The Reluctant Vampire (28 page)

“Sure,” she said easily. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Okay.” Drina heard the bathroom door open and thought Stephanie was leaving, but she suddenly said, “Oh, I forgot, Teddy went out to pick up sandwich fixings before heading to the police station. I was going to make myself a Kitchen Sink sandwich. Do you want me to make you one too?”

Drina stilled and asked uncertainly, “What is a Kitchen Sink sandwich?”

Stephanie chuckled. “That’s what my dad calls them because it includes everything but the kitchen sink. It’s tomatoes, lettuce, onions, radishes, green peppers, cucumber, cheese, mayo, Italian dressing, and ham or whatever. It’s basically like a sub sandwich, but on bread.”

Drina was actually salivating by the end of that long list of ingredients. “That sounds delicious.”

“Oh, it is,” Stephanie assured her on a laugh. “So you want one?”

“Yes, please.”

“Okay, see you soon.”

The door closed, and Drina promptly unplugged the stopper and switched the shower on. She was suddenly in a hurry to get downstairs and try this Kitchen Sink sandwich.

“I hear that Lucian finally called.”

Drina glanced up from her cards and smiled at Teddy as he settled at the table with his plate of pork chops, potatoes, and salad. Leonora had made dinner tonight with Drina, Harper and Stephanie basically getting in her way as they tried to help. Everyone else had eaten two hours ago, but Teddy had just gotten home. She suspected the poor man had worked late to avoid coming home to his presently overcrowded house. She couldn’t blame him.

“Yes, he called just before we sat down for dinner,” she said finally, and then smiled apologetically. “Lucian’s going to make arrangements, and then call back. I’m not sure what’s going to happen.” She discarded so that Harper could take his turn, and then added, “Tiny should be waking up soon. He’s calmed considerably and hasn’t needed to be drugged for the last couple of hours. That usually means they’re through the worst of it.”

Teddy nodded as he started to eat.

“Does that mean Leonora, Dawn, Alessandro, and Edward will go home soon?” Stephanie asked, reaching for a card when Harper finished and discarded.

“Yes,” Drina said, and then added wryly, “In fact, I suspect they’ll leave the minute Tiny opens his eyes.”

“Oh,” Stephanie murmured, but Drina could see the relief on her face and knew it was for two reasons. One, while everyone was being really considerate, they were all exhausted, the house was just too small, and they were getting on each other’s nerves. On top of that, though, she knew Stephanie would be relieved to have four less life mates in the house. Drina and Harper had been playing cards and board games with the girl all day to try to distract her, but she didn’t think it had helped much. It would have been nice if they’d been able to take her out to Wal-Mart or a restaurant or something to give her a break from the energy and voices bombarding her, but all the vehicles were still back at the house, and Teddy had been at work. They’d been stranded here in his house in the country, which might be for the best until they sorted out who was behind the attacks. They were guessing Leonius, and Teddy and his deputy had been asking around about any sightings of strangers in town, but no one had seen anyone fitting his description.

“Teddy, I think I’m going to have to make another run to the blood bank,” Leonora said, entering the dining room. “As a new turn, Tiny will need a lot for a while, and Stephanie’s still growing, so she needs a lot as well. I don’t want them running low after we leave.”

Teddy glanced around with a frown. “How is the supply holding out? Do we need to hold a blood drive?”

Leonora considered briefly, and then shook her head. “No, we should be fine. Well, so long as there aren’t any more incidents, we should be fine.”

Teddy nodded and glanced back to his plate, then pushed it away with a sigh. “I’ll take you now and warm this up when we get back.”

“It’s after eight o’clock, Teddy,” Harper said quietly. “Finish your dinner, I’ll take her.” Harper stood, then paused, and frowned. “I forgot, I don’t have—”

“Use my car,” Teddy interrupted, withdrawing keys from his pocket. “You’d best use my boots and coat too.”

“Thanks.” Harper grabbed the keys, then glanced to Drina before asking him, “You don’t happen to have an extra pair of boots and another coat Drina can borrow, do you?”

“In the closet,” Teddy answered, pulling his plate back in front of himself.

“Can I come too?” Stephanie asked, as Drina stood to join Harper.

