I opened my left eye and looked at Dave. “If she was, do you think I would be stupid enough to accept her call in a car full of supernaturals with supersonic hearing?”
“I think you are savvier than you let on.”
“I’m too tired to play political mind games.”
Sebastian leaned forward and stretched between the front seats. “Leave her alone, she is being transparent in her dealings with her grandmother, can you say the same?” Dave’s jaw ticked.
I glanced at Sebastian. “Aren’t you going to put in your two cents worth on my relationship?”
He grinned, showcasing his pearly white slightly too sharp teeth. “Of course. The solution to all your problems is very simple.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Run. Don’t stop to pack, don’t tell anyone where you are going. Get on a flight with me today and we will disappear into the sky and no one will be able to track us. I hear the food is good in Hawaii or what about Alaska? No one goes there.”
I chuckled even as a part of my soul tugged at the promise of freedom from all this responsibility. “I’ll keep that as my backup plan,” I joked. Well, I was mostly joking. Sebastian was running away from his reality for his own reasons.
I settled back and chewed my bottom lip. What on earth did my grandmother want from the third vault? We had a number of them in the cellar under my home, containing treasures we’d accumulated over the years. The third vault was reserved for the most dangerous of items, and as such, the process to open it was a slow one. It protected it from being ransacked by people, and even under duress, the process to open it could not be rushed.
“What’s in the third vault?” Dave asked.
Glad to know the supernaturals in the car weren’t above eavesdropping. “Lots of things.”
“And what is your grandmother likely to be after?”
I pressed my lips together and stared at the rapidly rising sun. It could be so many things. There was an unwritten rule among the Roberts women regarding the third vault. You don’t ask, you don’t query, you accept the need to store something inside there and don’t go snooping at shit that wasn’t yours. That said, I wasn’t stupid—I had fail safes no one knew about. I had to, for the sake of the dangerous items tucked away in there.
“It could be anything, I’m not being deliberately obtuse. Without knowing what she’s up to, I can’t know what she would be retrieving.”
“Can you get in there earlier?” Sebastian asked. “To check out what’s inside before she arrives?”
A smile spread on my face. “There’s no need, I know exactly what’s in there.”
Dave glanced at me, his features twisting in surprise at whatever he sees there. Everyone kept underestimating me. It was my greatest weapon and would be their greatest downfall.
Chapter Ten
The pertinent question is, did you taste their peach pie?
The day had well and truly broken by the time we pulled into town and Dave slid the car to a halt in front of Hudson. He was looking as delicious as always. I’m not sure the man has even heard of a bad hair day. His muscles are defined under the thin cotton of his pale green T-shirt, and his arresting hazel eyes, like molten pools of gold, tracked me as I opened the door and snatched the bag containing the flower from the floor.
Dave jumped out of the car, leaving Sebastian sitting in the back. “This is the end of the road, vampire,” Dave drawled as he threw the car keys to Hudson. Sebastian rolled his eyes and climbed out of the Escalade.
“I’ll see you in a couple of days,” Sebastian said to me before he started strolling down the street away from us.
“Could you not have dropped him back at his car?” I snapped at Dave.
He raised an eyebrow. “No, I’m leaving you and Hudson with the car. I have business in town. The vampire is all grown up, he can find his own way home.”
“That’s not in question, but your manners are.”
“My manners don’t extend to the fanged population.” Then he strode away from us in the opposite direction of Sebastian. “Tell Hudson about your grandmother’s visit,” he called out over his shoulder.
Hudson reached for me and wrapped his possessive arms around my waist, drawing me closer. I made sure the bag with the flower hung from my hand at the side. I didn’t want to accidentally poison us or destroy the evidence I’d stolen from a crime scene. “I missed you,” he mumbled into my hair.
I tipped my head back to stare into his eyes. His gaze caressed my lips before slowly bending his head, giving me plenty of time to avoid his kiss. His mouth settled over mine and I leaned into him. I didn’t want to hide from this anymore. All the death and horror I’d seen in the last twenty-four hours made me eager to hold on to something warm and alive, so I returned his kiss with enthusiasm. He broke away, panting.
“As much as I’m wanting to see where that kiss is going, I think you have something more pressing to deal with first.”
