“I thought Caldwell has an ordinance against smoking indoors at public places. Doesn’t everything over here?”

“Smoke machine. But it doesn’t matter. My lungs are used to all kinds of secondhand shit.” He pegged the guy right in the eye. “Gareth, right?”

The male frowned. “Do I know you?”

“I’m here with your… ah…”

“Sister?” The male straightened from his lean on the wall. “Therese?”

Trez nodded and held out the Marlboro. “You want this back now?”

There was a moment of tension as those yellow eyes went up and down his body. And before things could get aggressive, Trez shook his head. “I don’t have a dog in this fight, okay? I drove her here so she was safe. She was so upset. She couldn’t dematerialize. I didn’t want her Ubering anywhere by herself, and there are no public transportation options on this side of the river.”

Gareth took a hard inhale, like he was trying to suck part of the world through a straw. Except then he eased back against the wall. Bringing up the Coke bottle the nurse had given him, he unscrewed the top, ashed into the inch of flat soda in the bottle—and then offered the “ashtray” forth.

Trez tapped his own cigarette into the mouth of the bottle. “She just got the messages tonight. She came as soon as she heard them.”

“I left them weeks ago.”

“She had her phone stolen.”

“Oh.”

As her brother lost some of his bluster, Trez figured the lie about the phone felony was on the “little white” side of things. And worth it.

“Therese leaving broke our mahmen’s heart,” the male said. “Just so you know.”

“I think she is aware of that.”

“And she still stayed away? Classy move.”

Trez frowned. “I think you better talk to her about this.”

“I intend to—”

The growl that came up and out of Trez’s throat was a surprise—to both of them. As Gareth recoiled with shock, Trez got back to smoking what he’d been given. Shit. He did not need to get all protective here. That was not going to help.

There was no denying the impulse, however. And he was surprised to find… that it didn’t have anything to do with Selena, either.

“You’re more than a friend of hers,” Gareth said.

After a moment, Trez shrugged. “It’s complicated.”

Motherfucker, he thought. His life was a goddamn Facebook status.

 

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

 

An hour later, or maybe it was longer, Therese looked again at the bank of monitors around the head of the hospital bed. She had no idea what any of the numbers or the beeping meant. She supposed that the lack of alarms was a good sign—surely if things were taking a sudden turn for the worse, there would be a cacophony of sorts. Right?

That’s how she would have designed them to work.

“When does the doctor come in?” she asked.

Her father sat up straighter in his uncomfortable chair. “Every noontime. His name is Havers.”

Therese indicated around the high-tech room they were in. “Big change from back home.”

“Sure is. She couldn’t be in better hands.”

Where they had lived, the only healer in a fifty-mile radius was a local vampire who came when it was necessary and did what he could with over-the-counter remedies and things that were traditional in the Old Country. Bricholt, was his name. Son of Bricholt the elder.

“How did you know to bring her here?” she asked.

“Your brother did research online.”

“In the vampire groups?”

“Yes.”

I could have done that, she thought to herself. I should have done that.

Looking at her mahmen, she exhaled. “You said she’s waiting for something.”

“Yes.”

“I think I know what it is.”

Turning to the closed glass doors, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go find her brother and make up. If the discord was keeping their mahmen on the planet, maybe she could have some more time with the female.

But that was hardly fair.

“Will you excuse me?” she said. “I have to go make some arrangements with work.”

“Oh, you have a job?”

“It’s just a waitress thing. It’s not a big deal.”

“Work is work.” Her father smiled hollowly. “Purpose is… well. I’m still proud of you. I’ve always been proud of you.”

“Why?” she breathed. “All I’ve ever done is—”

“Be my daughter. And you have done that perfectly.”

“No,” she choked out. “Look at what I’ve—”

“Stop it.” As the young in her instantly closed her mouth, her sire looked at the bed. “All we have ever wanted was for you to be happy. That’s it. That’s all you or your brother have to do for her and me.”

“There’s so much more, Dad. Especially as you two get older.”

“We can take care of ourselves.”

The fact that he didn’t acknowledge that one half of that “we” was not going to be around for much longer broke her heart.

Therese got up. Leaning to her mahmen’s ear, she said, “I’m going to go talk to Gareth. I’m going to make things right with him. You don’t have to worry, okay? I’m going to fix this.”

On her way to the door, she went around and squeezed her father’s shoulder. He patted her hand in response.

Stepping out of the room, she walked down the corridor. That Trez wasn’t in the waiting area wasn’t a worry. With his blood in her, she could sense him right out in the hall. And given the very distant scent of smoke, she knew who he was with.

The fact that she wasn’t nervous at all at the idea of the two males talking was a good indicator of how much she trusted Trez.

But she already knew that.

Nodding to the nurse at the station, Therese opened one side of the doors and looked to the right. Her brother and her lover were sitting on the floor next to each other, smoking and talking in low voices.

As soon as she stepped out, they both looked over.

“Hi,” she said.

Gareth looked away quick. But at least he didn’t up and leave again. Or start yelling.

Trez’s dark eyes were grave. “How are things in there.”

“I guess the same as they’ve been, right, Gareth?” She took the grunt as a good sign. Okay… maybe it was more of a not-so-bad sign. Not-as-bad-as-it-could-be sign. “Mind if I join you two?”

Trez took out his phone and checked the time. “Listen, I was going to quickly go and check in with things at work—”

“Oh, of course.” She lowered herself down next to him. “I don’t mean to trap you here. But if you talk to iAm, can you please tell him I won’t be in for a couple of nights? I’m not leaving until…”

As she let the sentence drift, her brother looked over at her. And kept looking.

“Absolutely.” Trez took her hand. “What can I bring you?”

“Food, maybe?”

“Sure. What kind?’