That was an interesting observation. I was technically stronger than Gunner. Apparently I wasn’t the only one picking up on the parallels. “They’re a team.” I meant it. “Zoe would be just as lost without Aric as he would be without her. Neither one of them is more important than the other.”
Gunner’s eyes lit with amusement. “Are you worried that I think you’re more important than me?”
“I ... no.” Was I?
“Here’s the thing ...” He leaned close and stared directly into my eyes. “To me, you are more important. I’m guessing, or perhaps hoping, that to you I’m more important, too. That’s how a relationship works.”
I grasped what he was trying to say without the usual mental struggle I might otherwise engage in. “I just don’t want you to ever feel as if you’re being left behind,” I hedged. “Things are starting to change, and change fast, for us. Emma represents trouble.”
“She does indeed.”
“Then there’s Ezekiel. He could make things difficult.”
“Only if you shut me out.” Gunner slipped his arm around my back and anchored me to his side. “If you’re not ready to chase this, then we’ll wait. I get it. You’ve spent your entire life working this out in your head. I don’t want to push you. I also don’t want you taking this on yourself.” He kissed my forehead. “We’re a team, Scout. I want to be the same sort of team Aric and Zoe are. They realize they’re strongest when they’re working together.
“All of this Children of the Stars stuff is bound to weigh you down eventually.” He gave me a rueful smile. “I want to be the one to help carry the burden. That’s what I need from you. All you have to do is tell me what you need from me and I’ll make it happen.”
He couldn’t have said anything better. “I’m not sure yet. I need to think things through. For now, we need to focus on the vampires. They’re the most important thing. After ...”
“After,” he agreed, leaning in to give me a soft kiss. His expression was grave when he pulled back. “We have to strengthen the wards on this place to keep Emma out. She can’t just wander in whenever she wants.”
On that we could agree. “I know. I need to mull this over, chew on it a bit. There has to be a way.”
“Maybe Zoe can help you.”
“She’s not a witch.”
“You’re not strictly a witch either. You’re more. If you put your heads together, I’m sure you can come up with something.”
“I’ll talk to her,” I promised. “Right now, I’m starving. Can we move this conversation into the shower?”
His expression lit with wicked intent. “You read my mind.”
“Somehow I knew you were going to say that.”
HAWTHORNE HOLLOW WASN’T OVERLY LARGE, which meant there weren’t a lot of places to eat. What they lacked in choices, however, they made up for with quality. That included Mable’s Country Table, our favorite breakfast spot. The restaurant was busy when we entered an hour later but our favorite corner booth was open.
“Coffee?” Mable called out from behind the counter when she saw us.
Gunner nodded. “We need a vat of it.”
“Coming right up.”
We were comfortably seated at the table when Mable delivered a huge carafe of coffee to keep us going after we finished our initial cups. “We have biscuits and gravy on special,” she said.
“I want that.” Enthused, Gunner rubbed his hands together. “Make it a double order.”
Mable cocked a speculative eyebrow. “Hungry? What have you guys been doing to work up such an appetite?”
Since I knew what she was insinuating since she wasn’t exactly coy when digging for information, I averted my gaze and focused on the street outside the window. “What’s the gossip from out there?”
Mable snorted. “It’s okay. I already know what you two have been doing. You’re not exactly stealthy. As for what’s going on out there, not much.” Her eyes narrowed. “Unless you know something we don’t know.”
Uh-oh. “I don’t know anything, Mable. I’m a void of information.”
“You’re not nearly as good at lying as you think you are either,” Mable noted. “But I’m not going to pressure you. That’s not my way.”
That was exactly her way. Thankfully, before she could change tactics, the front door of the diner opened to allow a trio of familiar faces entrance. I waved at Zoe to get her attention, and not just because I wanted to dissuade Mable from continuing her interrogation, and the mage nodded in greeting when she saw us.
“I think we’re going to be five now,” Gunner said, sliding to the left to make room for the family to join us.
