THE HIGH SCHOOL REUNION FROM HELL

MARGIE MAJORS: MIDDLE-AGED VAMPIRE SLAYER

SARANNA DEWYLDE

Copyright © 2021 by Saranna DeWylde

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is coincidental.

Don’t be a shitass. Please respect the author’s rights.

Cover art by Rebecca Poole at Dreams2Media

ISBN: 978-1-948001-17-5 ebook

978-1-948001-20-5 print

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Thank You!

CHAPTER ONE

If I hadn’t been one of the chosen ones, “junk in my trunk” would’ve been a nod to my super-cute fat ass, but instead, it was just my luck that it was a reference to the dead body currently stuffed in the truck of my brand new Dodge Challenger.

Number one, it was going to be a bitch to get the brain matter out of the trunk liner. Of course, since I was a fucking professional—as was my soon-to-be-ex-husband—I’d wrapped the bastard in plastic, but when they were particularly juicy, some transfer of matter couldn’t be helped, regardless of what we see in the movies.

By the way, the bastard wasn’t my soon-to-be-ex. Just the guy he’d given a one-two tap to the back of the head.

Lucky for the corpse, he was already dead. I may be middle-aged, but I’d still kill a motherfucker twice for breaking into Marc’s home and trying to kill him. We were getting divorced, but he was still the love of my life. Not to mention the father of the daughter of my heart. I hadn’t baked that child in my own lady oven, but she was every inch my kid. Right down to her smart mouth.

“So where are we dumping that junk in your trunk?” Marc asked again, nodding to the trunk.

I studied him in the pale, wan light of the dimly lit garage and I was disappointed in myself that all I could think about was climbing him like a tree. God, but I missed him. I missed the way he smelled, the heat of his hands on my skin. The sound of him singing in the shower. Instead of noodling on an answer to his question, my eyes were drawn to his broad shoulders, the way his veins stood out on his forearms and the backs of his hands after exertion.

Surely, it would be more fun to fuck me than dispose of a body?

Hopefully?

However, sex had never been the problem.

“Margie. Eyes up here,” he teased with a wink.

It absolutely wasn’t fair he was flirting with me. So I decided to repay the favor in kind and leaned over the trunk, showing him my ample goods that I knew looked damned good in my Torrid jeans.

“This junk?” I shook my ass.

“You’re an evil woman,” he groaned and moved to stand behind me, his hands on my hips. “So evil.”

I’d admit that while I wanted this with him, part of me just wanted to know that I could still turn him on. Because in my head, that fixed all of our problems.

He still loved me.

He still wanted me.

And I was still the one he called to help him get rid of a body.

Problems solved, right?

Obviously, the answer was no, but the part of me that was still so in love with him refused to get the memo.

“Margie, we can’t do this,” he whispered. “Mostly because we need to get rid of this fucker.” Marc reached around me and tapped the side of the trunk.

It felt so good to feel his hard body pressed against me. Not just because he was shredded all to hell, but because the weight of him, the heat of him was familiar and good.

“He’s not going to get any deader.” The proverbial devil on my shoulder answered for me.

“Maybe not, but he’s going to drive Vlad insane.”

“Come on, you—” Shit, he was right. One whiff of Dickhead McGee, and my sweet puppy would shred the interior of my car to get to the trunk and obliterate it.

My vampire pit bull, the most ridiculous dog to ever walk the earth, but who had some serious real estate in my heart. Murder scenes drove him nuts. We weren’t sure if it was pheromones, or blood, or what. But Vlad was like a canine murder detector. He got near the scene of a murder less than five years old, and he’d destroy it. Try to obliterate it from existence.

I turned in Marc’s embrace to face him and looked up at the face that had been so dear to me for all of my life. The way the halogen lights in the garage made his amber eyes seem to glitter. Sweat glistened on his dark skin. Seriously, how did even halogen make him look good? It was his place, so I wouldn’t have put it past him to set the lighting just so. Marc knew he was a handsome man.

We’d sort of grown up together, although Marcus had been part of the popular crowd. He’d been a star running back on the football team since middle school. Me? I’d been on the fringes until the Great Reveal—nerdy girl by day, vampire slayer by night.

And I’d always been in love with Marcus Majors. Just look at his name. Marcus Majors. All-American, apple pie, picket fence, golden boy who’d grown up to be that kind of man. An Army Ranger who’d served his country with honors, and in his retirement, well….

Well, now, he was a Department of Defense Secret Squirrel contractor who killed people, but they were all bad.

Like this shithead in my trunk.

“Serious question,” I asked him.

“Serious answer,” he replied with a grin.

“Do you think your cover was blown?”

“I don’t know, but I also don’t know who’s watching. So I need to get this guy out of here and as far away from me as possible.” He leaned his head down so our foreheads touched. “I can’t stop thinking about Ryder. What if she’d been home?”

I braced his face in my palms. “Hey, you know better than that. She wasn’t home. She’s at Jasmine’s. We can’t think about what might have happened. Only what did. She’s safe. Threat neutralized. Yeah?”

I’d have to ask my best friend, Lila Jean, later if I was a piece of shit for being glad he still needed me. That he still depended on me. Actually, I didn’t need to ask her. I already knew the answer to that. It was selfish and ultra shitty. Even if I hadn’t wished bad things on him for leaving me, taking any kind of pleasure in his pain was not the person I wanted to be.

“You’re right. So we should take the body somewhere out in the county. The coyotes and the wildcats will take care of it.”

“I’ll take care of it.” I knew exactly where to get rid of it. I’d done it before.

“It’s my mess. I can’t ask you to clean it up by yourself.”

“You’re not asking. I’m offering. Plus, this just looks like your ex came over for some midnight booty. If you leave with me, that might raise more questions. It’s not like this is my first body disposal.”

“Obviously. But I don’t want to put this all on you.” He dropped his hands to his sides and turned away from me. “I shouldn’t have called you.”

“Oh yes, you should have. You don’t want to be married to me anymore, that’s fine.” I blew hair out of my face and glanced away. “Well, it’s not fine, but it is what it is. That doesn’t mean that I’m not still here to support you.” I swallowed hard. “Or that I don’t still love you.”

“I can’t have this conversation again,” he whispered.

“I know. I’m not asking you to.” I straightened myself and squared my shoulders. “What I am asking you to do is not shut me out. I don’t deserve that.”

He laughed softly. “Only you, Margie, would think that not asking you to help me bury a body was an insult.”

I put one hand on my hip and poked my right forefinger into the middle of his broad chest. “It is. I’m a professional. And don’t think for one moment if I needed you that I wouldn’t call you to help me do the same.”

“You say you would, but I know you wouldn’t. You don’t need anyone.”

His words sliced home and I didn’t like it. “You could make the payment on the house this month. That would help me.”

“I thought we agreed we were going to sell it? You can get a great place with what’s left.”

“The market is shit. No one wants to live next to the nosy Cornhole Queen.” What are you gonna do? I mean, I guess I could move in with you here…” Yeah, no, I know what you’re thinking. Cornhole Queen? That’s filthy. But it’s actually a game. I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole goddamn life and didn’t know that it was a game with bean bags until Presley pranced into our eighth grade English, wearing her crown and proudly proclaimed herself Queen of Cornhole.

He rolled his eyes skyward. “Fine. But you really need to play nice with Presley. If only so she’ll pretend to be nice to potential buyers.”

“Or, I could make her life so miserable she’ll buy the house just to get me to leave.” I teased.

“Haven’t you tried that?”

“I haven’t really, no.” I pursed my lips. “I could be much more awful if I put my mind to it.”

“Marge.” His tone declared him irritated, but not all the way to frustrated.

I still had a little room to push, but I decided to save it for something else.

“Fine. God.” I laughed. “Listen, I’m sure Vlad is getting antsy. I haven’t taken him for his evening constitution. So I’m going to get rid of tall, dumb, and dead and I’ll see you around.”

“Hey, are you going to the reunion?”

“Fuck no.” I coughed. “I mean, why would I? It’s not like I was the Prom Queen or anything. I married the star running back, but now we’re getting divorced, drowning in debt, and nothing is any better, is it? Vampires are real—and I’m still the fringe freak. Only now, I get medals and shit for it. Yay?” I shrugged.

“That’s kinda bitter, Marge.”

“Yeah, well, if you had to watch me dance with Bitchy Brooke and remember times past that I thought were infinitely better than now, you wouldn’t want to go either. Plus, I didn’t get an invitation.” I had gotten an invite, but that was the first excuse that came to mind.

I slid away from him and opened my car door.

“I never said I thought those times were better than now. They were simpler. Easier. But I didn’t say they were better.” He still wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“You might as well have. It was the time before you were with me.”