“Only got the one extra coat,” Teddy announced around a mouthful of pork chop.

“It’s probably better you stay here anyway,” Drina said apologetically. “We’ll be right back.”

Stephanie looked so despondent that Drina asked, “Is there anything you want us to get while we’re out? We could stop at a store on the way back.”

“Chocolate,” Stephanie announced at once. “And Coke. And maybe you could stop at the house and pick up my coat on the way back?”

“Good thinking,” Harper said as he led Drina out to the front hall and the closet beside the front door. He handed Drina a coat and pair of boots, then pulled out the same for himself. “We can pick up our coats and boots too while there and stop borrowing Teddy’s.”

“And you can drop me off so I can collect the SUV,” Anders announced, jogging lightly down the stairs behind them, already in coat and boots.

“Also good thinking,” Drina decided, as the other hunter moved past where they were donning their gear and slid out the front door. It would be better not to be dependent on Teddy for transport. The man had enough responsibilities in this town and didn’t need them being any more of a burden than necessary.

“Maybe we should pick up my car, too,” Harper murmured, apparently thinking along the same lines.

“Your car is toast.” Drina reminded him quietly of their accident.

“Oh, right.” He frowned, and then said, “Well, Victor said I could borrow his car while they were gone if I needed it. We could pick that up.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Leonora commented as she stepped into the entry to take her coat from the closet. “We could go to the house first. I can drop you two and Anders off there, and go on to the blood bank alone. Then you’d just have to stop at the store on the way back to get Stephanie her treats.”

Harper immediately stuck his head into the dining room, and asked, “Would you mind if Leonora drove your car, Teddy?”

“Nope. She’s had her license longer than I’ve been alive,” he said easily. “I was only going to drive with her so she didn’t have to go alone. But if she doesn’t mind . . .” He shrugged.

“She will no be alone,” Alessandro announced, coming down the stairs to catch the conversation. “I too will go.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Harper said wryly, quickly pulling on his coat and dragging on his boots. When Drina straightened from completing the same task, he took her arm and urged her around Alessandro and Leonora toward the door. “We’ll go heat up the car and give you two some room to get your stuff on.”

He didn’t wait for a response but urged Drina outside. She stomped out onto a small porch, her feet sliding about in the overlarge but warm boots. The coat was too big as well, but also did the job, protecting her from the cold night.

Harper kept a hand on her arm as they descended the stairs and headed for the driveway in front of the house. Watching her tramp forward through the snow, he asked with concern, “Are you going to be all right in those?”

Drina grimaced as his hand tightened on her arm, preventing her from falling when her feet slipped about inside the boots, and the boots slid on the slippery snow. “For now. But tomorrow I think I will have to visit Wal-Mart again.”

Harper nodded, and then said, “I suppose Stephanie won’t be able to come?”

“I’m not sure,” she said on a sigh. “I’d think Lucian would want her restricted to the house after these attacks, but since the last one took place in the house . . .” She shrugged unhappily.

“Yeah,” Harper murmured, then they both glanced toward the house as the front door opened and Leonora and Alessandro came out. Harper whistled, and when Alessandro stopped and glanced his way, he tossed them the car keys, saying one of them may as well drive since they were essentially just dropping everyone off.

Chapter Fourteen

Casey Cottage was dark and silent when Leonora dropped them off. Anders didn’t waste any time but got immediately into the SUV he and Drina had driven down in. He started the engine and was backing the vehicle out almost before Alessandro had cleared the driveway. Drina shook her head at the man’s impatience. Really, he was so rude sometimes, she thought, as Harper ushered her up the sidewalk along the garage.

The house was heavy with the smell of smoke when they entered, and Harper heaved a sigh as he closed and locked the door behind them. “I hope the insurance people can get this cleaned up and back in shape before Elvi and Mabel return. They’d be heartbroken to see it like this.”

“Yes,” Drina murmured, reaching instinctively for the light switch and glancing around with surprise when Harper caught her arm to stop her.

“It’s probably better not to,” he said quietly. “The wiring may have been damaged in the fire. If we turn on the juice, it might spark something and get it going all over again.”