“Hi!” Sami immediately moved to the spot he’d shifted to, forcing him back closer to me so she could take the spot. That left Zoe and Aric to sit next to me.
Gunner glanced at Aric, worry lining his forehead, but the put-upon father merely shook his head.
“Don’t make him uncomfortable, Sami,” Aric chided.
Sami was the picture of innocence. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you get your joy of torturing people from your mother,” Aric replied, smirking at his wife. “It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with her.”
Zoe let loose a disdainful snort. “Whatever. I don’t seem to remember you liking my penchant for irritating people back in the day.”
“Your memory isn’t what it used to be. That comes with age.”
Zoe scorched him with a furious look but his attention was already on the menu.
“They have biscuits and gravy, Sami,” Aric said, changing the subject.
“I want that.” Sami was all smiles, casting adoring looks at Gunner. “I’ll have a double order.”
“I’ll have the same,” Aric said, sliding his arm around Zoe’s shoulders. “You’d better stop looking at him that way, Sami. You’re going to be crushed if I have to kill him.”
Gunner looked more uncomfortable with Sami’s proximity than Aric’s threat. “Um ... it’s fine,” he said but the words were empty. He was clearly agitated at being the object of a young girl’s affection. Since Raisin had a similar crush on him, I was confused why he was so baffled. Of course, Raisin was nowhere near as overt as Sami. It all came down to confidence, and Sami had it in leaps and bounds.
Once everyone placed their orders and filled mugs with coffee, conversation turned to plans for the day.
“I think we should head out to the woods,” Zoe suggested, smirking when Sami leaned her head against Gunner’s arm. “Sami, stop trying to irritate your father. It’s not necessary today.”
Sami blanked her face, clearly mimicking an expression she’d seen her mother boast a time or two. “I’m not trying to irritate Dad. Besides, I’m not doing anything.” Her scowl was pronounced. “Why do you always accuse me of things I’m not guilty of?”
“Because that’s what keeps me young,” Zoe replied automatically. “I can’t help myself.”
“Well, it’s stupid.”
“Uh-huh.” Zoe shook her head and turned back to me, shrewd curiosity wrinkling her forehead. “Did you sleep?”
I thought about ignoring the question, or at least glossing over my answer, but ultimately, I couldn’t manage it. “The friend I told you about from the hill house, the one who took off right before it burned, she invaded our bedroom last night. Nothing happened,” I reassured her quickly when anger lit the mage’s blue eyes. “She just wanted to talk.”
“About what?” Zoe’s tone was cold. “Also, how did she get inside your home? Why aren’t you protected against things like that?”
“I thought I was. As for why she decided to visit, apparently she’s curious about you.”
If Zoe was bothered by the admission, she didn’t show it. “She sensed a power shift. Typical. She wants to know if I’m here for her.”
“I didn’t lie,” I explained, “but I didn’t volunteer information either. I tried to feel her out about things.”
“And?”
/>
“If she has ties to the new vampires, she’s good at hiding it. She seems more focused on me, and you by default.”
“She probably thinks you called me in to help fight her.”
That was a possibility I hadn’t considered. “I don’t know what she wants. She claims I’ll see her coming when she decides to attack.”
“Which is probably true. She’s clearly an egomaniac. She’ll want to do a big song and dance when she decides to fight. Right now, it sounds like she’s putting a plan together and enjoying her freedom. She’s going to leave this mess to you. I wouldn’t worry about her attacking just yet. She needs to adjust.”
“Yeah, well...”
“We need to fix the wards on your cabin,” she added. “I’ll help you. We’ll make sure she can’t wander in whenever she wants.”
Gunner exhaled heavily, obviously relieved. “Thank you.”
Zoe smirked. “Did you think I would just sit back and leave her vulnerable?”
Gunner hesitated and then shrugged. “I’m honestly not sure what you’re capable of.”
