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“Yay!” Carver clapped in approval. Truthfully, Carver only knew Nicholas as Dante’s second from the stalking he’d done of the vampire clan. He’d always found the scowl on Nicholas’s face intimidating and hadn’t liked him at all. But meeting Jesse had maybe changed Carver’s mind. How could anyone as sweet and funny as Jesse be with a monster?

“You’re going to be just as bad as Syn and the troublemakers,” Dante said.

“I good baby.” Carver patted his own chest. There had been talk about treats and he was curious.

“We’ll see about that,” Dante replied. He didn’t seem too worried since he also kissed Carver’s forehead.

“Germ! Get back here! I am going to rip those fake fangs off of you!”

Carver winced at the angry shout before pressing closer against Dante’s chest. Someone was mad-mad.

From the path they turned to the open part of the garden with a couple of benches, a concrete bird bath, and so many pretty flowers and plants.

“Nicholas?” Dante asked as they approached. “Everything okay out here?”

Nicholas spun around.

Carver had to slap his hand across his mouth as a big laugh escaped at the absolute mess the second in command was. Disheveled was the mildest word that Carver could think of. Nicholas was…wrecked.

Nicholas’s black hair, that was usually neatly combed back out of his face, was standing up in some places, might be a little wet, and there was something pink glittering. His well-fitted black suit was torn at the legs, with a rip across one knee.

“You!” Nicholas pointed a finger at Dante.

Carver glanced at his Daddy to see how he would respond to Nicholas’s accusation.

Dante lifted one of his elegant black brows. “Yes?” he replied.

“It’s not bad enough that Jesse has made friends with these little gremlins! But your pet is literally glitter bombing me from above!” Nichloas shouted.

“Not gremlins!” Carver yelled. “Wampire gnommies!”

Nicholas’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Carver.

“Oops!” Carver tightened his fist in the back of Dante’s jacket.

“Ha! Wampire gnommies!” Jesse popped out from behind the bench and started to dance around. “I love it!”

Nicholas whirled. “Where the hell were you hiding? I came to get you for dinner and was attacked. Fucking attacked!”

“They just playing with you, Daddy!” Jesse responded sweetly.

“They…play…what…” Nicholas stammered.

That seemed to be too much for Dante, as he began to laugh nearly uncontrollably. His entire body shook, which in turn made Carver wobble. Carver clung tighter in case Dante dropped him.

“This isn’t funny!” Nicholas threw his hands up in the air. “I’m covered in pink glitter and my suit is torn!”

Now that Carver was paying closer attention, he could see the glitter in the back of Nicholas’s hair and down his back. That was actually funny, no matter what the grumpy vampire said.

Movement under a bush caught his eye and Carver found Germin, the little gnome from the day before, waving at him. Carver waved back and gave the gnommie a huge smile.

Germin pushed his chest out proudly before bringing a finger to his lips.

Oh! Germin was up to something more. Carver nodded. He wouldn’t give away Germ’s location.

“I know you put them up to this, boy,” Nicholas said to Jesse.

“I was just playing, Daddy. I didn’t do nothing.” Jesse pushed out his bottom lip while batting his eyelashes.