“It sounds like you’re wishing me away and I’m sorry that I’m not evolved enough to not take it personally.”

He was quiet for a long moment before he said, “That’s fair. I wouldn’t like that either.”

I slid into the driver’s seat and forced a smile. “If you go, have fun.”

“I… I am proud of you, Margie. Proud of our life together.”

That told me all I needed to know. “I never said you weren’t.”

I shut the door, clicked the opener, and the garage door rolled up slowly, taking its time like a debutante descending a tall staircase. I pushed the button on the Challenger and she purred to life. She wasn’t the most discrete machine, but this town was full of them. Especially being so close to Ft. Leavenworth, with tons of enlisted soldiers who had no bills except their car payment and the people who commuted to Kansas City for work.

It didn’t matter anyway. Where I was going, there wouldn’t be anyone around for miles.

They’d never find this bastard.

It took everything in me not to look in my rearview for another glance at Marc as I drove away. My fingers flexed on the steering wheel, and gripped it tighter, as if that would somehow ground me where I needed to be. I had to focus on shithead disposal, not our crumbling relationship. It was rare that Marc asked me for a favor and I wanted him to know he could still depend on me. So could Ryder.

I drove from the subdivision by the middle school out toward Metropolitan, and from there, up Amelia Earhart out toward the county. Red eyes glinted in the dark along the side of the road and I realized some fanged asshole had Turned a couple of the bison that roamed on the lands next to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. Poor guys. I made a mental note to call them in the morning and give their caretakers some tips so maybe they wouldn’t have to be put down.

I’d been able to save Vlad and get a special license to keep him, maybe I could do the same for the bison. They were a goddamn landmark, after all.

As I mashed the pedal down, the engine purred harder and the pavement turned into a dark, glassy ribbon that unfurled in front of me. I could keep driving. I didn’t have to stop in the backwoods to dump Dumbass. I could just go. I could leave all of my problems, and my heartache behind.

Yet, even as I had the thought, I knew I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t leave Ryder, Vlad, Lila Jean, or Marc.

Even if Marc didn’t want me anymore.

How responsible. Why couldn’t I just have a decent midlife crisis like everyone else my age and come completely unhinged? I never got to do the gentle launch from the nest. One day, I’d been a regular, if somewhat creepy girl with a birthmark on her butt, and the next, I’d been an orphan and expected to act and think like a full-grown adult. I’d been expected to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders and put everyone else’s needs before my own.

And I’d done it.

But here I was, half my life later, still doing it. I couldn’t help but wonder when it was going to be time to think about me and what I wanted. What I needed.

The turn for the gravel road came up sooner than I would’ve liked and I turned off, driving until the gravel stopped. A sense of urgency prickled the back of my neck. Shit. I’d left Vlad alone for too long—and he wasn’t nicknamed “the Impaler” for nothing.

He might have fucked his love pillow through the wall by now. Or my easy chair. Or who knew what else? He fell in love quickly and extra hard with inanimate objects, and made sweet love to them multiple times a day. It was a side effect of his vampire status, poor little guy.

Thank goodness his love centered on the inanimate.

Except for my neighbor, Presley, the Cornhole Queen.

Just the sound of her voice got him ready for action and all of the obedience school training I could afford had done little to mitigate that effect. Although, it did keep her from talking to me as often as she would’ve liked—a bonus in my book—so I’d admit, I hadn’t been working too hard on a solution. I wasn’t usually outright mean to her, but she’d been part of the Cuntrag Crew who’d made my life hell in school. I didn’t see the point in pretending we were friends simply because we’d happened to move in next door to each other.

It was darker than dark out in the country with no street lamps or other artificial light. Luckily, not only did I have vampire strength, I could see in the dark like a vampire, too. A normal human wouldn’t have been able to see their own hand in front of their face out here at midnight. But me? I blinked several times, and the path down to the pond through the foliage became clear. I could see a couple of those wildcats I’d mentioned quenching their thirst. They’d make short work of Fucko McGee.

Opening the trunk, I dragged the corpse out of the trunk. It was unusually heavy. Heavier than when I’d shoveled him inside.

Or, maybe I was just getting old and my powers were failing? I was the first slayer who’d ever made it to middle-aged, so no one was quite sure how it worked. My powers, I mean. No one knew what slayer aging looked like. Of course, the all-male council thought there was a reason for that. That their aging slayers had gotten slow and useless.

“Shit, lift with your knees, dumbass,” I mumbled to myself as I repositioned my grip on the plastic-wrapped fuckhead.

I strained and lifted, but didn’t get anywhere.

Wheezing, I tried again. That’s when I realized his foot was caught on the lip of the trunk. Taking another deep breath, repositioning my feet, and tightening my grip, I heaved again, and dragged him from the trunk. The change in his weight really hit me then as I lost my grip and he hit the ground with a wet, crinkly slap. That didn’t bode well, I was sure.

“Ope, sorry about that,” I murmured.

Jesus Christ, I was so Midwestern, I was apologizing to a corpse. A corpse that, when alive, had tried to hurt my family. I really needed to work on that. So I made the conscious decisions to kick him.

“Yeah no, not sorry. Motherfucker.”

I was about to kick him again when another wave of awareness prickled down the back of my neck. My body tensed, my muscles coiled ready for a fight. I looked up to see a pair of red eyes blinking at me from the trees. A low, yet familiar growl emanated from the shadows just as my big, dumb dog emerged from the brush.

Vlad, who was supposed to be locked in the house, making sweet love to his pillow, was big—bigger than any other pit bull I’d ever seen. I wasn’t sure if he had some mastiff in him, or the Turning had made him bigger, or both. But if I hadn’t known he was the bestest, sweetest, goodest boy, (like all dogs must be) I might have been a little intimidated. He was stocky, built like a mini ox, with a smooth and shiny black coat, and red eyes that glowed like the pits of hell.

When he looked at me, his mouth fell open and his long, red tongue lagged out as he sniffed the air. A long stringer of bloody drool dripped down and then recoiled back into his mouth like a yo-yo from Hell.

“You dumb dumb. What are you doing out here? ”

He whined and dipped his head, tail swinging an apologetic wag.

“Couldn’t wait, huh?” Of course he’d tracked me out here. He was worried because I’d been gone so long. If anyone ever managed to get the drop on me and take me hostage, they’d be sorrier than shit when this guy found me.

He growled menacingly at the shape in the wrapped plastic.

“We’re fine, Bud. It’s fine. He’s dead.”

Vlad looked from the plastic to me, then back down to the plastic. His mouth hung open and that big stringer of bright red, bloody drool dropped from his sloppy chops again.

God, but I loved him. “Come here.”

He padded over to me and shove his nose under my hand for a quick moment before lifting his leg on the corpse and marking his territory. He scratched at the ground under his feet, almost as if he were trying to cover the mess in dirt. Then he huffed through his flapping jowls.

“I get it. You don’t like him.” I scratched him behind his ears and kissed his velvety muzzle. “I’m not a fan, either.”

I was so lucky I had him. I wasn’t sure how I’d make it through this divorce without him.

His whole body went taut, and I went on high alert.

I held my breath and tuned in. I didn’t sense anything from the surrounding area, but Vlad grabbed my wrist in his mouth, careful not to pinch my skin, and tugged.

I tugged back. “Buddy, I need to do this.”

He growled.

Damn. He wasn’t letting go—that meant it had to be important. I trusted this drooling monster with my life. He’d saved me from a vampire master in Austin. So, instead of forcing the issue, I let him lead me deeper into the brush, away from the body.

Just as the body disappeared from view, Vlad shoved me to the ground and flopped his giant body on top of me.

A loud popping sound rent the air and the stench of sulfur burned my nostrils.

What the hell was that?

I tried to get up, but Vlad would not be moved. Flat on my back in the dirt, I shoved at his massive bulk with my elbow, and he grumbled. The sound reminded me of a mom telling her kid it wasn’t safe to cross the street and she was irritated she’d had to tell them again.

“Vlad.” I tried using my best boss voice. “Off.”

No luck.

He grumbled again and shifted, digging a haunch into my hip.

I grunted, but couldn’t shift him. The problem here was that, while I had super strength, so did he. He was unnaturally heavy—and me, being curvy, had my sweater hogs working against me. Stupid me, I hadn’t bothered to put on a bra when Marc called, and now, these two titties were not friends. They didn’t want to sit by each other. I had one trying to choke me from one side, one trying to choke me from the other, and this massive vampire pit bull lying across my stomach like a fallen sequoia.

“Vlad,” I managed again.

He cocked his square head to the side and sniffed at my face. Then, he swiped a giant, wet, goobery lick across the mouth.

