“You’re wrong about that, dear friend,” she muttered.
“And you’repositivehe said to bring her here?” Daphne asked with worry clear in her voice.
“I didn’t dream him telling me that,” Seraphina said before her voice turned into a low sigh. She hid her laugh as she said, “I dream about the brothers fromVampire Diariestaking off my clothes and sucking my blood.Notmy brother bossing me around.”
“Team Damon,” they both said at the same time before high-fiving.
The antique light posts guided us as we turned right toward the greenhouse. No one else was outside.
“It’s just …” Daphne paused, her voice trailing off as we stopped at the greenhouse door. “You rarely see Fawns in the Lair. I don’t know if I’veeverseen one.”
They spoke about me as if I were not there.
“Trust me, I know.” Seraphina dug a key from her purse and jammed it into the greenhouse door’s lock. “I had to ask twice if he was pranking me. When he swore he wasn’t, I told him he owed me a new Rolex for my escorting duties.”
I held in my snort of how she’d manipulated Enzo to buy her something for collecting me. My new goal was to reach Seraphina’s level and win arguments with Enzo. I seemed to lose every single time with him.
Deep down, I knew I needed to start playing by his rules. If I wanted to survive this Fawn situation, I had to play the part and keep Enzo happy.
Daphne’s words from earlier replayed in my head.“You could be the Fawn who captures the heart of the cruelest Son of them all.”
A new idea sparked inside me. A new plan.
I could make Enzo like me. Maybe then he’d relax and lessen his cruelty. Maybe I wouldn’t fear him killing me every damn five seconds.
We entered the greenhouse, and the hot, humid air smacked me in the face.
As I shut the door behind us, Daphne leaned toward Seraphina and whispered, “He’s different with Blair.”
My back straightened at her comment.
“Really?” Seraphina asked, locking the door behind us.
The rows of LED grow lights above the plants were our only source of light, bathing the greenhouse in a soft, artificial glow.
“Really,” Daphne said.
“I mean, he did bring her around my father and Benny, which hasneverhappened. But he could have also done it to piss off our father.”
“What do you mean?” Daphne asked.
“He’s setting up an arranged marriage for Enzo.”
Daphne grasped Seraphina’s elbow. “Oh shit. I already feel bad for whichever girl he chooses. I’d hate to marry Enzo.”
“Bringing a girl around while also on the hunt for a potential wife is a bad look,” Seraphina said. “One that’d make any father looking to marry his daughter off not happy.”
So, Enzo brought me to the funeral to piss off his father.
The sounds of their words and footsteps echoed through the small building.
I followed them, breathing in the aroma of blooming flowers and green plants, while running my finger over a rose stem. I winced, jerking my hand away as a sharp thorn dug into my finger. I brought my finger to my lips, tasting the metallic flavor of the small drop of blood.
Hmm.I didn’t get why Enzo was still obsessed with the taste.It wasn’t anything special.
Realizing I no longer heard their voices, I turned in a circle, looking for them. My heartbeat blasted against my chest because I’d lost them.
It settled when I heard Daphne faintly call out my name. I hurried toward a small open door in the corner and squeezed through a narrow passage.