“Oh, of course.” Drina let her hand drop when he released it and shrugged. “It’s probably for the best anyway. It’s doubtful anyone would be watching the house now it’s uninhabitable, but there’s no sense advertising we’re here.”

“No,” he agreed.

Drina glanced around. It was a clear night, dim moonlight creeping through the windows. With their night vision, they didn’t really need the lights anyway.

“Maybe we should collect some clothes too while we’re here,” Harper suggested, bending to slip off his snow-covered boots. “They’ll probably reek of smoke from the fire, but a good wash or three might take care of that.”

“My own clothes,” Drina said on a sigh as she shrugged out of Teddy’s coat and laid it over the radiator. She didn’t mind going without a bra and panties so much, but had spent most of the day tugging up the joggers Stephanie had brought to her. They had a drawstring, but she’d only been able to tighten it so far. The darn things were loose enough they kept dropping to ride her hips rather than staying at her waist, where she would have preferred them.

Harper tossed his own coat over the radiator next to hers and chuckled as she stepped out of Teddy’s overlarge boots without undoing them. He then caught her hand and headed for the curving staircase. “I’m sure Stephanie would appreciate it too. The poor kid has no hips yet and has had to hold her pants up since she put them on.”

“I’ll pack her things too,” Drina murmured, as he led her upstairs. When he reached the landing and turned left rather than right toward the bedroom she shared with Stephanie, she asked, “Where are we going?”

“We’ll start with my clothes and then stop for clothes for you and Stephanie on the way back down,” he announced.

“Or I could gather Stephanie’s and mine while you get yours. It would be faster,” she said with amusement, but Harper shook his head at once.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight until this business is finished and I don’t have to worry about your getting hurt in sudden attacks.”

“But Stephanie isn’t with us,” Drina pointed out gently, as he turned left at the end of the landing to head for the stairwell leading to the third floor.

“No, but you are,” he said at once.

“Yes, but Leonius isn’t interested in me,” she pointed out, and Harper came to a halt and turned to peer at her solemnly.

“Drina, you’re an incredibly vibrant, sexy, and beautiful woman. If he’s been watching us, he’s seen you, and if he’s seen you, he might be tempted to take you as well as Stephanie. Hell, he might even decide not to bother with her and just take you. You’d be incredible breeding stock.”

Drina blinked. That had all been really sweet right up until the bit about her being incredible breeding stock, she decided. That last part just hadn’t sounded as flattering as she suspected he’d meant it to be. Or maybe other women would find it flattering, and she was an oddball for taking umbrage at being talked about like a broodmare.

She opened her mouth to point out that it was unlikely anyone even knew they were in the house, so they should be safe, but paused as she noted that Harper’s gaze had slid past her to the door to Elvi’s room and that a haunted look had entered his eyes.

Frowning, she glanced toward the door and stilled when she noted the dark stain on the hall wall beside it where the paint had been charred . . . as if something on fire had leaned or slumped there. Her gaze then dropped to the floor and she saw large charred spaces—two of them, one larger, one smaller. That must have been where Anders and Edward had encountered Harper and Stephanie and doused the flames consuming them, she realized, and released a slow breath.

Turning back, Drina stepped forward and kissed Harper. He remained still under the caress, but she kept at it, nibbling at his closed lips, and then trailing her mouth to his ear, then his neck, her mind working frantically. She liked this house, she liked the town too, and she liked Teddy. She also liked the other life-mate couples she’d met here, but she especially liked Stephanie. Drina wanted to be able to visit the girl here on occasion, but would never inflict that on Harper if coming here would stir bad memories for him. She needed to try to replace his bad memories of the fire with new, more pleasant memories, and this was the only thing she could come up with. Drina wasn’t sure if it would work, but she was going to give it her damnedest, she decided, nipping and kissing his neck as she began to tug his T-shirt upward so she could play her hands over the skin of his stomach and chest.

“Drina?” he said uncertainly as if coming out of a fog.

She lifted her head and kissed him then, relieved when Harper slowly began to kiss her back. Even so, Drina wasn’t sure she’d fully reclaimed him from his ghosts until she slid her hand down to find him through his jogging pants and felt a shaft of pleasure stir between her own legs.