“What are you two doing here?” I demanded.
Colm shot up, drawing himself up to his full height. He was strong and an experienced fighter, but he was still a human. He posed no threat to me.
“We came to see our daughter.”
Hazel stepped forward. “I’ve been clear I don’t want to see you two,” she reminded them.
Elizabeth’s eyes dropped to our intertwined fingers before returning to her daughter.
“Who’s the vampire, Moira?”
That’s when I realized I’d partially shifted when we walked in the door and sensed danger. Inhaling deeply, I willed my vamp to recede.
“I’m her girlfriend,” I answered before Hazel could mention me being a bodyguard.
Elizabeth plopped onto the couch with a smile, suddenly relaxed.
“That’s good news. I was afraid you’d be dating someone awful, like an accountant or a cop.”
“What do you want,Mam?” Hazel asked, the exhaustion in her voice telling me she was entering an adrenaline dump.
“There’s a group of heavily armed Italians looking for you here,” Elizabeth said. “Our sources tell us they’re here at the hotel.”
“They’re in jail now,” she replied. “But thanks for stopping by with that information – twenty minutes too late.”
“Moira, we need to talk to you alone,” Colm ordered.
I waited to see what Hazel wanted to do. I could hang out in the room next door with Martha and Allie. With my super hearing I’d be able to monitor the situation.
“Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it in front of Marilee,” she said, squeezing my hand. “She knows who and what you are.”
Colm sighed with exaggerated patience, his fingers twitching like he was trying to hold himself back from hitting something – or someone. A low growl rumbled through my chest, a clear warning from my wolf that he’d better keep his hands off our mate. I could tell by the way he visibly relaxed his muscles that he got my message loud and clear.
I’d half expected my wolf to come out when we were threatened on the mezzanine just now, but she’d sat back and let my vampire be in control after the vamp reminded her that she had more experience fighting.
“Can we all sit down please?” Elizabeth asked, “I’ll get us a little drink.”
“Not the mini bar,” Hazel said firmly. “You know that stuff is way overpriced. If you want a drink, we’ve got water in the fridge.”
It wasn’t the only thing in the refrigerator, which Elizabeth figured out when she picked up a bottle of blood from the door. I watched her hold it up to the light, a frown creasing between her brows as she looked between me and the bottle, making the connection.
“Easy with the blood,” I said. “It’s also very overpriced.”
Hazel’s mom shuddered but put it back without a word.
Hazel and I sat on the edge of the bed, facing her parents as we waited for whatever they needed to say. They didn’t make us wait long.
“It’s very important that you come back home, Moira,” her father said.
“Why?”
“So we can put you on a diet, for one,” Elizabeth muttered.
“Rude!” Hazel chastised.
“She’s perfect just the way she is,” I growled at the same time.
“Enough!” Colm shouted. “We’re in deep shit Moira Elizabeth O’Brian, and it’s partly your fault, so you owe it to us to come back and fix it.”
