Part 24 (1/2)
Vlad arched a brow. ”When we descended here en ma.s.se, he tucked his tail between his legs and ran like he had a yellow streak a mile wide up his back.”
She frowned. ”He's not a coward, Vlad.”
”No?” He shrugged. ”It was hard to tell with him in such hasty retreat.”
She compressed her lips. ”He's just been through a lot.”
”He'll be through a lot more when I get my hands on him,” he shot back.
”Won't you please give him a break, Vladimir?”
”Don't you worry, my pretty. I'll give him lots of breaks...in every limb, when I see him again.”
She stiffened until she met his gaze. Although he and Andrei... h.e.l.l, none of them were probably ever going to like Jason, she felt certain none of them would harm him.
She bared her incisors at Vlad before turning to look at Aleksei. ”You look well, Sei.”
”Well? How the h.e.l.l can I be well with what's been going on in Arizona and here? I leave town for a few weeks and all my younger siblings get their a.s.ses in trouble. At this rate, you're all going to turn my d.a.m.ned locks white in no time. And believe me, Dani is giving me enough s.h.i.+t at the moment.”
She frowned. ”She is? How?”
”She insists that the twins will have her last name-until I marry her.”
She blinked at him in surprise. ”So marry her.”
His eyes narrowed. ”Why should I? I don't need the benefit of some piece of paper to prove how I feel. Why isn't my word enough for her?”
She smiled. Males. Sometimes the most basic concepts seemed beyond their ability to grasp. ”Who says it isn't? Just because she wants marriage doesn't mean she doubts your word. For a woman... especially some human women, the willingness to marry is the ultimate sign of love and devotion.”
”I have no desire to get married.”
”Why not?” Mikhel grinned. ”Marrying Erica is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Nothing else even comes close, except Dimitri's birth. If you love her, marry her.”
”Or get used to Pali and Lexi Tyler,” Tat advised.
Aleksei swore softly.
”Had I known you planned to come rus.h.i.+ng back in such a foul mood, I wouldn't have called you,” Vlad said.
Aleksei swung around and bared his incisors at Vlad, who grinned.
Mikhel nodded. ”Although we missed you, there was no need at all for you to leave Arizona, not when Vlad had everything under control.”
Tat watched in pleased surprise as Vlad and Mikhel exchanged a long, silent glance. When Vlad bared his incisors, Mikhel arched a brow and smiled. ”I love you too, but stay the f.u.c.k away from my wife.”
”In your dreams, p.i.s.sant,” Vlad growled.
Tat turned her attention back to Aleksei. ”So? When are you getting married, Sei?”
”Not a moment before h.e.l.l freezes over. I'd be d.a.m.ned if I'll be blackmailed into doing anything I don't want to do. It's time I reminded her just who the h.e.l.l is in charge here.” He bent to kiss her cheek. ”If you need me-”
She nodded. ”I know.”
He turned to look at Vlad. ”I knew when I left Arizona that I was leaving our younger siblings in good hands, Vlad.”
Vlad shook his head. ”No, Sei. You almost made a bad mistake.” He sighed and glanced at Mikhel. ”I almost didn't help him.”
Aleksei clasped his hand. ”Almost doesn't count. When he needed a big brother, you were there for him. Mikhel told me how you were prepared to face six full-bloods to protect him. Even when he urged you to leave him, you wouldn't. Like the big brother I always knew you could be, you were prepared to die defending him.”
”The h.e.l.l I was! The p.i.s.sant's exaggerating.”
”No he's not. It's time you stopped selling yourself short, Vlad. Thanks to you, I can return to Arizona with no fears.”
Tat watched her two older siblings share a long embrace. When they separated, Aleksei kissed Palea and Katie before leaving.
Everyone stared after him in silence for several moments.
”Anyone want to bet against his being Mr. Dani Tyler before the year is out?” Mikhel asked.
Vlad shook his head. ”Not me. He doesn't stand a chance. All she has to do is start calling the girls Tyler and he'll crumble like a house of cards in a hurricane.”
Everyone laughed.
Tat smiled slowly, extending her hand to Vlad. Vlad? About Jason... He took her hand and leaned down to kiss her cheek. I'll let him live, but I'm making no promises not to beat his a.s.s every so often just on general principle.
She linked her arms around his neck. I love you.
Yeah, well...I love you too...on every other Thursday.
She laughed, feeling happy and hopeful for the first time since Tim had turned her world upside down when he'd rejected her. Now she had her entire family back together. Although she knew she would spend some time grieving for Tim, she had an exciting new life with Jason to savor. Loving a vampire hunter wouldn't be easy, but they'd manage it.
She turned her attention to Andrei, who stood a little apart from the others, a shuttered look in his eyes. She reached out to him. Drei? What is it? What's wrong?
He smiled and shook his head. Nothing. I was just worried about you.
She returned his smile, but she suspected he wasn't being truthful with her. Later, when he was ready, he'd confide in her as he always did.
After the others left the room, Katie returned and stood by the door. ”There's something I need to tell you.”
”Oh Lord, Kattia, not more bad news. Please. I don't think I can handle any more bad news just now.”
Katie shrugged. ”That depends on what you mean by bad news.”
”What do you mean by it?” she asked shortly, impatient for Katie to leave so she could find Jason. Although tired, she needed to feel his body on top of hers... feel his warm lips claiming hers...feel his c.o.c.k sliding thick and hard into her. Then she just wanted to lay in the circle of his arms... forever.
Katie remained silent.
She studied Katie's face, noting the worry in her eyes. She softened her voice when she spoke again. ”What is it, Kattia?”