“Still.”
I nodded to show that I would follow Sebastian’s lead. We crept up the sidewalk, then gingerly tiptoed through the front door. The voices I heard inside sounded like angelic singing to my ears. They were debating where to look for me. A third voice spoke up, and I nearly ran Sebastian over as I bolted past him. Robert.
The room fell silent. The three vampires gaped at me as if I were a ghost that had appeared out of ether. A split-second later, Robert charged forward, scooping me up in his arms.
“My love, my love, my love,” he muttered against my hair, hugging me so tightly that I struggled to breathe. “When I camehome and realized you’d been taken, I feared I’d never see you again.”
“Me?” I said in astonishment. “What about you? I thought you’d left me for Serena!”
“Never!” he said with more anger than I’d ever heard in his voice.
Hearing a loud commotion from behind, I pulled away from Robert.
“Olivia! Help!”
Fangs bared and hissing, Joseph and Liz had Sebastian pinned to the floor. They’d been so stealthy in their attack that I hadn’t felt them fly past. Liz’s mouth was at Sebastian’s throat, her fangs just breaking the surface of his skin. Joseph had his mouth open and was drooling, his fingers hooked into claws.
These friends of mine were positively terrifying.
“No! Don’t!” I shrieked. I couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “He’s with me!”
“Who are you,kid?” Liz hissed. She held Sebastian’s head in her hands and was gearing to rip it from his body. She was so wound up in attack mode that it seemed she hadn’t heard me.
I had to diffuse the situation fast. Poor Sebastian’s good deeds were moments away from being punished by my vengeful vampire associates. I ran to where they had Sebastian pinned and attempted to pull Joseph away. It was like trying to move a brick wall.
“He’s my grandfather!”
I almost had to laugh because of the way Liz and Joseph gaped at me.Eh?
Quickly, I added, “So, if you murder him, you’ll be killing what little family I have left.”
Looking sheepish, the two vamps released Sebastian and got to their feet. My poor grandfather was still too stunned to move.
“Sorry,” Liz apologized, her fangs retracting. “We thought he was the one who took you.”
I shook my head. “Nope. He’s the one whosavedme. From my great-grandparents, who, as it turns out, are huge assholes. They kidnapped me, took me to Napa, and held me captive in a shed. They starved me and then tried to kill me with an injection.”
“When I find them . . .” Robert hissed with narrowing eyes.
I added, “They also hate vampires so much that they want you all dead.”
“Can I get up now?” Sebastian asked with irritation.
“Sorry mate.” Joseph extended a hand to Sebastian and pulled him to his feet as if he were made of dandelion fluff. “I suppose we were a wee bit hasty.”
“You think?” Sebastian scowled.
Joseph snapped his fingers. “Hold on. I recognize you. You were at the wedding, watching Olivia.”
“To keep hersafe,” my grandfather said indignantly.
“Will somebody tell me what’s happening?” Robert interrupted. I still couldn’t believe he was back. He hadn’t been gone long, but it felt as if it had been years. I’d been through so much emotionally since his departure. “Olivia, how is this kid your grandfather?”
“I’ll explain everything. And I need to tell you about what the Nolans—my great-grandparents—are planning,” I said to Joseph. “But first, I want to know whereyouwere, Robert. And I want to know if you and Serena . . .”
I couldn’t say the words. I felt sick just thinking them. I didn’t know what I’d do if they’d had sex. I probably wouldn’t let Robert touch me ever again.
“Absolutely not. The next time I see Serena, I’m going to kill her,” Robert said with enough coldness to initiate a blizzard.