“I love you, too.”

His ears perked and his head cocked to the other side.

Oh no.

“Slowl—urgh.” He launched himself from his perch and his supernaturally sharp claws dug into my guts as he took air.

With a groan, I checked to see if I was bleeding, but surprisingly, he hadn’t broken the skin. I didn’t have much time to worry about that, though. I had to figure out what had captured his attention and sent him into protect-mode. As soon as I managed to shove my tits down so I could breathe.

Jesus Christ, the indignity of getting taken out by your own chest hams.

I scrambled to my feet, and then I had to wait a second for my body to get with the program. Yay middle age? I immediately felt every injury I’d ever had and I looked up to the sky to check for storm clouds. It was that time of year when Kansas weather could turn on a dime.

Well, that was always. But spring and early summer were ‘nader weather. (The proper, Midwestern way to receive the wrath of God.)

No ‘nader sign at the moment, but the sudden pain in my joints told me a front was moving in. Confirming we were safe from the elements for now, I took off after Vlad and found him back at the body.

Or what was left of it.

The corpse had been rigged somehow. A dipshit landmine, set to explode.

Whoever had set that guy after Marcus knew he’d be killed and he’d set a trap.

Suddenly, it was too quiet. Kind of like when small children go silent and you just know they’re doing something they’re not supposed to. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Vlad’s cheeks bulged and I knew he’d put something in his mouth.

“Give it,” I demanded as I reached out for him.

He grumble-growled, and turned to face me, a hand hanging out of his chops.

“No, it’s going to give you indigestion. Only blood, Buddy.” Why was I talking to him like he could understand what I was saying? Was this the next level of spinster slayer-hood? Still, those red eyes flickered with knowing and I’d swear on some level, he could. I darted over to him and tried to snatch it out of his mouth. Every dog owner lived the struggle of keeping their beloved monsters from eating shit they shouldn’t—given my dog had fangs and massive jowls, I just had more to deal with it.

“Don’t eat the evidence. If you shit it out in the yard, his DNA will be there. Come. On.” I tugged harder.

The hand gave way like a wishbone, me flying back with four fingers and half the palm, and Vlad with the pinky and rest of the palm.

“Don’t do it!” I commanded and scrambled toward him.

Vlad’s eyes narrowed with something I’m sure was rebellion, and he opened his mouth and swallowed the pinky, ring and all, with one happy gulp.

Great, now I had to get exploded asshole off my expensive paint job, off my shirt, and watch for a reappearance of said asshole from the unplumbed depths of my dog’s ass.

CHAPTER TWO

I didn’t manage to finish cleaning up that fuck all mess and trudge home until well past daylight—I’d even had to rinse myself and Vlad off in what I’d come to call the the murder pond where we’d gone to dump the body. When it came to my dog, I was eternally grateful sunlight didn’t hurt vampires. I kept hoping he’d poop before we made it home. Solid things didn’t last long in his guts. But the fuzzy turd spent the morning romancing my car tire.

So one of us had a grand time in the country.

When we finally got home, he’d trotted off to grab his love pillow, give it some attention, drank his blood smoothie and passed out in the big leather chair that used to be Marc’s.

I had bigger problems.

Like whoever was after Marc, and more immediately, why the Cornhole Queen was knocking on my patio door with my best friend, Lila Jean Yi in tow.

From my spot at the kitchen sink, where I’d been filling up my coffee maker to maximum-brew, I had a perfect view of the pair on my porch. Lila Jean had brought pastries, and she was always welcome, pastries or not.

Presley had brought herself.

I squinted at the clock and shuddered. Even at nine in the morning, her hair was up in a perfect blond French twist, and pink pearls graced her swan-like neck. They complemented her lemon yellow cardigan set and pink lipstick. She looked every inch a well-to-do Midwestern 1950’s wet dream.

I wanted a real shower, and a nap. It wouldn’t be long before I’d have to deal with the very real drudgery of packing up the remnants of what I thought was my happily ever after and try to put my life back together. Not to mention trying to get Vlad to poop so I ended up with DNA evidence of my crime in my backyard.

As a slayer, I could justify what I’d done, but Vlad had eaten part of him. That would be a nail in his coffin, and I couldn’t let that happen. Ever.

I just waved at the door, knowing Lila Jean would use her key.

The lock clicked open and I grabbed my pink, sparkly metallic water bottle that had the word “slayer” embossed in gold foil over the side. It definitely did not contain water.

It still had tequila in it from last night.

Which I needed for the Cornhole Queen.

Actually, I needed a lobotomy—or maybe she did. One of us did, but neither of us had been given that particular gift, so here we were in my kitchen and me considering hitting myself in the head with a hammer.

Fuck it. I took a long, deep drink and it singed all the way down, inducing a rather lovely, warm glow that would last all of five seconds. But it was a five-second reprieve I so desperately needed.

“What’s up, Cornflake?” Which was a whole lot nicer than saying, “What’s up, Cornhole?” I mean, I was trying, right?

“Did you hear about the murder?” she said in a faux gossipy whisper.

Which murder? My murder? No, only the bastard who’d sent that guy after Marc could possibly know about that.

I took another swig. “What?”

She gave an extra dramatic sigh. “Murder. By vampires. You know, your specialty.”

Lila Jean crammed a pastry into my hand. It was a raspberry creme croissant and for a moment, it reminded me of earlier activity. Good thing I didn’t have a squeamish stomach. I stuffed it into my mouth with glee.

Yeah, tequila and croissants. Breakfast of champions.

“I swear to gawd, it’s like you’re not even paying attention,” Presley wailed.

At that, Vlad lifted his head up and looked around, his attention focusing on Presley. “Bruff?” He barked softly, sounding almost like a person pretending to be a dog.

“Oh no,” Presley whispered.

I knew she was having flashbacks to that time he cornered her at our BBQ last summer and had his way with her white quilted Chanel bag. Which hadn’t been so white after he’d finished with it. But fuck, it was just a purse.

I grit my teeth.“Lower your voice.”

“Control your animal.”

My fingers tightened on my water bottle. Animal? Oh no, she didn’t—

“Here!” Lila Jean, obviously sensing an imminent explosion shoved another pastry in my mouth. The whole thing. Just crammed it right inside with both fingers.

Good thing I loved her—and chocolate.

Focusing on the sugar, I shut the French doors before Vlad could join us. He’d break a lot of things, but even my dog knew better than to fuck with my antique doors.

My bestie shot a look at the neighborhood’s bedazzled pestilence. “Hey, Presley. You’re a guest in his house. If you don’t like it, you can go home.”

“Yeah,” I added, with my mouth full. “Go home.”

“You know very well that I can’t.” In a move worthy of the soaps she lived on, she tossed her hair and pressed a hand to her chest. “They found a dead body in the park.”

My head snapped up. “Which park?”

“Hawthorne Park. The sheriff thinks it’s vampires.”

I rolled my eyes and chewed some more, swallowing half of the pastry ball in my mouth so I had enough room to speak. “The sheriff thinks everything is vampires.” He’d been a pain in my ass since I was sixteen years old.

“He didn’t manifest this!” Presley shoved her phone under my nose.

I blinked and had to step back to see the screen clearly. I should have gotten out my readers, but I just couldn’t suffer the indignity. Yeah, I could see in the dark like an apex predator but I needed readers for a stupid cell phone screen? No, thanks.

Not that squinting at the phone screen was much better. I skimmed the text. The story was mostly unremarkable except for two things.

One, it was a murder in a small town neighborhood park. Leavenworthwasn’t like in the big cities where as soon as the sun went down, the parks became places for all manner of sketch shit. In our small town, kids snuck out and drank beers on the slides and had their first kisses in these parks. They even camped out there in the summers.

And two, the body had been drained of blood. Entirely. And there was a tattoo, or maybe a brand, on the wrist that looked like the sigil for the Leo astrological sign. It matched the design of the signet ring Vlad had unfortunately eaten just this morning.

Not good. My stomach grappled with the pastries in my stomach.

“So, of course,” Presley continued, and I realized she’d been talking the whole time I was looking at the phone. “The sheriff said I should tell you to stay out of it since you’re no longer bonded by the slayer council. But I told the neighborhood watch that when Billy Ray Meekers can hit a vamp so hard his fangs fall out, then he can tell you what to do with yourself. Seriously. As if I’d trust our safety to him. He’s at The Little Bar every night until he’s drunker than a skunk.” She huffed. “Won’t let him tell me what to do to protect my family.”

At least someone thought I was still useful as a slayer. I was surprised it was Cornflake, but I’d take it.

“So, you’re going to patrol with the neighborhood watch, right?” She picked at the corner of a pastry. “I mean, unless you’re going to the reunion?”

