Dalziel nodded. “I think whatever their personal feelings about you or this Stanno,” He said the name as if it personally offended him, “they’re a lot more bothered about not being seen as law abiding.” I snorted loudly at this, which coaxed a grin out of him. “Well, precisely, but I think that’s why. They’re offering Stanno up on a platter in the hope nobody goes digging into their various businesses too deeply.”
“It makes sense,” Eleanor said, before she cracked out an enormous yawn. “Sorry, everyone, it’s been quite a day. Night. Whatever.”
“We should leave,” Baxter said decisively. “There’s room where I’m staying for everyone.” She squinted doubtfully at Eleanor. “What I mean is there’s two double bedrooms, but you might not want to share with a vampire. There’s a sofa as well, but I dunno if there’s any spare bedding…”
Eleanor yawned again. “Are you planning on draining me dry, Baxter?”
“Bloody hell, no!”
“Then thank you, I’ll take half the bed please. I haven’t driven this far for longer than I can recall, it’s been a long night, and my joints won’t enjoy a sofa.” She got slightly unsteadily to her feet, and grinned. “I won’t bite you either. Deal?”
Amidst some gentle laughter, they all bade us goodnight. Dalziel hung back as the others headed to the door. I could feel his eyes on me, so I turned, to find him nearer than I’d expected. “You okay?”
His eyes softened, then he stared at the floor for a moment, before meeting my gaze once more. “I’m all right, Charley, now I know you’re safe. Lucien should take you home and let your parents have that same relief.” His hand came up, as if he meant to touch me, but he hesitated. His uncertainty made me bold.
“Could I…could I have a hug?”
Pinned awkwardly against him, my shoulders hunched so his shorter frame could hold me, I said thickly, “Thanks for coming to find me. And for the blood. And everything.”Thank you for showing me you care.
“You’re my son, Charley. I will always come.” He stepped back, and patted my cheek carefully, just once. “You also don’t need to keep Lucien a secret any longer. I think perhaps he might benefit from some reassurance.”
I smirked. “You mean apart from the physical?” We’d not had time to shower, and Dalziel was a vampire; I had to reek of wolf and sex.
His raised eyebrow told me he was fully aware of what we’d been up to. “Apart from the physical,” he confirmed. “Now, I must go. Daylight will not wait.”
When Luc shut the door and returned to my side, I burrowed into him. “I think you should take me home before I change my mind.”
43
LUC
Charley’s parentswere so welcoming, it made me feel shabby for having deceived them earlier. Neither of them were loud in their relief at having Charley back, but I got the feeling that showy displays of affection weren’t their thing. Unlike me, who had turned into the clingiest cling-on ever since meeting their son. Charley had told me they were early risers — another thing at odds with his vampire half — so he seemed to take it in his stride we would be ushered into the kitchen and offered breakfast. I tried to escape, but he turned his baby blues on me, and I caved. Nita sat cradling a mug of herbal tea, urging Charley to tell her everything rather than bottling it up, while David busied himself making a cooked breakfast. I couldn’t tell if that was normal for them or not, but I could always manage food, so I tucked in, and let Charley be as vague as he wanted or needed to be. It was patently obvious he didn’t want to dwell on the nightmare in the shack, and David eventually managed to shut Nita up with a plate of food and a sharp look.
She turned instead to me. How had we met, had we been dating long, what did I do…Pretty much sweetly demanding my CV and my intentions towards her son by various meandering routes. It would have been quite funny, except I didn’t know what to say, because confessing I’d nearly mown down her only child with my SUV didn’t seem like the right answer.
In the end, Charley huffed loudly. “Fuck’s sake, Nita, he’s embarrassed. I blew him backstage at a club and he’s not got sick of me yet. Enough already.”
I felt myself flush everywhere. His mother almost choked on her drink, and I heard his dad’s muted gasp from across the room. Even Charley must have realised he’d gone too far. His own pale skin flamed and he muttered “Sorry,” before perking straight up and waving his knife about in an alarming manner. “He’s got a wicked job though. He’s—” His eyes grew round as he looked at me. “Am I allowed to tell them?”
I chuckled in spite of my burning face. “It’s easily Googled, babe. Tell away if it makes you happy.”
He shot out of his chair and crossed to a cupboard, where he took out a familiar-looking bottle. Plunking it on the table in front of his bemused parents, he said, with noticeable pride, “LucisMilton’s.”
That was enough of a conversation-stopper to turn everyone’s attention away from our sex life, thank you, all divine beings. I lasted another forty minutes before I acted regretful, but insisted I leave so that Charley could rest. He pouted like an Olympic champion, but I could tell his mum wanted a chance to fuss over him, and it wasn’t like I didn’t have things to do. Airing out my living room to rid it of the combined stench of three vamps was top of the list. Besides, I needed to be in good shape for the night ahead: Charley had only let me go when I’d promised I’d return to collect him at dusk.
Faced with heading home alone though, I set off instead in the opposite direction, bound for Thatcher’s Hollow again. It was bugging me more than I cared to admit that I’d not been able to pick up Charley’s heartbeat. Not needing to be subtle, I pulled off the road into the shallow dip of gravelly turf in front of the remains of the old cottage, and killed the engine. There was crime scene tape across the door to the shack, so I guessed the plods were being thorough about any evidence Stanno might have left behind. I circled the hut, but there was nothing to suggest it was in any way extraordinary.
Although…where the snow had fallen, there was the faintest circular outline, reminiscent of what kids called fairy rings. Or should I sayFaerierings? Because that was evidence of magic, and I knew it came from Charley. The rational part of me longed to jump inside that circle and twirl like an idiot, to prove it was nothing more than slightly flattened grass from a localised snowfall. My wolf backed me the fuck up, snarling softly until my calves hit the car bumper.
I sighed, and wished I’d thought to divert via a drive-through coffee place. Before I could move, though, a small van rolled to a stop, and parked up behind me. Two guys got out and started pulling on disposable PPE, then the smaller bloke went to open the shed lock. The bigger man eyed me for a moment, then clumped over, careful not to rip his paper trousers, which looked a size too small for his bulging muscles. Crime scene coppers, evidently.
“Hanging about here because..?” His tone was friendly, just.
I jerked a thumb at the shack. “My boyfriend was the one being held captive.”
“Ahh.” His eyes narrowed. “You with the Red Wyverns?”
“Hell, no! Wouldn’t get me within a mile of their queerphobic brand of machismo.” I held my breath in case hewason their side, but he grinned, and held up a gloved hand.
