“Oooh, a shared turret, I’m impressed. I wasn’t sure Edward was turret-worthy.”
“Shut up. Stop calling me. I hate you.”
“You called me, cousin.”
“Oh, yeah. Right. Well, thanks for the turret and the house around it.”
“Thanks for befriending powerful allies and killing a threat to our Pack.” His voice deepened as all traces of teasing fled. “Rachael, truly. A house is a poor thank-you for what you’ve done for the Pack, and for me. But it’s yours, and the title is in your name, so as I said, if you and Edward want to return to the Cape, you can sell it or not as you like.”
“I’m not sure the Cape is ready for our return, Michael, but I’ll keep all that in mind.”
“I am so grateful for all that you did, and so sorry for all that you suffered. Two weeks ago I already owed you more than I could have ever repaid.”
“We’re family, dumbass.”
“Exactly so. You already meant the world to me, and now look! Unbelievable! I am rich, Rachael, in all things. And I have you to thank for an awful lot of that. Who besides me has an accountant who can analyze a P and L statement as easily as she shatters cervical vertebrae?”
“Gross, Michael.”
“I’ll want to meet your mate,” he added thoughtfully. “Happened right in front of him and he didn’t have a nervous breakdown. I won’t deny being impressed.”
“He did have one. He just waited until I was done with mine.”
“Truly, a match made by the gods.”
“I hate you.”
“Just sayin’.” Ah! That was better. Now he sounded more like her cousin and less like her Pack leader. “So what’s up next for you?”
“Gotta go tell my man he’s sleeping in a turret for a while.”
“If he’s anything like you’ve described, he’s probably got his Star Trek posters all over it.”
“Star WARS, Michael, get a clue.”
“Sorry.”
“Well, I hope so!” she cried. “That’s a pretty big thing to fuck up.”
“Very, very sorry.”
“Okay, then.”
“Okay.”
“And Michael?”
“Yeah, cuz?”
“It’s possible we’ve been sleeping in the turret because I sent the son on a month-long all-expenses-paid cruise vacation with his fiancée.”
The Pack leader roared laughter and dropped his cell phone. By the time he picked it up, she was long gone, and in more ways than one.
Titles by MaryJanice Davidson
UNDEAD AND UNWED
UNDEAD AND UNEMPLOYED
UNDEAD AND UNAPPRECIATED
UNDEAD AND UNRETURNABLE
UNDEAD AND UNPOPULAR
UNDEAD AND UNEASY
UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY
UNDEAD AND UNWELCOME
UNDEAD AND UNFINISHED
UNDEAD AND UNDERMINED
DERIK’S BANE
WOLF AT THE DOOR
SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES
SWIMMING WITHOUT A NET
FISH OUT OF WATER
Titles by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi
JENNIFER SCALES AND THE ANCIENT FURNACE
JENNIFER SCALES AND THE MESSENGER OF LIGHT
THE SILVER MOON ELM: A JENNIFER SCALES NOVEL
SERAPH OF SORROW: A JENNIFER SCALES NOVEL
RISE OF THE POISON MOON: A JENNIFER SCALES NOVEL
EVANGELINA: A JENNIFER SCALES NOVEL
Wolf at the Door Page 19