“I am not going to the reunion,” I said automatically. “I didn’t get an invite.”

Presley wrinkled her nose. “Well, of course you did. I’m on the planning committee. I know you got an invite.” A cruel smile twisted her mouth and she popped a microscopic bit of pastry into her mouth. “Should be interesting to see the old crew back together, don’t you think? I wonder if Brooke still has a thing for Marc?”

Years from now, talking about this moment, I’m sure I would swear to whatever powers that be that Lila Jean actually had steam shooting out of her ears. She gripped my kitchen island so hard her knuckles turned white and I heard the thump of her boot heel on the floor.

And Cornflake’s yelp because her foot happened to be between Lila Jean’s and the floor.

“Ouch!” She hopped on one foot, gripping her expensive heels. “What was that for?”

“You know what for,” Lila Jean growled.

Come on, you know I didn’t mean anything by it.” Presley sniffed and flipped her hand at me. “You don’t get to reverse Breakfast Club and then not tell us how it all played out.”

“You’re saying I’m Bender? What the hell?” I crossed my arms over my chest. At least Judd Nelson was hot. I could live with that.

“Uh, no. You’re the weird girl with her purse full of slayer gear who eats pixie stix sandwiches. You got to marry Black Emilio Estevez.”

Black Emilio Estevez? I wasn’t sure how Marc would feel about that comparison, given he was probably an entire foot taller than the actor. But the real offense would be that Emilio’scharacter was a wrestler, and Marc was all about football. It was some kind of rivalry I didn’t understand, but made his ears get really hot.

“Okay, listen. My body metabolizes sugar differently than other humans. I need that to keep up my super strength,” I defended.

“I’m not judging the pixie stix sandwich. I’m just saying.”

Lila Jean parked her hands on her hips. “So who are you in this scenario? Because you weren’t Prom Queen. That was Bitchy Brooke.”

“Touchy, touchy, LJ. No need to get your panties in a damp little wad.”

Lila Jean raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “LJ? I think the fuck not. Unless you want me to stomp on your other foot.”

Cornflake sniffed. “You’re as grumpy as Margie these days. You know, if you’d get yourself a man, you’d feel so much better.”

“When have men ever made anything better?” Lila Jean snorted so hard, she sounded like a pig.

The three of us shared a meaningful silence.

“Okay, fair enough. But orgasms, anyway,” Cornflake said.

“I don’t need a man for that. I have a credit card and the internet,” Lila Jean answered.

“You do you, punkin,” Cornflake replied with so much sugar, I’d have to start calling her Frosted Flake.

I eyed the French doors and Vlad sitting just beyond, waiting for the chance to hump. Was it time to unleash my undead hound?

Probably.

“Can we get back to this murder?” Lila Jean asked. “I know that Meekers is full of shit, but there’s something about this that’s familiar.”

She was right. My exhausted brain knew there was something here I was missing—it had been years since I’d bounced back from an all-night body dump without so much as a wrinkle. Although, Meekers was also right. I was no longer bonded by the Council and anything I did on this, I’d be acting on my own.

Meaning, if I fucked up and destroyed a building like that time in Austin, I’d be on the hook for it. That never stopped me before, and I was so deep in debt now, that if I started digging with both hands, I wouldn’t be debt free until my fourth lifetime. So fuck it, why not?

I needed to know how much of a danger this guy was to my broken little family. The frosting on the cake was that I would have an excuse not to go to the reunion.

“I know what you’re thinking, Breakfast Club,” Presley said. “I still think you should go to the reunion.”

Damn it, how did she know?

“Why?” Lila Jean saved me the trouble of asking.

“First, because I went to a lot of trouble. I put a lot of thought into this reunion. It’s one of the big ones, after all. If you would have looked at your invitation, you’d see it’s going to be at that all-inclusive convention hotel. The one with the city inside? The roller coaster? There are going to be so many activities.”

“That’s not how to sell me.” It sounded perfectly horrible.

“I heard Brooke is a vampire,” she added.

“Great. The girl who made my life hell in high school has ascended to ultimate undead power. Why is this a good thing?”

Cornflake sighed heavily. “So you can stake her? Duh.”

“I don’t just go around staking people, Cornflake.” I did, however, drink tequila before noon and I needed more of it. I walked over to my liquor cabinet and did exactly nothing to hide what I was pouring into my water bottle. “I need a reason beyond fangs to kill someone.”

“Well, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Right. Cuz it’s for the good of the community.” Lila Jean pointed slyly to Cornflake. Then to her finger where her wedding band was suspiciously absent. She then proceeded to make a circle with her fingers on her left hand, and used her first finger on her right to push through that circle, making the universal pantomime for fucking.

I knew exactly what Lila Jean was telling me. “Cornflake, I’m not going to slay Bitchy Brooke just because she had an affair with your husband.”

“Why not?” She pouted. “I thought we were friends.”

I didn’t know what to make of that. Any of it. It was better to just put it away and not think about it ever again.

“What if the murderer is there?” Cornflake added. “I mean, it’s probably Brooke.”

“This should be good.” I took a swig of my refilled tequila. “Why do you think it’s Brooke? I need a reason that doesn’t involve her sleeping with your husband.”

Strange as it was, I actually felt bad for Cornflake. She had also made my life hell in school—she’d been part of Bitchy Brooke’s pack, but Brooke was someone who always got what she wanted, no matter what she had to do to get it. To be on the other end of that had to be painful. Not that Marc had cheated on me, he’d never do that, but I knew what it was like to lose the person I thought was my forever.

“Gimme a minute,” Cornflake said, tapping her manicured nails on the counter.

“You don’t have one,” Lila Jean answered.

“Exactly.” Ready to send Cornflake packing, I opened the French doors, pleased to see Vlad had abandoned his eye-stalking for another nap. On the brink of waking him, I paused.

Maybe I should?

We had two bodies and a signet ring, and a tattoo. One of those bodies had come after my family. Whoever had sent that guy after Marc would know soon enough he’d failed. He’d try again. Marc had said he was going to the reunion, and I’d be able to keep an eye on him.

Plus, it felt really good to be on the hunt again. To do something besides watching Netflix and day drinking.

I didn’t want to see those people. I saw enough of them when I went to the grocery store. What was the point in getting painted up to see them in Kansas City at the indoor hotel city or whatever?

Something twisted in my gut, a sense that told me I needed to go. Only, I didn’t know if that was my slayer senses telling me something was afoot, or my broken heart telling me I needed to be there because I not-so-secretly wanted to stalk my ex.

“Okay, Presley, I’ll—”

Vlad popped up from the chair like a monstrous prairie dog and his head swiveled toward the door. He let out a mighty howl and launched himself toward the door.

That could only mean one thing.

Ryder.

He loved her as much as he loved me.

The door opened just in time to keep him from crashing straight through it and Ryder was already on her knees with her arms open. He planted sloppy, red kisses all over her face.

“That’s not sanitary,” Cornflake objected.

“Neither is tossing your husband’s salad, Presley, but here we are.”

“Oh my Gawd, LJ. I told you that in confidence.” She blushed.

The visual was suddenly emblazoned in my mind’s eye and I’m not one to kink shame—to each their own—but that didn’t mean I wanted to envision it. I’d known Dallas as long as I’d known Presley, and his “O” face was not something I ever wanted to consider.

“It’s nothing Mama M hasn’t heard before, amiright?” Ryder wiggled her brows. “Plus, you gotta understand, this guy holds the keys to her heart, doesn’t he?” She smooched Vlad’s head. “Yes, he does. Mine, too.”

“Not that I’m not immensely glad to see you, but…” I could tell she wanted something by the half grin on her pretty little heart-shaped face.

“But?” She laughed as she walked into the kitchen.

Ryder picked up my water bottle, sniffed it, and considered. “Must have been a hard night, huh?”

I snatched it back from her. “Just never you mind.”

“You and dad have a fight?” Then she grinned. “A sexy fight? I came home this morning and the coffee table was suspiciously absent.”

“That, child, is none of your concern.”

“But it is! How do I know what sort of Parent Trap Style shenanigans to engage in to get you two back together if I don’t know the current sitch?” She sighed and looked skyward, as if the answer might be written on the ceiling. “This would be so much easier if I had a twin.”

Remembering her childhood, I took another drink. She was a great kid, but man, had she tested every nerve in my body. I couldn’t have handled two. I didn’t think anyone could. “There’s just too much awesome packed in that tiny body. One is enough.”

“Auntie Lila, are you going to the reunion?” Ryder trotted into the kitchen and snagged a pastry.

“I was just here to try to convince Margie that she needed to go. Then Presley crashed the party.”

