“Oh, to be young again and dance the entire night away, both out and in the bedroom.” Mary’s eyes twinkled. “These days, I doubt the hips would spread far enough to allow entry.”
Georgie and I burst into loud laughter. My hand flew to my mouth to catch the coffee I choked on.
“Oh my God, Mary,” Georgie spluttered. “I’m sure you could find some old bingo guy ready to give it a good crack.”
“Those men can crack bones alright, just not the one that’s any good.” Mary winked.
Georgie and I laughed so hard tears ran down our faces. “Stop,” Georgie shrieked, “I’m going to wet myself!”
Mary cackled as she tossed mushrooms in a frypan. She wasn’t usually crude. That’s when I realized Mary had wanted to make us laugh, to take our minds off Karson’s anger. She waskind, the salt of the earth, like the grandmother I’d never had, and I adored her.
“What sacrifice did Monique make for Karson?” Georgie took a sip of coffee when she had stopped laughing.
“I think that is a question Monique should answer,” Michael responded, walking into the kitchen and uncurling the paper, the catalyst of my crime. I wanted to look at the photo—I didn’t have one of us together. “Every vampire has a story to tell and they should be the one to tell it.” He pulled out a chair at the table and sat down.
Georgie swung her stool around to face him. “Well, it’s obvious Monique and Kenneth have a thing, so I’m guessing Monique chose Karson rather than Kenneth?”
Michael sighed. “It’s not quite that simple.”
Georgie cupped her face in her hands. “What else is there to it?”
“I think I can answer that for you, love.” We all looked up as Rodney strolled into the room.
The atmosphere chilled as he entered. Or at least Georgie’s expression did. “Rodney, do invite yourself in, won’t you,” she drawled.
“Karson and I are family, his home is mine, and mine his.” Rodney sat beside Michael, resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands in front of his chin, studying Georgie.
“What brings you out so early?” Michael commented, no annoyance in his tone. Pity.
A plastic grin slashed Rodney’s face. “I didn’t want to miss out on Karson’s fury and the argument I knew would occur after seeing the paper.”
Was he worried about Kenneth, knowing he’d stand up for Monique? He didn’t look worried. But like Karson, he kept his feelings buried under a face as expressive as cement. Showing emotion about those he cared for made him vulnerable. He wasno freer than Karson was, I realized. Still, I felt not a wick of sympathy.
Georgie sat back in her chair and said smugly, “Too late, never mind.”
Rodney’s brows rose. “It’s over already?”
“What were you hoping for, a blood bath?”
Rodney dropped his hands down, smoothing the edges of a napkin. “Are you offering to pour me one, love?”
Georgie folded her arms and glowered at him. “You really are a psychopath, you know that? There’s nothing to see here, so you might as well go back to the coffin you crawled out from,love.”
Michael looked between them, a barely restrained grin tugging on his lips. Mary slipped a plate of eggs, mushrooms and buttery toast in front Georgie and me, throwing a look at Rodney, which was entirely wasted because he didn’t take his eyes off Georgie.
“I thought you wanted to know the sacrifices a vampire must make to ensure survival.”
Georgie scoffed. “Other than sucking the life force from humans, do you mean?”
“One of the necessary requirements, obviously,” Rodney drawled.
Georgie picked up her fork, stabbing a slice of mushroom and speaking around a delicate mouthful. “Well, go on, then, do tell why Monique is so angry with the world.”
“Kenneth and Monique were in love, and as much as Karson and I are loyal friends who support each other, two alphas in the same area was never a good idea for long periods of time. I decided to leave, and Kenneth chose to come with me.”
Georgie frowned. “Why would he leave someone he loves for you?”
“Clearly, it’s my charm.” Rodney smiled in an attempt at a joke, but Georgie just stared at him and his smile dropped.“Kenneth came with me because when a vampire turns a human, they owe him, and they feel a connection?—”