“Fair point. We’ll figure it out. I promise.”
Nervous energy crowded my mind and when I glanced up, I found Brandon Masters, Gunner’s best friend and a recent vampire abductee, hanging close to the edge of the table. “Hey.” I flashed a genuine smile. “How are you?”
Zoe glanced at the man. I’d told her about what happened to a handful of people from town when the vampires decided to exert their control. She was intuitive, so she would realize Brandon was one of them.
“I’m feeling good,” Brandon replied, his gaze curious as it bounced between Aric and Zoe. He looked amused as he studied Sami. “I saw you guys from the street and I wanted to say hi.”
“Hi.” Gunner’s expression was hard to read. “I planned to stop in and visit you but a few things happened and I got distracted. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Brandon offered up a haphazard hand wave. “It’s not a big deal. I know you have things going on in your lives.”
“We do,” Gunner readily agreed. “We’ve been best friends since elementary school, though. You’re a priority to me. I just got sidetracked. I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I needed some time to myself after ... everything. It’s not as if you’ve been neglecting me. Heck, you saved me.”
“Everyone worked together to solve a problem,” I corrected calmly. “I’m just glad you’re doing okay.”
“Me, too.” There was genuine light in Brandon’s eyes, although it was faint. “Well, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I just wanted to check in. Maybe in a few days when you’ve finished dealing with whatever you’re dealing with, we can hang out or something.”
Gunner bobbed his head. “Absolutely. It’s a plan.”
“Great.” Brandon waved and moved away from the table. “I need to get to work. It was good seeing you.”
“You, too,” I said to his back as he wandered toward the door. I was curious when I turned back to Gunner. “He seems good.”
“I’ll carve out some time for him when this is over with,” Gunner said. “He seems okay, but I want to be sure.”
I patted his knee. “You’re a good friend.”
“A really good friend,” Sami agreed, mimicking my actions, only on the opposite knee, and Gunner’s cheeks blushed a mottled shade of red.
“I will kill you,” Aric warned Gunner, his shoulders going rigid out of nowhere. He turned his head swiftly and watched the door until he caught sight of a broad-shouldered individual in a uniform.
“It’s my father,” Gunner said quickly, making me realize that Aric had alerted to the approach of another shifter and that’s why he tensed. “He’s a pain in the ass but not dangerous.”
Aric nodded and relaxed a bit. “I think that’s common with shifter fathers.”
“Tell me about it,” Sami intoned, earning a narrow-eyed glare from Aric.
“Keep it up,” Aric warned. “I’ll ban you from that Sephora website you love so much if you’re not careful.”
Sami rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Curiosity etched across Graham Stratton’s face when he registered we weren’t alone, his gaze ultimately landing on Aric. “I know you.”
“You do?” Aric’s face remained impassive. “I apologize. I don’t remember you.”
“You were young when we met, ten or so,” Graham said. “I worked security for your father for a brief time when I was first starting out.”
“Oh.” Aric nodded. “I don’t remember, but that’s good to know.”
Graham’s eyes drifted to Sami. “I take it she belongs to you.”
“Yes, and she’s basically trying to torture her father by flirting with your son,” Zoe said. “Just ignore her. She’s at that age.”
Graham smirked. “I’m familiar with the age.” He stared at Sami a second longer and then shook his head. “So, I have a weird situation. I’m not sure if it’s important but I’ve heard buzz about you running all over town, and the woods.” His attention was focused on Gunner. “On the highway, about two miles from the hill house, we have an abandoned vehicle. It was involved in an accident,” he said, scratching his chin. “It appears to be a single-vehicle accident, but there are no bodies in the vehicle or in the immediate area surrounding the vehicle.”
Gunner rubbed his forehead. “They could’ve been disoriented and wandered into the woods.”
“Maybe.” Graham didn’t look convinced. “They also could’ve been taken.”
Gunner heaved out a sigh. “We’ll head out and look after breakfast.”