“Oh, I see how it is. You assholes brought out the big guns.” They were ganging up on me.

Ryder grinned. “Dad wants you to go, too.”

“Your dad wants me to go? Why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he wants to dance with you at Prom. Maybe he wants to make out in the back of your car by the river. Who knows? You should find out.”

I had so many more important reasons to go. I shouldn’t care about dancing with Marc at Prom to some stupid 90s ballad that would make me cry every time I heard it.

Yet, part of me really, really did.

I’d always wished I’d had the balls to dance with him that time he asked in middle school. I’d said no because I thought it was a joke. I didn’t even realize it was the real thing until we’d started dating as adults.

This whole reunion was a recipe to break my heart. It had already been crushed. I didn’t think it could take another blow.

Ryder shoved a bag at me. “I made you something for Prom.”

Presley cackled like a bog witch. “Haha. Now, you have to go.”

“You really do,” Ryder said.

“Open it,” Lila Jean prompted.

I reached into the giant brown shopping bag and found a dress. A ridiculous, beautiful red dress and I unfurled it and held it up to my body.

“The pattern called for a bustle, but…” she shrugged.

“Bustle? What did you…” Holy shit. I gasped with pure glee. Ryder had made me a reproduction of Mina’s red gown from Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula. It was sweet and so damn sarcastic. A vampire slayer wearing Mina’s dress?

I shook my head. “Ryder, you’re just too much.”

“I’m exactly enough, and now, you can’t let all my hard work go to waste.” She held up her hand. “Before you say you can’t, the hotel agreed to make allowances for Vlad. There is nothing stopping you from going to this reunion.”

“Except my good sense,” I said half-heartedly.

Right on cue, Lila Jean grabbed my hand. “I’ll be there.”

“Why do you all want me to go so badly?” Everyone here seemed unreasonably invested in my twenty-fifth high school reunion. I didn’t like it.

“Honey, it’s your best shot at getting your husband back. Remind him of the woman he fell in love with. Remind him of the boy he used to be who wanted to be the man he is,” Lila Jean said.

“This is pathetic.” I clutched the dress tighter. “I’m not chasing a man who doesn’t want me.”

Only, that was a lie. I was going to chase him with a butterfly net. Two birds with one stone. Or was that three? I could figure out who was after him and why. Reclaim that sense of purpose I’d been missing since the Council “let me go” as a slayer. And make him fall in love with me again.

That might have been asking a lot out of a long weekend.

But it had been a long weekend when rogue vampires had attacked and revealed themselves and slayers to the world during the Great Reveal. My life had transformed in three days once—so it could do it again.

Anything could happen, right?

“Fine,” I grumbled. “I guess I’m going to the damn reunion. All I can say is that they better have decent ranch dressing.”

CHAPTER THREE

The hotel did not have good ranch dressing.

They didn’t even have dressing. What they had was watered down, flavorless glue. I should have insisted on samples. This was actually offensive. How could this place advertise itself as The Jewel of the Midwest with ranch dressing this subpar?

Aside from the dressing, The Jewel had virtually everything else we could ask for. Solid Kansas City Barbeque (the best in the world, fight me). Pop up bars all over its many labyrinthine corridors, several pools, and stores—all within this weird and immense indoor space that had been designed to look like it was out of doors. They were all connected by indoor “rivers.” And the entertainment seemed to be loaded with swim-up bars. If nothing else, I could drown my sorrows all weekend. My room was even decent, with a queen-sized bed and enough floor space for Vlad.

Although, I was definitely going to need to go out and buy some ranch. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my Casey’s pizza, my wings, or my BBQ without it.

“I’m offended.” Lila Jean scrunched her nose at the dressing in her take-away cup. From her spot sprawled on the floor, lunch perched on her knees, she looked like a displeased child about to pitch a fit. Which, fair. Pizza without proper dressing?

“Reminds me of that time the slime monster gummed up the sewers.” I eyed the white-ish glob in my cup before setting it aside. “Still, the rest of the place is alright.”

I was willing to give the hotel a pass, though, because the place even had a doggie daycare that was willing to meet Vlad and possibly babysit him while I went to some of the events. A first in my vampire-dog-having experience. It wasn’t that Vlad couldn’t be alone, but I’d feel better knowing he wasn’t cooped up in the room alone—and the furnishings would appreciate the break. Besides, he actually enjoyed playing with other dogs—just playing, no humping.

“Does it ever weird you out that he doesn’t hump other dogs?” she asked around a bite of pizza.

“I’m just grateful,” I said.

At present, he was making sweet love to the table next to us. I was glad the table didn’t have actual feelings.

“I’m off to get settled in my suite.” Lila Jean finished her pizza and grabbed her suitcase. “See you in a bit!” She’d wanted her own room. Just in case Marcus and I wanted to “hook up” this weekend.

I was pretty sure she wanted to hook up with someone.

I finished my pizza, sans glue ranch, and refilled the tequila in my water bottle—obviously, I’d packed the essentials of tequila and weaponry—before taking Vlad down to the doggie daycare to meet the staff.

I debated changing clothes first. When I’d left the house this morning, Ryder said I looked like a Nirvana video had thrown up. I didn’t want to see the problem. I was wearing Doc Martens, a band t-shirt, and my ass-hugging jeans.

However, I guessed my look hadn’t really changed since high school.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, walking into the reunion had forced the issue into the light. I didn’t have to like them to not want the people I’d gone to school with to think I hadn’t changed. Or to think I was stuck in some time loop. Although, maybe I was?

Still, it would be stupid to change my clothes before meeting the daycare people. Vlad still needed his blood smoothie and he always drooled on me after he ate. That would be just the thing, right? Walk into the Prom Redux tonight full-on Carrie covered in blood smoothie, vampire pit bull slobber.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.

Though, it wouldn’t help me with any of my objectives, would it? I needed to keep an eye on Marc and be on the lookout for that Leo sigil. It was a common enough marking, but I didn’t believe in coincidences.

Shit, being on the hunt also meant slowing down on the tequila.

With a sad sigh, I decided my recent tequila fill-up would have to be my last—at least for a while. It took a lot to get me drunk—and I wanted to be drunk—but I wanted to protect Marcus more…

I stopped halfway through the door.

That’s why he wanted me at this reunion. He wanted to keep an eye on me, too. That was the only answer that made sense. I’d rather have imagined he wanted to dance with me at Prom Redux, but the honest truth would do a better job of keeping my head in the game.

Vlad bumped his head into my hand, as if he sensed my distress. He probably did. Dogs were good like that.

“Thanks, Buddy. You want to go meet some mortal dogs?”

He looked up at me and licked his chops. I wasn’t sure if that boded well or not.

We made our way down the endless corridor to the elevators, and from there to the daycare. The girl who opened the door was young, maybe a college freshman. She was bright-eyed, and pink-cheeked, obviously happy to be there.

“Is this Vlad?”

She actually seemed excited to meet him. She immediately dropped to her haunches and gave my sweet boy a big smile. She didn’t seem afraid of him or intimidated at all.

“How are you, sugar?” she asked him. “My name’s Emily.”

Vlad turned his head to the side, as if considering. He looked up at me, and I nodded my approval. He nosed at her shoulder. Then gave a giant swipe of his tongue across her cheek. She was unmindful of the drool, or of anything else but giving my dog the attention he wanted. His tail wagged so hard it formed a complete circle.

I almost cried.

It was such a relief to meet someone else who wasn’t afraid of him.

“He’s so sweet! I love him already,” she said. “Has he ever met another dog like him?”

I blinked at her in shock. “I… I didn’t think there were other dogs like him.”

“Oh, we only get them a couple times a year. But we might be in luck. There’s a vampire poodle at the daycare this week for the Leavenworth High Reunion.”

“You’re shitting me?” I now had a fourth objective, because I had to get in good with this person. We were going to be the best of friends. Vlad wouldn’t be alone at the park anymore.

“Yeah, no. Lemme just squeeze by ya,” she said, as she disengaged from Vlad and went to the desk to pull out an iPad. Images flashed and she gave a little cheer. “Here, she’s in the run.”

I liked that they had cameras on all the dogs all the time. I could see in various screens where they were feeding, bathing, and playing with the dogs. The particular dog she wanted me to look at was a standard poodle. She was almost as big as Vlad. She was all black, and had bright red bows in her ears that matched the glowing red of her eyes.

Emily cooed at the iPad. “Mina is such a sweet girl, too.”

Mina? Was this whole weekend vampire-themed? The dog was cute as hell, literally, and my buddy needed a fanged friend. But if that poodle tried to get up in my dress, things were going to take a sharp turn.

