Part 3 (2/2)
”Look, tell her highness that she can kiss my a.s.s. I'm not in your little tribe system and as such, I couldn't give two f.u.c.ks about it. The boy who is staying here is twelve years old and still human. If she complicates my life, she should know that Xander will complicate hers right back. Perhaps she ought to not issue threats and try to harm children because her husband was a faithless a.s.shole. Alex bears no fault in that.”
”She told me you'd be difficult.”
”Look, she has no power here. I amhuman . I live by the laws which govern my race. I'm not even a shadow of difficult yet. Let me get another cup of coffee in me, then you can see difficult.” She made a shooing motion with her hand. ”You've said your piece, now take yourself back to wait at her coffin-side to tell on me like a good little pet. If you attempt to harm Alex while he's in my care, I will personally see you pay for that and her, too. You can tell her that from me. She has to sleep sometime, and I used to carve wood when I was younger. Catch my drift? Now, go on. I'm sick of her threats and, my soup is getting cold.”
”She's prepared to file a complaint to the leader of the tribe.”
”This is me shaking. But let me make it easy for you. He's sleeping in my bed right now. I'll give him the message. In any case, he's the one who brought Alex here to begin with. Why don't you ask her to be reasonable with all of this? She knows her son would never turn his back on Alex. Alex is his brother, his responsibility, Xander loves him. She's only going to push Xander away with this.”
Suit boy looked uncomfortable but kept the stern glare going, impressing her. ”You really shouldn't involve yourself in something that could end in a lot of pain and trouble for you.”
Dominic stood forward then, pus.h.i.+ng the other man back a step. ”You will not threaten the concubine of the leader. She is under his protection, as is his brother. The same rules apply to Graciella as everyone else in this matter. If she continues to make threats and plans to harm either Lissette or Alex, she will be the one with pain and trouble,” he threatened in a low ba.s.s voice that made the hairs on the back of her arms stand up. She let the issue of being referred to as a concubine pa.s.s, for the moment.
He brushed invisible lint from his jacket, and got off the porch, turning to walk down the sidewalk without another word or a backwards glance.
”She won't stop until someone is killed,” Lissette said in an undertone so that the boys couldn't hear. ”She's totally insane about this. Normally, she's just a b.i.t.c.h. I mean, she's hated me from day one. Tried to break us up. Called me to threaten, all that jazz. But this? Jeez. I get the sense she's hurtling down the mountain with no brakes. Someone needs to slap her or toss water in her face or something.”
”I've told Xander this many times. He still thinks he can reason with her. I agree she needs a shock of reality and that she's out of control. But she's old and powerful in the tribe, and some feel sorry for her. And,” he shrugged, ”she's his mother. He loves her. Regardless, she's dangerous, and I'm going to send some of my personal team to the bar with you tonight. I don't trust her. And the bar is a public s.p.a.ce, she's not dependent on an invitation.”
Despite her tough talk, a s.h.i.+ver of fear slid through her at the idea of meeting up with the Loony Queen of Homicide Attempts in her bar after closing. She squeezed his arm. ”Thanks.”
”I'm sorry you're involved in this. For what it's worth, I told him you should have remained outside of this situation.”
”Yes well. I'm in it now, and I'll be d.a.m.ned if I let that b.i.t.c.h get her hands on that boy.” Lissie was determined to protect Alex. He was totally blameless. An innocent, and Graciella, as a mother, should understand that. The boy had no mother, no father. He had no one in the world but Stryker and now her. He was hers now, just as Xander was. And that meant she'd do anything in her power to keep him safe.
Chapter Four.
Stryker awoke as twilight fell. Winter in Seattle meant that he was awake from three thirty or so in the afternoon until nearly seven in the morning. It was glorious to be able to have so many hours of consciousness.
Even better, he opened his eyes to see Lissie's deep blue ones staring back at him. He froze for a moment, struck by her beauty, the sensual curve of the soft upturn of the corner of her mouth. That smile. Those lips. The dimple in her chin.
”Live with me,” he said before he could stop himself. ”I want to be with you every day.”
