The color drained from Aunt Tab’s face as I ripped the phone—my phone—from her and ended the call. I wasn’t talking to Sam. Not then. Maybe not ever.
“You had my phone?”
Jordyn rushed in on my heels and sucked in air.
I narrowed my eyes so hard it hurt. “Why?”
Aunt Tab rubbed her lips together, seemingly deciding how to answer. I suddenly understood why she’d looked like something had been bothering her when we left to go horseback riding.
“I was in your room this morning when you were in the shower,” Aunt Tab said. “Your phone was vibrating. I saw the text and got curious. Then your uncle Jack poked his head in to tell me he was leaving, and…” She lowered her gaze to the knife beside the cutting board on the island where she had tomatoes, an onion, and celery ready to be chopped.
I gripped my phone as I created some distance between us, settling at the end of the island. “Please tell me Uncle Jack did not read the text.” I held my breath. I had no idea what the text was about, but considering Sam’s previous ones were rather steamy, I would bet my uncle went through the roof.
Jordyn slid onto a stool across from Aunt Tab. “How did you get into her phone? You need her passcode.”
Aunt Tab lifted her dark gaze. “The text was on the screen.”
I was kicking myself for not turning off the show-preview feature. Then again, I’d never needed to hide my messages. But stupid me should’ve thought about that before entering their house.
I set my phone down on the island. “The bigger question is why you kept it.”
She picked up the knife and began slicing a tomato. “Your uncle took it and tried to unlock your screen, which he couldn’t. I planned on returning it, but I got sidetracked. I’m sorry, Layla. I was being nosy. Your uncle told me that you girls were too friendly with the vampires. He saw how Rianne threw herself at Sam Mason. I was curious to know more. And I’d been meaning to ask, but you got sick, and with everyone in the house, I could never get Rianne and Jordyn alone.” Regret threaded through her words.
Anger bubbled to the surface, making me shake. “Are you sure you want to know, or are you spying for your husband?”
Aunt Tab was a nice person who treated me with kindness and had been a great friend to my mom. But she was loyal to Jack. Therefore, I couldn’t trust her.
She focused on chopping vegetables. “I’m trying to help.”
“Help?” I parroted. “Snooping in my business is not the definition of helping.” She’d never come to my rescue when my uncle berated me.
“I adore you girls,” Aunt Tab said. “I want what’s best for you, and vampires aren’t.”
Anger morphed into fury. “With all due respect, Aunt Tab, you don’t know what’s best for me or Jordyn or Rianne. You haven’t done anything for us since our mom or dad died.”
She set the knife down, wiped her hands on her apron, and sighed. “You’re right. I should’ve been more attentive and involved, especially when your mom passed away. I can’t change the past, but I want to be there for you now. All three of you seem lost.” She gave me a warm smile. “I love you girls. Let me help.”
Jordyn and I exchanged a suspicious look.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was fishing for Jack. “I can’t trust you.” In no way was I about to share what had happened between Sam and me. Besides, that was old news and in the past, to use her term, which was where I wanted Sam and me to stay.
She moved the tomatoes to the back of the cutting board, and then chopped celery.
I rubbed my temples as a headache loomed. “What do you think, Jordyn? Should we clue Aunt Tab in?”
Jordyn shrugged, pursing her lips. “Depends. Aunt Tab, how do you feel about us working for vampires?”
My aunt’s head shot up, and, at the same time, the blade missed the celery and snagged her forefinger. “Ow.”
The sight of blood scrambled my brain as I froze.
Jordyn hopped off the stool and skirted the island to help Aunt Tab.
“Layla, get the first aid kit,” Aunt Tab said calmly. “It’s in the pantry on the top shelf, off to the left.”
I couldn’t move as Jordyn examined the cut.
“Layla.” Jordyn’s tone was screeching and harsh. “Snap out of it. First aid kit.”
I shook my head and bolted into the pantry and grabbed the kit. When I returned, Aunt Tab was at the sink, running water over her cut.
Jordyn took the first aid kit from me. “Aunt Tab, sit on the stool.”
Aunt Tab tore a paper towel from its holder near the sink then sat on the stool. “It doesn’t look like I need stitches.”
Jordyn proceeded to unpack the necessary supplies as though she’d been a skilled nurse for many years.
I had normally been the one to respond quickly in tense situations, but the blood seeping into the paper towel was messing with my head.
“What’s wrong, Layla?” Aunt Tab asked. “You look pale.”
Fear obviously washed over Jordyn.
I picked up the knife, staring at the blood on the blade, and images of me sucking on Sam’s wrist came soaring back. My pulse quickened as my tongue darted out. Before my brain could catch up with my actions, I was licking the blood off the knife as if it was a spatula that had chocolate-cake batter on it. I moaned as the sweet, tangy blood danced on my tongue.
Aunt Tab screeched, “What are you doing, Layla?”
Jordyn whipped her head at me, horrified.
Aunt Tab tore the knife from me and threw it in the sink. “What did those vampires do to you?”
The clanging sound made me flinch, and I briefly closed my eyes, scolding myself.
Aunt Tab wrapped her finger in the paper towel since Jordyn hadn’t yet bandaged her wound. “Your uncle was right. Something happened to you girls.”
I dug my nails into the palms of my hands. Jordyn’s suggestion to leave and work for Steven suddenly sounded good. If anything, I didn’t want to be there when my uncle came home. I swallowed, hoping to clear the tanginess from my tongue. “You want to know what happened to us?”
Jordyn shook her head, and strands of her brown hair fell forward. “Don’t, Layla. Aunt Tab isn’t ready to hear that.”
Aunt Tab closed her wounded hand into a fist. “Jack will be home soon. Given the events of the day so far, I think it’s best if you two leave for a few hours so you can think about where you go from here. Plus, I might be able to calm your uncle down.”
I doubted that. Uncle Jack listened to no one.
“Why? Are you going to tell him what I just did?” Her answer would tell me if I could at least begin to trust her.
She regarded me with equal parts sadness and concern. “No. It’s bad enough he blew his top when he read the text from Sam.”
Jordyn packed up the first aid kit, leaving out a bandage. “You should put a Band-Aid on your finger.”
Aunt Tab moved a wispy strand of her salt-and-pepper hair off the side of her face. “I’ll be fine. But I have one question for Jordyn. Were you serious about working with them?”
Jordyn shrugged. “Does it matter?”
Aunt Tab opened the Band-Aid. “Word of advice. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, but while you’re living under our roof, you have to watch yourselves. You can’t be saying things like ‘working for vampires’ or”—she eyed me—“licking blood off knives.”
I agreed with her. But I had no explanation for my actions except maybe having vampire DNA.