Suddenly, Mina perked and looked directly at the camera, almost like she knew she was being watched. That was slightly creepy.

“Mina wants to meet him!”

“Wait.” I frowned at Emily. “How do you know that?”

“You know how some vampires are telepathic? Mina is, too. Does Vlad had any special powers?” She asked as if this were the most normal thing in the world. “I’m surprised you didn’t know that. Being a chosen one and all.”

I cringed. I didn’t realize she knew who I was.

“Well, what do you think? Should we introduce them?”

“I… Vlad doesn’t have any special powers, but he does have some… extra needs.” God, I didn’t want to tell this girl that my dog would hump everything in sight.

She nodded with understanding. “Anything besides the hump-a-thon? Mina does that too. It’s no trouble. We have some love pillows, and various items they can engage with. It doesn’t hurt anything.”

“That’s amazing,” I whispered, barely holding back dog-parent tears of joy. “There shouldn’t be anything—”

Shit.

What if he pooped out the pinky ring?

I’d spent the past day tracking his movements, so to speak, and no ring or fingers had emerged. Hopefully, the bones would dissolve in his vampire tummy. Who knew, maybe the ring would, too. But the best thing for it was to get ahead of it. “Oh, and he ate something yesterday that he shouldn’t have. My grandfather’s pinky ring. If he drops it, would you mind collecting it?”

“Sure. No problem.” She turned her attention to Vlad and rubbed his sides. “Are you ready to meet Mina? Her owner is still down in the run getting her settled in. You can meet her. I’m sure she’d love to meet another vamp pup mom, too.”

Vamp. Pup. Mom. I never really expected to hear those words strung together, let alone directed at me, but whatever. I was here for it.

I followed Emily into the huge space that had been allocated for the doggie daycare—a giant indoor field with fake turf, a wading pool, and various pens where dogs could play with others their size. Vlad strained at his harness trying to get to Mina. Mina, for her part, was content to wait for him to make his way over. She sat a little straighter, and looked away from him, but checked back every couple moments as if to make sure he was still trying to rip my arm out of the socket.

Emily started telling me about the new harnesses and leashes they had that could withstand his vampire strength, and I was amazed at how many accommodations they had for dogs like him.

I decided I could definitely let the ranch thing slide.

Maybe this reunion weekend hadn’t been such a bad idea. Not only was I getting back in the game, but my dog had a friend and I had a drop-dead gorgeous dress to flaunt. For the first time since Marc said he was leaving, things were looking—

A woman who had to be Mina’s owner came into view.

She had long blond hair that fell in a cascade over her shoulder. Her nails were sharp, and cherry red. She wore skin-tight jeans, and a pair of those expensive heels with the red soles. A casual white tee knotted at the waist finished off the look. She just looked so effortlessly chic. Not a look I could ever pull off. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t be friends. I removed the leash and was about to call her over to ooh over our pups.

Then she turned and smiled, and my stomach churned.

It wasn’t because her teeth were perfect and white, or that her smile was pageant-perfect. No.

It was because the vamp pup mom who I’d already decided I was going to spend long doggie play dates with was none other than the bane of my existence, Bitchy Brooke Wellington.

What.

The.

Fuck.

“Well, well,” she drawled. “If it isn’t Margie Majors.”

“Mina is your dog?” I said stupidly.

Her cherry red lips curled into a smile. Her fangs descended. “Obviously. Isn’t she sweet?”

Her tone dared me to say otherwise, but I had nothing against the dog. “Yeah, she’s great. Vlad seems to like her.”

They were chasing each other across the run, no signs of aggression from either of them.

“Now, that’s a surprise. What’s a vampire slayer doing with a vampire pit bull?”

It wasn’t a secret, so I didn’t mind sharing the story. Still, my shoulders tightened and my balance shifted as I said, “He was Turned saving my life. What else was I going to do?”

Brooke’s chilly demeanor softened. “Miss Mina tried to save mine. But we were both Turned.”

I didn’t know what to say. Was I supposed to say I was sorry? She didn’t seem to be any worse for wear. Her high school mean girl perfection had bloomed into a woman’s elegance. I couldn’t stop staring at her.

Which I fucking hated.

She was so beautiful. And if she’d been anyone other than Brooke Wellington, and a damn vampire, I might have asked for her number.

No, actually, that’s a fucking lie. Beautiful women terrified me—they always had. Instead of asking for a number, I’d stutter and run away. I can walk into a crypt at midnight and face down a master vampire when his power is at its peak—fight his whole nest without blinking an eye—but a smart, beautiful woman?

Nope. Run away screaming.

I didn’t want to look at her. I didn’t want to like looking at her. She was Bitchy Brooke, and even wrapped in pretty paper, she was still an awful person.

“So, you know, do you want to be friends or something?” She wet her lips. “Our dogs are friends. It would be pretty shitty to deny them their own kind.”

“Uh…” Be friends? With Brooke? I had visions of hanging out with her, going to her house, her coming to mine, getting close to her.

Kissing her.

Pushing her down on the couch and ….

Goddamnit, what was my problem? I drew in a sharp breath and mentally shoved those thoughts away. Maybe I should hook up with someone at this reunion? As much as I loved him and wanted him back, it might be good to be with someone who wasn’t Marcus. That would maybe drill it home in my dumb head it was over, and my brain could go back to normal function.

Well, normal for me, anyway.

Some women hit midlife and had less sex drive, others had more. Me?

Pretty sure I was in the a lot more category.

“No?” She chuckled. “Still pissed about high school?”

“I… No. Just surprised.” Yeah, I was still pissed about high school. She made me hate myself. Of course, I was still pissed. But I wasn’t going to tell her that.

“Why? Because I love my dog?”

“No.” I shrugged. The truth seemed like a stupid plan, but I couldn’t stop myself from adding, “Because I never understood why you hated me so much.”

She hissed and turned away. “I haven’t had enough tequila for this discussion.”

“Here.” Of its own accord, my hand shot out and offered her my water bottle.

She raised a brow and took it, and took a long drink.“Damn, that’s the stuff. I want to get some of that monkshood tequila. I hear it can actually get vamps drunk.”

“Maybe we should get some. I know a guy.” I shrugged.

“The pups could play...” She returned the shrug. “It could be fun.”

But could it? Could it really? For an insane moment, I actually pictured us chilling by the fake river, having drinks and laughing away the bad times. Uh, no. Not a chance, brain. I wouldn’t be able to have fun drinking tequila hardcore enough to knock me on my ass if I spent the entire time waiting of her to pounce on my first sign of weakness and rip me to shreds.

I paused.

Shit. If her dog was telepathic, did that mean she could hear the thoughts I was having about her owner? I stole a glance at Mina and she looked up at me, no obvious outward sign that she’d heard my thoughts.

“So, I take it you’re still in town?” I asked, playing for time.

“Yeah. I moved to Texas for a while, but it didn’t suit me.”

We looked at each other. “The barbeque,” we said together and laughed.

“Actually, it wasn’t the barbeque. The tacos made up for it. Fuck, but I miss tacos.” She sighed. “I was Turned in Waco. It kind of soured the whole state for me.” She shoved her hands in her pockets. “So I came home. I guess you’re still here. Presley says you’re neighbors? How surreal is that?”

“Very. She came over yesterday morning with Lila Jean and they basically bullied me into coming.”

We were silent for a long time watching the dogs play.

“Why did you really come?” she asked, but then held up her hand to stop me before I could answer. “Please, don’t say you couldn’t say no or that it’s for a man. Not even one as great as Marc.”

I found myself liking her against my better judgment, and it pissed me off. “Maybe a last dance, you know.”

She nodded slowly. “I do know.” Then she looked at what I was wearing. “I hope you’re not wearing that to Prom Redux?”

“I would, but my daughter made me a dress. So I guess I’ll be wearing that.”

Fuck. Maybe I really was a reverse Breakfast Club. Or I would be, when I put on that dress and walked into that ballroom in an effort to recapture a slice of my past life. I was reminded of that scene where Ally Sheedy asked Molly Ringwald why she was being so nice to her.

But you’d pry my black eyeliner out of my cold dead paws.

Brooke handed me a business card that had her smiling face on it and the name of a real estate agency, along with her phone number. Real estate agent. Figured. Even in high school she could have sold graveyard dirt to a zombie.

“In case I don’t see you again this weekend,” she said by way of explanation. “Call me, and we can set up a playdate for the dogs.”

Call her? I looked at where Vlad still frolicked with Mina, and back down at the card in my hand. Well, I’d gotten her number. Whether I’d be able to use it was a totally different story.

“Sure,” I managed.

“Marge?”

“Yeah?”

“You can use it if you need any help with your hair or makeup tonight, too.” She rolled her eyes. “Even if it’s for a man.”

