Kiss Me When the Sun Goes Down (10 page)

“That is why Rob hire me, and now Rob is no longer with you...”

Was that what he was worried about?  That Bishop wouldn’t approve of him because Rob had originally hired him?  “That has nothing to do with it.  I’m still the Elder, I still need you to coordinate my security staff, even more with Rob gone, and I’m sure Bishop approves of your expertise in this area.”

“But Bishop is back in your life, you have no need of me.  He go with you when you are out at night now, and there is Lee as well.” 

He had a point there, but unfortunately, my life wasn’t so simple.  As long as I was Elder, I’d have a need for security, I’d come to accept that, and I thought Gunnar understood it as well.  “Bishop is back in my life, yes, but he also has his own.  And you know that Lee has been more and more involved with running his own business lately.  Even if the entire world loved and adored me, I wouldn’t kick you to the curb.  Gunnar, you’re a part of this family for as long as you want to be.” 

“I am?”  There was hope there, mixed with fear.

“Of course you are!  I’m not going to force you to stick around if you don’t want to, but there will always be a place for you here.  Heck, you can even get some other job if you’re bored watching my back all the time, but you definitely don’t have to leave because I’m dating Bishop.” 

“You are sure I’m not the cramp in your style?”

“No, you’re not cramping my style,” I snorted.  “Just consider it a perk that you get a few more nights off when I’m out with Bishop.  But any time I have to go out and do some Eldering, I expect you to be by my side, same as always.  Even if Bishop is accompanying me to a function, he’s more like my eye candy. I’ll still need you there for your skills.”

“I can do this,” he brightened, shoulders straightening with purpose.  “Do you have any need of me this night?”

“No, I’m going to try and get a few things done in my study and then head for bed, so you’ve got the rest of the night off.  But I’ve got my regular office hours tomorrow night if you’re available.”

“I am available,” he grinned, and I knew I’d made the right decision.

“But if you ever do feel like you want to move on, I hope you’ll come and talk to me about it.  I hope you feel like you can talk to me about anything.”

“No, I have no want to leave,” he shook his head. 

“Good, because I can’t imagine how things would be around here without you.”

“I
f you’re going to be my boyfriend, you have to do boyfriend things.”

“I know, I just didn’t expect our third date to be... here.”  Bishop frowned up at the split level house, and I couldn’t blame him.  A Christmas Eve party at my parents’ house wasn’t my idea of a good time either.  But if he wanted to make a go of it, he was going to have to be a part of all of my life, not just the fun bits.

“I’ll make it up to you later, I promise.”

Still, he made no move to leave the car, and I wondered if I was pushing him too fast with the invitation to the family gathering.  “What if they don’t like me?”

Was that what he was worried about?  That put a different spin on his reluctance to join the party, and I gave him an encouraging pat on the knee.  “Then it’ll just be the next in a string of disappointments I’ve brought them.”

“How can you say that?  You’re a successful... What do they think you do again?”

“I’ve kept it pretty vague on purpose.  All they know is I’m a liaison between a minority group and the local law.”  Which was almost sort of true, just on a grander scale since I’d become Elder.  The less they knew about my business, the better.  My dad would probably have an aneurism if he had any clue how much I was worth and how I’d gained it.  “And they think you’re the head of a top notch security firm that Mason works for too.”  That one wasn’t too much of a stretch.  “All you have to do is nod and smile and you’ll be fine.”

“Right, because that’s what I’m known for,” he muttered, his brows drawing together into the scowl he was famous for among the vampire crowd. 

“Relax, you don’t have to say much.  You can be the strong, silent type.  I’m sure Mason will talk enough for all of us.”

He brightened at the reminder that his best friend would be there too, and I got him up to the front porch without having to club him over the head and drag him by his hair.  He looked nice, definitely presentable in a shirt and blazer over dressy pants, his neck missing the tie I’d made him take off.  I had on a soft sweater dress in a winter white, that felt like a warm hug. 

Mom had gone nuts with the Christmas decor, every window ablaze with colored lights, and plastic snowflakes pressed to the glass.  A garland of fake greenery wrapped around the front door, and not one, but two, ginormous wreaths hung on the double doors. 