”Your mother sent a toady to tell me I was harboring an outlaw. Threatened me with general unpleasantness should I not give up the fugitive for whatever water dungeon torture she has in store for little boys whose fathers cheat on their wives. By the way, said fugitive and or slash outlaw was eating potato chips and drinking soda while playing video games in my television room. Very dangerous.”
He sat up and sighed. ”You're avoiding the question.”
”I'm avoiding the question? Did I not just tell you about your crazy mother's threats? Are you trying to talk about cohabitation instead of that? Okay, I'll let you live in denial for another few minutes. To answer your question, I can't live with you. More than that, where would Alex go?”
”Is that what worries you?” He reached out to caress her jaw line. ”So sweet for a girl who acts so tough. He'll live with us, of course. He'll be changing in six months, anyway. I'm committed to bringing him over. And since we're on the subject, why don't I bring you over, too? It'll be harder for you, of course. You'll need a full conversion. But my blood is strong. I've never made another, so it's undiluted.”
”You want me to be a vampire?” She couldn't keep the incredulity out of her voice. He'd go to any length to keep from dealing with his bats.h.i.+t crazy mother!
”I want you to be my wife. My partner in all things. It'll be easier if you're a vampire, too. You'll be so much stronger, I won't worry about you as much. And I'll have you for hundreds, if not thousands of years. I don't want to lose you, Lissie.”
Xander Stryker had never been felled by anything in his life. He'd always been in charge. Always in control and on top. And here this woman came and tossed all of that on its ear. Turned his world upside down in amazing, wonderful, beautiful, annoying, frustrating and, infuriating ways. She connected with that part of him that no one else had ever seen. That no one had ever even bothered to see. Sheknew him.
He smoothed a thumb along the line of her cheek. ”My mother will accept this situation soon enough. She's just throwing a tantrum right now. Once she gets over this nonsense, you can move in. I'll convert you when Alex matures. I love you, Lissie. Say you'll do it. Say you want to be with me, too.”
”I do love you, Xander,” she said softly. ”But there are a few big issues standing between us. Your crazy-a.s.sed mother is one. Sweetie, you are not rational about her. She tried to kill your brother! She sent her lackey to threaten me for taking him in. The fact that you refer to this kind of behavior as something she'll get over just tells me you are out of your mind, too.”
”She's upset. Having Alex here means she'll have to face my father's behavior. It's hard for her.”
She growled inarticulately and punched the pillow in frustration. ”Stryker! Wake up! She. Tried. To. Kill. Him!” Why couldn't the man see it? ”Upset is when you torch the cheater's car or his clothes or you put his name on mailing lists for a cult. Once attempted murder is involved, we've officially moved past upset and into crazy. That boy in there is flesh and bone. A human who is twelve. She could crush him like a bug.” She sighed, pus.h.i.+ng off the bed to stand and pace.
”More than Cruella DeVille, we have the issue of your little harem to deal with. I know you need blood, but I do not understand why they have to live with you. Why you need ten of them and why they have to be like some scene out of Bram Stoker!” Her voice got all breathy as she imitated the women. ”Walking around in filmy peignoirs and throwing themselves at you. Oh, Xander, you're so s.e.xy! Gah!” She stamped her foot in frustrated anger.
”I might be able to deal with the fact that the feeding causes o.r.g.a.s.m. But, Stryker, other vamps seem to be able to be collegial with their donors. Why are yours like your f.u.c.k dolls? I'm not living with ten women that you get off daily, women who constantly throw themselves at you. I won't do it.”
He quirked up a smile. ”Jealous?”
She spun and narrowed her eyes at him. ”h.e.l.l yes! Jesus, Stryker, how will you feel when I need donors? Hmm? How about I get ten hot men who writhe all over me? Men who I'll make come every day, who will constantly offer to f.u.c.k me? Okay, this is sounding pretty d.a.m.ned good now. I'll let you keep your harem if I get one of my own.” She lifted an eyebrow in challenge.
”You'll do no such thing. You'll get older women, say in their seventies.”
”And why is that? It stands to reason that young men-virile men-who are at their top physical shape would be the best donors for me. After all, it's just about nutrition, right?”
”Do you think I want you getting other men off? How do you expect me to live with that?”
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