Part of me wanted to let this lie, but I couldn’t. “I don’t know, Brooke. You were really awful to me. I don’t know that I trust you.”

“That’s fair. Maybe we can talk about it sometime. Maybe when we get that tequila.”

I pocketed her card. “Okay.”

“I do wonder, though, why you never just kicked my ass.” She laughed. “You could have put me through a wall, right? You really could now, too, and no one would blame you for it.”

“I don’t use my strength to hurt people who haven’t earned it.”

“I did earn it, though, didn’t I?” she asked quietly.

“No.” I shook my head almost sadly. “My abilities are for fighting vampires who hurt people, not for shitty teen girls.” Although, I’d thought about it—frequently.

“You’re a much better person than I’ll ever be, Margie Majors.”

I was sure I wasn’t. I mean, maybe a little better—Bitchy Brooke set a low bar—but not a lot. The way she was looking at me, I suddenly got warm all over. My cheeks and ears were on fire, and my whole body was aware of her presence in a way I usually only felt with Marc.

Having these feelings for a woman wasn’t a surprise, I’d known I was bisexual since Xena—like a lot of Gen X bisexuals. I’d had a few relationships with other slayers. I’d just didn’t expect to feel this way about Bitchy Brooke.

But maybe she wasn’t Bitchy Brooke anymore? Not that I was going to paint her up like a saint simply because she’d slipped me her number and I wanted her to ride my face like a jockey in the Kentucky Derby. She’d been genuinely kind during our entire conversation—even when I called her out. People were allowed to change.

Even if I still wore the same clothes, and listened to mostly the same music, I’d still grown as a person since high school.

Plus, she had a vampire poodle. She couldn’t be all bad, right?

“You’re welcome to stay,” Emily said as she came back over to us. “But you’ve only got a couple hours until Prom.”

“Right. I need to do my hair,” Brooke said as she hauled her handbag up over her shoulder.

“What do you need to do it? It looks perfect,” I blurted.

“Oh, you’re sweet. It’s a rats’ nest.”

Sweet? Fucking kill me now. Just take me out. This was a deeper circle of hell for which I was not prepared. Sweet? I was a badass. I wasn’t sweet. I wanted to be hot, enchanting, cool… anything but sweet.

I frowned at her perfect golden locks. Not a single hair was out of place. If she thought her hair looked like crap, she must’ve thought I looked like I crawled out from under a rock.

I gave Vlad one last look, confirmed he was happy and would be fine at daycare for hours, and bee-lined back to my room. By now, Lila Jean would be waiting to shovel me into the pretty red dress Ryder had made.

I was no closer to solving this mystery, but I was going to Prom for the first time and I was going to dance with my husband one last time.

And I was going to kick some ass, if it killed me.

CHAPTER FOUR

It was official: It was going to kill me.

There was no way I would be able to go to the bathroom in this dress, let alone kick any ass. Ass, hell. Standing in the middle of my hotel room, strapped into the column of red satin, I could barely walk.

“You look amazing,” Lila Jean said, admiring her work.

“Can’t breathe.” I motioned to the corset that Ryder had so generously added to the design.

“Right. You don’t need to breathe. The girls will do everything else for you.” She pointed to my boobs.

“Yeah, but I don’t breathe through my nipples.”

“What was it you said?” Lila Jean cocked an ear at my chest. “Oh yeah, if you can talk, you can breathe. You’re fine.”

“I was wrong,” I wheezed on the way to the mirrored closet doors.

But when I looked in the mirror, I had to gasp. I looked good. A vampire’s wet dream. My skin was so pale against the satin—and the contrast was enhanced by the blood-red of the dress. My veins were blue tributaries under my skin, definitely more prominently in my hoisted cleavage. The corset accentuated my hourglass figure, giving me an even more defined waist. Did I say good? I looked fucking awesome.

The problem was, I could rest a cup of tea on my cleavage.

If I sat down, and leaned either forward or backward, I would fall over and be stuck like a turtle. That wasn’t very effective for vampire slaying.

Lila Jean poked my shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking, Marge. You’re wondering how you’re going to slay in that and for the first time, you’re not going to worry about that, okay?”

“If not me, then who?” I whispered to my own reflection.

“Someone. It doesn’t matter. You’re allowed to have one night.”

Only, I wasn’t here for one night of fun, was I?

“I’m here to protect Marc,” I whispered, strangely sad to my own ears. “I can’t do that in this dress, as beautiful as it is.”

“I know that look.” She grabbed my shoulders, gave me a tiny shake. “Listen to me. If shit goes down, you can always take it off. You’ve got the shapewear on underneath. It’ll be fine.” She grinned. “Plus, dude. Can you imagine kicking vamp ass naked?”

I could, and I didn’t want to. I cringed. That would be horrible. I didn’t want to see my literal ass all over the tabloids.

When I still didn’t answer, she continued. “Ryder went to a lot of trouble to make this for you.”

Ah, damn it. The Ryder button.

“Stop using her against me.”

“I’m not. We’re both trying to help you live your life. Slayers don’t make it to middle age. You've given all they can expect from you. You’re retired. Act like it.”

Like hell.

Retirement could suck all the pieces currently scrunched by shapewear. Yet, Lila Jean was right about the rest of it. I’d been wondering earlier when it would be my turn. I could have tonight, right?

Some awareness prickled on the back of my neck, like simply asking the question had dealt me a full hand of trouble. I ignored it.

“Fine. I guess I can do that.” For one night.

“Good. Ryder made me a dress too.” She pulled a garment bag out of the closet and unzipped it to reveal the most insane gorgeous and perfect creation. It was a lavender Cinderella-style ball gown, and the bottom of the skirt had been covered in embroidered pink, yellow, and green flowers.

“Ryder made that? That girl is so talented.”

“I made a hearty deposit to her college fund for this one.”

“You’re a great auntie,” I said.

“I’m a lucky auntie.”

“That, too.” I tried to sit down in the chair, but ended up perching on the edge like a wobbly bird.

“Have you looked at the activities cards in the welcome bags? Presley really did go all out. There’s a hot tub mixer. Volleyball competition. A free massage session.”

“Hot tub mixer?” That was a recipe for disaster. “Is that where you’re going on the prowl for… who did you decide on? Todd?”

She sighed. “Todd. You know, I was supposed to dance with him at a makeout party in middle school, but my dad came to pick me up early. I never got that dance.”

“Now, you’re going to do the horizontal mambo.”

“Maybe. I’m not sure. He lives here in Kansas City now, and he’s a professional poker player."

She presented her back to me, and I zipped her up.

“You look gorgeous,” I said. “Too good for Todd Cowan, anyway.”

She smiled. “Thanks. Is it sad that I want to wham bam thank you ma’am, just to prove I can?”

I thought about my own situation. “No. There’s nothing wrong with feeding your ego as long as you’re honest about your intentions.”

I noticed she was still wearing her red cowboy boots. “Are you wearing those?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely. Red boots give me strength.”

“I feel the same about a good black bra.”

“I’m not even wearing a bra,” Lila Jean replied proudly. “The one benefit of being President of the Itty Titty Committee.”

“That would make slaying easier, if I didn’t have to coral my chest hams.”

She snorted. “I’m sure it would. But they have their uses. Like luring Marc back to your room.”

“Hey, I’m not planning…” If I had him in my room, I wouldn’t have to worry about him being a target out in the open.

She squeezed my hand. “Hey, you know whatever happens, I’ve got you.”

“I know. I love you.”

Lila Jean grinned. “To the moon and stars, baby!”

Before we left to go to the ballroom, I logged into the doggie daycare app and I saw that Vlad and Mina were napping, curled up together. Emily had painstakingly filled out the notes section with how much blood smoothie Vlad had taken, and even that it was Type O. His favorite.

Yeah, I’d definitely be calling Brooke for a pup playdate. We didn’t have any choice in the matter now. Our furbabies had spoken.

Anticipation coiled in my guts. I hadn’t gotten to go to dances, or Prom. I’d grown up watching the same 80s movies just like the rest of the people my age—imagining a completely different Prom experience than the one I’d gotten, which was to say, none at all.

Lila Jean had told me it wasn’t at all like the movies.

Even if I had been able to go, it wouldn’t have been what I imagined. Everyone else had been listening to Brandy and TLC—while I was listening to Lacrimosa and Morbid Angel. I’d since come around and listened to a little bit of everything, but back then… man, I just didn’t know. Tonight was going to be different, because I did know. I wanted to dance with my husband and I wanted to tattoo that memory on my heart so when he was gone, I could take it out and unfold it like the keepsake it was going to be.