“That would be helpful,” Graham said. “Right now, our hands are tied. I’m not sure what to do.”
“We’ll find answers,” Gunner promised. “You have my word.”
Fourteen
We picked up Rafael at the hotel. Apparently he had returned sometime during the night, begging off breakfast to recharge. Seeing him wander around in the daylight was still weird to me but I was hopeful I would get used to it.
We drove in separate vehicles and Sami appeared to be ruthlessly questioning the vampire when we landed at the accident scene.
“I’m not being a busybody,” she complained. “I just want to know where you were all night. You snuck in when I was asleep.”
Rafael cast her a derisive look. “I don’t sneak.”
“You’re a vampire. Everybody knows that vampires sneak around. It’s the law or something.”
Rafael’s withering gaze landed on Zoe. “She gets this rather unpleasant facet of her personality from you. Make it stop.”
Zoe smirked. “Sami, vampires don’t sneak. They lurk. Rafael is a lurker. Get it right.”
Rafael’s scowl grew more pronounced. “Oh, great. Now I’m going to have to hear that word a million times over the next two days. Thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome.” Zoe smiled indulgently at Sami. “Ask him about lurking outside of bedroom windows and watching people change their clothes.”
Sami’s eyes went wide. “Gross!”
“I didn’t do that,” Rafael hissed. “Don’t tell her things like that.”
“I think you did it.” Zoe glanced at him. “It’s human nature to stare when someone is naked. Just admit it.”
“I will do no such thing. I was a perfect gentleman.”
I risked a glance at Aric and found him glaring daggers at the vampire. “When did you stare inside her bedroom window?”
“Never!” Rafael was vehement.
“It was when we were broken up,” Zoe said. “You told him to watch me and he took his duties to heart.”
“Stop telling him that!” Rafael jabbed a finger in her face. “If you keep with this narrative there will be a fight.”
“I’m really grossed out.” Sami mock-gagged. “I can’t believe you looked at my mom naked. I’m crushed.”
Rafael rolled his eyes to the sky. “I hate my life.”
&n
bsp; To my surprise, Aric clapped the vampire on the shoulder as he passed. “You know she tortures people when she’s feeling agitated. You must’ve expected this.”
“Perhaps I thought she would grow up eventually.”
“Hoping for miracles at this point in her life is too much.”
“Apparently so.”
I found myself taken aback by the shift. “So ... you’re not going to fight?”
“Not now,” Aric replied. “Even if he did see her naked, it was long before we were married. I did ask him to watch her, although back then if I thought he was peeping in her window I would’ve ripped his head off. I can’t really get worked up about something twenty years in the past.”
Zoe made a face. “Where has the love gone?”
We reached the abandoned vehicle. It was a Ford, one of those SUVs that looked like every other SUV on the road. Somehow it had careened from the road, jumped a ditch, and collided with a tree. The front end of the vehicle was mangled.
“This thing is totaled,” Aric noted, running his hand over the bent metal. “Whoever was driving was going fast.”
Gunner cocked his head. “Maybe they were being pursued.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Aric held Gunner’s gaze, something unsaid passing between them. “This isn’t the sort of road people would automatically speed down. Locals would know better and outsiders would err on the side of caution.”
“So, we’re saying vampires were chasing the people who own this vehicle?” Zoe didn’t appear as interested in the vehicle as much as the uneven gravel on the side of the road. “Isn’t that a little 30 Days of Night?”
I was surprised by the reference. “The movie with the vampires in the snow?”
Zoe nodded. “The vampires in it are more realistic than the romantic ones those Twilight books ensnared teenagers with.”
On that we could agree. “Vampires aren’t generally feral,” I remarked.
“Thank you.” Rafael beamed at me. “Finally, a voice of reason. I can’t see vampires chasing a vehicle in the middle of nowhere. What good would that do?”
Cut to the Crone (A Spell's Angels Cozy Mystery Book 4) Page 14
