| |
Von was back, in the flesh. For what purpose, I couldn’t begin to imagine.
One by one, everyone came running out of the mansion, piling into the car in various stages of shivering and disarray. Ezra had his arm around Mariang, who was wild-eyed in her pajamas, hair in a messy bun, but luckily unhurt. Still I clutched her to me protectively while she cried out her fear at being awoken for such a terrible reason. Danny flew us out of the driveway once Boston clumsily shut the door. I didn’t know where we were going, but I knew we couldn’t stay and wait to see if Mason could calm himself down.
When Von tried to sit in the empty spot next to me in back, Finn barked, “No! You’re up front. She’s bleeding, and you’re a whore for blood.”
Von snarled as Finn slid in next to me. “I’m in control!”
“I’ve been reinforcing the charms around the house while you were off doing who knows what. I’ve done everything I could to protect her from you. You’ll do as I say, kendi. Stay up front with Ezra.”
Von obeyed, angrier than ever. “Oh, I could’ve bet it was you who reinforced the charms. You made it so I couldn’t find the house! I’d get close, and the address would slip out of my head. I’d try to call Ezra, and the number would be gone. I’ve been trying to get back for a month now, but I couldn’t because of you!”
My mouth fell open as I blinked up at Finn for confirmation.
Finn was unperturbed at the accusation. “The charm didn’t work on people who were in the mansion at the time I put up that particular protection, or on members of the council. Had you been around instead of running out on your responsibility, you wouldn’t have needed to fight through the charm at all. How’d you even get through it?”
“I’m brilliant, that’s how. I’m brilliant, and you’re getting old. I’ve been working nonstop to try and break through. Then I do, and this is what’s happening? This is how you protect her?”
“My job isn’t to protect her; that’s your job as her Duwende. I’m looking out for October because I love her.”
“I will end you if you say another word like that about her! She doesn’t belong to you!”
“Shut up, both of you!” I shouted, holding my hands up to stop the stupid fighting. The car jerked, and Finn’s arm settled around my shoulders to anchor me.
Ezra’s tone was clipped. “We knew this was inevitable. Mason was doing so well. I thought we had another week or two with him.”
“We’re just leaving Mason in the house by himself?” I asked, watching Ezra take his cable knit sweater off and hand it to Lynna, so she could tug it over her white hair. Even in a crisis, Ezra was a gentleman. Gotta love him.
“I put a twenty-four-hour charm on the house to seal it. Mason can do all he likes, but the worst he’ll do is upset the house. I don’t care about that. We’re all out. That’s what matters.” Ezra was buckled with Lynna in the middle row of seats, moving his feet so Von had a little more room on the floor where he sat, fuming. “Drive to the nearest hotel, Danny. Does anyone have a phone? We have to make sure Ollie stays away.”
Boston belched loudly, his weighted hand landing on Von’s shoulder from his place in the front passenger’s seat. “Good night for you to come back, mate.”
“Get off me,” Von sneered at his brother. “You’re drunk on the job? You’re supposed to be watching her for me.”
Finn’s arm was around my back while his other hand clutched at his long, crooked knife. “How’s the baby?”
I cupped my hand to where September’s head was, doing my best to calm down. “Okay, I think. Mason only bit my leg a little. It’s fine. No big deal.” I was scared and in pain, but we would live. I wouldn’t make a big fuss about it, so help me. I didn’t want Mason to feel the guilt of this misstep.
“I’ll patch it up once we get to the hotel. Can you hold on till then, sinta?”
“Call her that again, and I’ll kill you where you sit!” Von shouted back at Finn.
“Would you two shut up? Finn, you don’t get to call me anything that I don’t know what it means anymore. And Von? You don’t get to care about who calls me that. Both of you need to chill out. There are bigger things going on right now. Ezra? How’re you holding up?”
“I’m fine, sweetheart. Mason didn’t bite me at all.”
“No, I mean are you jonesing to eat my baby right now?”
Ezra exhaled, hanging his head. “I’ll get something to eat once we’re settled. I feel the pull, but it’s nothing I didn’t master when Mariang’s mother was pregnant. I’m much older than Mason, so I control my urges better. You’ve nothing to fear with me around.”
“Okay. Sorry if that was rude to ask. I just have to be sure.”
“No apologies needed. Your daughter’s safety comes first. You’ve got good mothering instincts.”
Von perked up. “You’re having a girl?” His eyes fell on Finn’s arm around me, and the flicker of tenderness dissolved into a sneer. “Congratulations. Though I do hope she won’t get her father’s fetching gills.”
Finn scoffed as Danny reached down between his seat and Boston’s and whapped Von upside the head. “Finn’s not the father, you wanker.”
I put my hand on Finn’s knee to steady his temper. “Finn’s not the father. You don’t know who the father is. He’s a friend of a friend I met up with one night. Casual one-time thing. I didn’t know how to tell you.”
Von looked over the middle seat at me and mimed stabbing himself through the heart. “You cut me, Peach. You cheated on me. If I had to put my money on who’d be the one to step out of line, I never in a million years thought it’d be you.”
Danny glared at me in the rearview mirror while Mariang squeezed my hand. I held my chin up, flipping Danny the finger. I hoped September wasn’t listening in. “Yup. I’m a big, giant slut. Boston can pull for me, and when Mason gets ahold of himself a month or two after the baby’s born, he can reap with me. You can go back to doing whatever you were doing before this. We’ll drop you wherever you like. You’re off the hook.”
Von turned and glared at me, speaking through gritted teeth. “I came back for you, no matter what or who you did.”
I had an angry retort all ready for when he told me off, but when his reply came back loyal, I deflated, not knowing what to make of it.
Boston let out a snort of derision through his buzz from too many nightcaps, his chuckle interrupted by a hiccup. “You two are terrible at this.”
No one spoke as Danny drove us to the nearest hotel, passing up on two gross looking motels, thank goodness. Ezra checked us into adjoining two-room suites, shaking Finn’s hand in silent warning. “Thank you for your help, Captain, but it’s time our family had a few hours to sort things out, yeah?”
“Yes, your majesty.” Finn was rigid as he waved goodbye to the others, but soft when he said goodnight to me, though there was only an hour or two left until dawn. There was a hardness in his eyes, but his words were gentle. “Be safe. I’ll come back in a week to check on you two.” His finger traced the outline of my belly, as if silently promising September he’d be back for her, as well. Then he pulled me into his arms, holding me for a moment before we parted to brave our separate storms.
“Thank you for helping with Mason. Go on home; your country needs you.”
He snapped his fingers at Danny. “You. Her leg’s still bleeding. See that it’s wrapped up before the vamp destroys an Omen.”
Danny nodded with a scowl. I knew he hated anyone telling him how to do his job, with the exception of Ezra. Danny shoved Boston into the suite on the right and corralled Mariang, Lynna and Ezra to the room on the left. He turned to me with a business expression. “Go into the room and wash your leg off. I’ll get a first aid kit from the front desk and be right up.” He jabbed his finger at Von. “Stay in the hallway until I get back. Her blood’s still too fresh. And if you so much as step a toe outside of this hotel, it’ll be the last thing you do. You’re done running out on your life.”
When Danny skulked off, Von jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “He’s gotten cheerier since I left, yeah?”