Giving Bishop’s hand a final squeeze, I raised my hand to ring the bell, but Mason pulled the door open before I touched it.  In addition to the dressy slacks and the blue shirt that I thought I recognized from our last family gathering, he wore a Santa hat with a rakish tilt over one brow.  His closely manicured beard was no longer crisscrossed with scars from his near death experience, and his cheeky grin was more in evidence since he’d patched things up with my sister, Hanna. 

Mason immediately thrust a glass of non-alcoholic eggnog into Bishop’s hand, muttering, “
Kill me now
,” under his breath, which drew a startled glance from Bishop.

“Oh stop, you’re going to give him a heart attack,” I scolded him, taking the disgusting concoction and tossing it into the bushes before tucking it back into Mason’s hand.  “It’s not that bad, is it?”

“Your dad’s been giving me looks all night.  I’m pretty sure he thinks I’ve corrupted his daughter.”

“Hanna was corrupted way before she met you,” I snorted, pushing him out of the doorway to call up to my mother.  “We’re here!”  Bishop wouldn’t be able to come in unless one of the humans invited him in. 

“I can’t come to the door, I’m mashing the potatoes!” she called back, and I turned to Bishop in dismay. 

“Mason, go get Hanna to invite him in,” I ordered, but the big lunk shot Bishop a lopsided grin. 

“Are you sure?  This is pretty much your last chance to escape.”

Bishop squared his shoulders as if preparing for battle.  “How bad could it be?”

“Good gravy, what’s wrong with you?” I gasped, picking up his hand and rapping it against the wooden railing outside.  “You never, ever,
ever
ask that question.”  Okay, so maybe I was a little superstitious, but why would you ever invite trouble like that?  “Just go do it, Mason.  Any second now and my mom’s going to wonder what we’re all doing out here.”

“You got it, sis,” he saluted crisply, pulling off the Santa hat and sticking it on Bishop’s head.  “Here, you’re gonna need this,” he teased before clambering up the stairs. 

Bishop just stared at me, and if I hadn’t been sure he would’ve bolted, I might’ve laughed at the expression on his face.  “You don’t have to wear the stupid hat,” I said, tugging it off and setting it on the hall table.  “Hey, you got through Volkov’s torture, right?  This’ll be a snap.”

“That’s one way of looking at it,” he allowed, a faint smile curving his lips before my sister came into view. 

“Bishop, how nice to see you again!” she called out from the top of the stairs. 

“Hanna,” he replied with a polite nod.

My sister wore a red dress with white tights, a candy cane necklace and jingle bell earrings completing the look.  She paused halfway down the stairs in mock puzzlement.  “What are you doing out there?  You’re not having second thoughts about joining our family insanity, are you?”

“Hanna...” I warned, about a heartbeat away from compelling her to invite him in, and her hands came up in defense. 

“I’m just giving him a last chance to go do something more fun, like have his gums scraped.” 

“Hanna!”

“I’m kidding,” she laughed, turning to him with a formal nod.  “Please come in, Bishop.  And welcome to the family.”

Bishop stepped across the threshold, looking like he half expected to turn into a pillar of salt at the action.  “Thanks,” he said with a tight smile, his eyes taking in the lay of the land as soon as we crested the short flight of stairs to the main living area – checking out all the exits, no doubt.  My father sat in his favorite chair by the fireplace, not bothering to rise to greet any of us.  What was it about him that made me feel like Dorothy, about to approach the great and terrible Oz?  I had vampire heads of state bowing and scraping to me.  What was I so afraid of?  Maybe because the last time we’d really spoken, I’d talked to him that way – like he was one of my subjects.  And maybe I was a tiny bit afraid that I couldn’t be his little girl anymore. 

“Hi, Dad,” I said, unsure if I should hug him or just stand there.  Standing won out.  “This is Bishop, you remember me telling you about him before, right?”

“Something to do with the private security business, as I recall,” he replied. 

“That’s right,” Bishop nodded, offering his hand.  “Pleased to meet you, sir.”

My father shook it, but still looked like he hadn’t made up his mind about him, and I decided to give him a push.  “Bishop runs the western division,” I added, hoping to smooth things over.

“I thought you were in charge of the entire organization?”

“I was.  I stepped down for personal reasons.”

“Couldn’t hack it?”

“Daddy!”  I prepared for Bishop to slip a gear, but he kept his expression neutral. 

