Vlad rocked back on his heels. “If the leak can be solved with a minimal amount of glamouring, they’ll do that.”
I scoffed, and Vlad said, “It’s not the old days, Tiffenie. Extreme risks are moved to Utah to join the Provo coven. But there would be a hearing first, of course.”
“Hell no,” Heaven said.
I put my foot down. “We’re staying here and we’re going to run a bed-and-breakfast and Heaven is going to post as many TikToks as she wants. I’m more than three hundred years old, Vlad. I’ve earned the right to live the life I want. Who am I hurting?”
“Yourself!”
I rose to my full height, which was about a foot less than his, and looked into his eyes in a direct challenge. “I don’t care.”
“Well, I do, and I’m bigger than you.”
I laughed in his face.
At that, he lifted me up, tossed me over his shoulder, and proceeded to carry me out of the house.
I pounded on his back and thrashed my legs. “You can’t be serious! Put me down!”
Heaven stared at us, open-mouthed, a crystal clutched in her hand.“Tiff, you okay? Should I…call someone?”
I went limp, defeated. “It’s fine. We do this.”
“Really?”
“If she would listen,” he said through gritted teeth, “I wouldn’t have to carry her off.”
“What happened to that MasterClass on relationships?” I yelled, and he grumbled. “What are you going to do, carry Heaven out too?”
“Um, no thanks, I’m good,” Heaven said.
“I will, if you continue to post,” he said.
“It’s my job, new guy,” Heaven said, hands on hips.
Vlad turned to her. “But is it really?” Now outside, he opened the door to his car with one hand and shoved me into the passenger seat.
“Ouch,” I said as he bumped my head on the car frame on my way in.
“Sorry.” He smoothed the hair on top of my head. “Stay here,” he commanded as he walked around to the driver’s side. When I gave him a hard stare, he added, “Please.”
“You can’t just manhandle me into submitting to whatever you desire.”
A spark of a different kind flickered in his eye and my cheeks heated as I remembered him doing exactly that in the bedroom.
From the porch, Heaven casually called, “I think you’ll have to use the trunk. She’s gonna make a break for it.”
“Stop it!” I yelled at her. “Unless you want to helpmeputhimin the trunk.”
“It’s just kind of nice watchingyouget kidnapped, for once.”
“Oh, stop!”
She shrugged. “Plus, you two are cute.”
“You’re kidding!” I blew my hair out of my face.
Smoldering with intensity, Vlad said, “No, she is dead serious. We are very cute and always have been.” He held up his hand. “Stay here.”
