier that day. He’d also love to strip her naked and run his tongue along every inch of her body. Drew barely managed to bite back a groan.
Talia spoke, pulling his mind from the dangerous path it was heading down. “Thank you for the offer. It was really sweet of you, but we need to get some sleep.”
“You’re right,” he agreed. It was definitely time to sleep—try to sleep, anyway. He’d never been able to sleep with anyone in the room. Reaching over, he turned off the bedside light. “Goodnight, Talia.”
“Goodnight, Drew.”
When he heard Talia’s sleepy sigh, Drew smiled in the darkened room. He was glad she
was there with him. Listening to Talia’s relaxed breathing, he found his own breathing slowing, and it wasn’t long before he was fast asleep.
Chapter Fifteen
Talia let out a contented sigh, not quite ready to wake up despite the annoying buzz of her alarm. Lying on her side, Drew was pressed against her back with one arm draped around her waist. She’d have to be dead not to notice his erection pressed against her ass. There was a slight buzz of arousal moving through her body, but overall, she was relaxed—not at all what she would have expected waking up with Drew.
“I didn’t get enough sleep,” Drew grumbled, his voice rough from sleep. He was awake, but he made no move to remove his arm or put any distance between them.
“Neither did I,” she told him. “Stupid Mason. I should make him drive.”
“Something tells me he got less sleep than we did,” Drew said as his fingers made circles on her hip. “He seems like the type who stays up all night messing around on his computer when something’s bothering him.”
“He does that all the time,” Talia admitted. “Some nights, I wake up to find him in my living room on his computer.”
“You guys live together?” Drew asked.
“No,” she replied. “He just lets himself in and hangs out until I wake up to fix coffee.”
“Even I think that’s creepy,” Drew remarked, his warm breath moving along the back of her neck.
“It is, but he’s always been that way, so I’m used to it,” she explained, struggling to keep her voice even despite her growing arousal.
“Tell me something about you,” he coaxed as his fingers continued to move along her hip.
“Huh?” His strange request left her confused. Her low hum of arousal was also building, making her want to press back against Drew’s erection.
“This is what friends do, right?” he asked. “I like you, and I want to get to know you better. Something tells me you know a lot about me—none of it good.”
“I’m not basing my opinion of you on what others have said,” she assured him.
“They’re telling the truth,” he admitted.
Wicked Crazy Vampire Love (Psy-Vamp Book 7) Page 8