“No.  I found something here that was a much more important use of my time.”  His eyes found mine, and we shared a private smile. 

“Doesn’t seem like a wise career decision to me.”

“Not everything’s about money,” I fired back at him.  Was he trying to be unpleasant on purpose?

“Bishop’s loaded though, aren’t you?” Mason chimed in, pouring out another round of eggnog that wiped out the supply.  “Owns more real estate than many a mogul.”

“You do?” I looked to Bishop in surprise, not sure if it was true or Mason was gilding the lily.  I knew he owned the building he lived in, and the one across the street, but we’d never talked about his finances beyond that.

“I’ve picked up a few properties over the years,” he admitted.

“He’s being modest,” Mason continued, doling out the glasses.  “The truth is, Bishop doesn’t have to work at all if he didn’t want to.  He only does this because he believes in keeping the public safe.”

I could see my father’s estimation of Bishop go up a few notches, and shot Mason an appreciative smile.  “I think we’re making Bishop uncomfortable with all of this financial talk.  How are things at school, Dad?” 

I’d thought it was a safe topic, but it turned out to be a miscalculation.  Instead, he took the opportunity to harp upon an old standard.  “It kills me that I can’t ask you the same thing.”

“Would you lay off of her for once, Dad?”  Hanna came to my rescue, but I didn’t need her to stand up for me. 

“No, it’s fine.  He’s disappointed that I didn’t stick to the path he chose for me.  But this is my life, and I’m not ashamed of my decisions.  I have a good job, friends I can count on, and the love of a good man.  And not that it matters, but I’ve also got a beautiful house and more money than I can reasonably spend.  If he can’t see how well I’m doing, then nothing you or I say will change his mind.” 

“I still say an education...”

“Is the cornerstone of a good future,” I finished for him.  “And I agree with you, but I’m already there.  I’m already living in my good future.  So why would you begrudge that for me?”

“I never said...”  He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  “You’re twisting my words.”

Bishop spoke then, addressing my father, but his eyes never left my face.  “I realize you didn’t ask for my opinion, sir, but your daughter is highly respected among her peers.  It seems to me that’s something a father can be proud of.”

“Now look here, I never said that I’m not proud of my daughter.  Her mother and I have been exceedingly proud of her since the day she took her first steps.”

“Wouldn’t know it from my end,” I murmured half under my breath, but somehow he heard me.

“It isn’t that we begrudge you this life you’ve found for yourself, Anja,” my father began in a milder tone.  “We always wanted the world for you, that’s why we’ve pushed you so hard to excel.  And now... well, it looks like you’ve done exactly that, just not in the career path we’d planned.”

“Sometimes the best things in life are unplanned,” I smiled up at Bishop, and he wrapped a possessive arm around my waist. 

And just like that, any approval I’d gained from my dad melted away as his face twisted in horror.  “Please don’t tell me you’re expecting.”

“Aw, that was almost a Hallmark moment there,” Hanna crooned, laying her head on Mason’s shoulder.

“I can feel the love,” Mason nodded. 

“No, I’m not pregnant,” I retorted. 

“Because if you are, it doesn’t do you any good to delay in telling us.”

“Dad.  I am not pregnant, nor do I have any plans to become pregnant.  Ever.”  It was physically impossible, not that I wanted to get into that at the moment.  Bishop shifted uncomfortably again, and I couldn’t blame him.  This was rapidly turning into something worse than the Spanish Inquisition, and I decided to cut him some slack. 

“Oh, you know, I forgot to bring that bottle of wine in.  Honey, would you mind going out to the car to get it?”

“No, not at all,” he replied with a grateful smile.  “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll come with you,” Mason chimed in, and Hanna caught his arm.

“You’d better come back,” she muttered.

“Of course I will, kitten.  But, ah... where are those keys again?” Mason teased, stealing a quick kiss before he headed outside with Bishop. 

“I’m going to see if Mom needs any help in the kitchen,” I said before my father opened his mouth again, and Hanna shot me a murderous look, jealous at not having thought of the excuse first, as she was left to entertain Dad. 

My mother had already finished with the potatoes, and stood over the stove, stirring the gravy with a frenetic pace.  “Oh, don’t you look nice, Anja,” she smiled.  “Come here and stir this for me, I think the turkey’s been resting long enough to carve.”