I pushed my door open, forcing Nathan to move or get hit. He chose the former.
“Anything you want to say to me?” I asked, climbing out.
“Thanks for throwing the race?” The confusion in his voice made his words more of a question than a statement.
I studied him. He seemed genuine. Then again, this was Nathan.
“I guess it’s a good thing I never took that bet.” This time it was my turn to smirk. “You’re going to have to find someone else to sucker.”
“There’s still time,” Nathan said. “Don’t you worry.”
“What happened anyways?” Anton asked from the porch. “Why did you stop? You might have won if you hadn’t.”
“No, she wouldn’t have.” Nathan folded his arms over his chest as he fixed me with a look. “But Anton has a point. Much as I hate to complain when a competitor self-destructs, it’s not like you.”
“Is this the house?” I asked, looking past him. “Looks interesting.”
It was more modern than I would have expected. With an emphasis on clean lines and strong geometric shapes. Floor to ceiling windows along the length of one wall were a dramatic addition to the design.
“Don’t try to change the subject, A,” Nathan ordered with a frown. “What happened?”
Nathan was like a dog with a bone when he sensed something was up.
“Okay, okay,” I said, giving in. “We thought we saw someone following us.”
Anton stepped off the porch. “Who?”
“They were gone before we could find out.”
“Vampire? Other?” Anton asked.
Connor shook his head. “I didn’t see them so I don’t know.”
The three looked at me in expectation.
I shrugged. “I don’t know either. I only got a brief glimpse and that was it.”
“She also heard a voice in her head,” Connor offered. “The same one as last night.”
A somber look settled on Nathan’s face. “That’s a little concerning.”
Anton excused himself from the conversation, taking his phone out of his pocket and dialing someone. Probably Liam. I watched him place the phone against his ear as he waited for the other side to answer.
“I don’t like that they got so close to your day time resting place,” Nathan said with a troubled glance at the house.
I knew the same worries that had occurred to me earlier were running through his mind.
“Maybe you should think about staying in the Gargoyle or with Liam,” Nathan suggested as Anton’s low rumble came from a few feet away.
Connor shook his head. “With Dominick in town, that’s not an option. He’s probably got people watching both places. It’s safer to keep our distance.”
Nathan eyed Connor with an assessing look. “What’s going on between you two, anyway? You looked like you were going to commit murder last night.”
Connor’s expression was remote. “Personal business.”
Nathan gave him a more thorough once over. “Only as long as it doesn’t affect Aileen or anyone else.”
Connor’s body tightened as he and Nathan squared off.