We followed the signs down the seemingly endless hallways until we finally found our way back to the main elevators, which we took up to the grand ballroom on the roof. The views were supposed to be spectacular.

I could hear the thud of the music as soon as we stepped off the elevator and into the hallway. It was that shit-ass club remix of Total Eclipse of the Heart. I considered turning around and getting right back on the elevator, but Lila Jean grabbed my hand.

“Oh, no you don’t.”

Damn. She really did know me all too well.

“I wasn’t…” I coughed.

Her fingers linked with mine and she pulled me forward into the dark room where the music thumped and laser lights flashed like a heartbeat.

With my night vision, I thought everyone would be easy to recognize, but they weren’t at first glance. Not unless I saw them around town regularly, but soon, as I watched people group off into their old cliques, that’s when I was able to see who was who.

“Holy shit, Margie?” a voice said from behind me.

I turned around to see Gabe Dunavent, my former lab partner. He reached out to hug me and I squeezed him hard. He hadn’t changed a bit. He still looked the same.

“Oh my God, Gabe!” I did a quick once-over, looking for any tell-tale signs of Turning, but he seemed one-hundred percent human. “It’s been so long.”

“Yeah, I moved to California after graduation. And you… well, you’re famous.”

“Not really.” I shrugged.

“Uh, yeah?” He blinked at me in something resembling awe. “I saw you on CNN on the day of the Great Reveal. You saved so many people.”

I was uncomfortable talking about me, so I changed the subject. “What are you doing these days? Catch me up?”

The music changed and it was something slow I didn’t recognize.

“Dance?” he asked.

“She totally does.” Lila Jean basically shoved me into his arms and he led me out onto the floor.

“Subtle,” he said.

“Her heart’s in the right place,” I said, my face flaming with embarrassment. Still, I was determined not to look for Marc, but instead, would enjoy catching up with my friend. “So you were telling me what you’re up to these days?”

“Still just 5’10.” He grinned.

I arched a brow.

He ducked his head, and spun me into a surprisingly good spin. “So, I actually can’t really talk about it. I’m doing some work for some three-letter agencies.”

“Like most of the people who still live in this town. They’re either military or contractors.”

“I’m surprised one of them hasn’t snatched you up for consultation. Have you thought about hanging out your shingle?”

“I have.” There would never be a moment when I wouldn’t enjoy red satin swirling around my ankles. “I’ve considered private contracting in general, but after Austin, no insurance company will touch me.”

His eyes darkened, and his pupils dilated.

Classic signs of attraction.

But there was no way Gabe Dunavent was into me. I’d had a brief crush senior year—I’d decided I needed to branch out from my Marc Majors obsession— and he’d never seemed interested. Which was just as well, I’d been burning the candle at both ends as a slayer without having to worry about a boyfriend.

Then, it had been a possibility to consider. Now, he kept stealing glances at my cleavage and it was kind of nice. Validating in a way. I’d been married to Marc for ten years. It was good to know that someone, somewhere would find me attractive again.

“That’s their loss,” he said.

“And this is yours.” Marc slid between us with a smile. “You don’t mind if I cut in and steal my wife for a moment, do you?”

Any passing interest I might have had in Gabe went up in smoke. My husband looked amazing, but I didn’t expect anything else. That man could carry off a tux like James Bond.

“Your wife? Heard you were divorced,” Gabe said casually, his hand still on my waist.

“Not yet.”

I shouldn’t have allowed Marc to pull me into his arms. I shouldn’t have allowed him to stake a public claim on me when he was the one who had moved out. He was the one who’d asked for a divorce.

Though, I was the one who’d come here intending to catch him.

“I’ll catch you for the next one, eh Margie?” Gabe said.

I nodded, and leaned my head against Marc’s chest as we slipped into Bon Jovi’s Always. “That was really unfair, Marc.”

“I know.” His hand was hot on my lower back. “But so is that dress.”

We swayed to the music, our bodies pressed together and every single thought I had about anything else in the world was swept away by his nearness. The solid realness of him pressed against me.

I missed him, us, so much. The way we talked long into the night. The way he’d dance with me anywhere. Once, we were in a grocery store and when Evanescence came on, he’d danced with me in the bread aisle.

If he didn’t want to be with me anymore, I did need to draw a line in the sand. I couldn’t keep doing this. I’d tell him after we found out who was after him. For right now, being together meant I could protect him.

“I wish you needed me, Margie.”

“Are you stupid?” My head snapped up. “Of course I need you. Where did you get the idea I didn’t?”

“You don’t. Not really. You want me, but you don’t need me.”

I didn’t see the problem. “So, that’s what this is all about? You want to divorce me because I’m a survivor?”

“I need to be needed, Margie.”

I’d been about to open my mouth to tell him that he was mistaken, but it occurred to me that he wasn’t. I didn’t actually need him. Him leaving me was breaking my heart. It hurt. It sucked.

But I would survive. I was trained to survive. My survival instinct, my strength, my will, they’d all been honed to a fine point over the course of my training and I wasn’t going to surrender my gifts because they made my husband insecure.

Shit. That wasn’t the epiphany I wanted to have this evening.

This was why we were broken. It was one of my worst fears coming true. Everything I had feared about myself growing up had been true. I was too much.

I’d always been too tall, too strong, too loud, too much.

And the love of my goddamn life wanted me to be something I wasn’t. Something I couldn’t be, even if I wanted to.

I was too much, and not enough.

My face prickled, like I’d been punched. Tears gathered in my eyes and I was going to cry in the middle of the fake-prom dance floor. I hated crying. It made my face splotchy and I looked like a Dalmation with mange—I did not need that at my goddamn reunion.

I broke away from him, and when he tried to grab my wrist, I didn’t hesitate to use my super strength to pull away from him.

“Margie,” he began.

“Don’t touch me,” I said softly.

He knew all of my soft, tender places. He knew how hard it had been for me to show him those parts of myself, and then he’d given voice and vibrant life to one of my deepest fears. That was the betrayal, not that he was leaving me.

I ran from Prom Redux like Cinderella going for her pumpkin carriage, only I didn’t have any fairy godmother to chide me for being out past midnight.

All I had was me, and that was going to have to be enough.

Just like always.

The air seemed both thin and heavy at the same time, and a great weight settled on my chest. And I realized the tears were coming whether I wanted to allow them or not.

Yeah, Margie Majors: Middle-Aged Vampire Slayer and Sloppy Bitch cries herself stupid at her reunion.

I didn’t want anyone to see me. Not even Lila Jean.

I pushed my way through the crowd, my vision blurring and I headed for the bathroom. I probably looked like a raccoon that had dredged her way up from hell with my eyeliner running and snot running down my face.

Apparently, being alone was too much to ask.

There in the bathroom was the Cuntrag Crew, all back together. Presley, Brooke, Lindsey, and Sharice.

“Aw fuck,” I cried as I slammed myself behind a stall door.

“Margie? You okay?” Presley was the first to ask.

“No. But I will be.” I sniffed.

“We were getting stoned. You want some?” Presley offered, waving a joint under the stall door.

I sniffed again. “No thanks.” It didn’t work on me anyway, unfortunately.

“What, are we being nice to Margie now?” Lindsey sounded incredulous. “Just because she can kill vampires? That doesn’t make her any less fucking weird.”

“Get the fuck out,” Brooke commanded.

“What?” Lindsey said.

“You heard me. Get out. All of you. Out.”

“This isn’t high school anymore, Brooke. And I don’t have to take your shit,” Lindsey replied.

I heard a hiss and realized Brooke must’ve bared her fangs, and then I heard the clatter of heels on the tile floor.

“I’ll be outside if you need me,” Presley called amongst the clatter.

Which frankly surprised the shit out of me.

“I’m going to give you a minute to compose yourself,” Brooke informed me. “I’ll get you a soda from the machine and then we’re going to do this girl talk shit. Okay?”

“Okay.” I waited until she’d left and opened the door. From within the stall, I caught a look at myself in the mirror and, to my surprise, my eyeliner and the rest of my makeup had stayed in place. Wow. Ryder had loaded me up with the good stuff.

At least I didn’t have to worry about that.

When Brooke came back in, I was sitting on the floor with my back against the wall. I’d be lucky if I was able to get up, but I hadn’t thought about that when I’d flopped down.

She shoved a cold can of soda into my hands. “Looks like you’re getting the real Prom experience here. I’ve been to a few and someone always ends up crying in the bathroom. Usually more than one.”

“Well, that sucks.” I sniffed and cracked the can open. “I have to say, I think I was fine without it.”

She hunkered down in front of me, somehow managing to balance on sky-high heels and a tight-assed skirt. “Tell me what happened.”

When I didn’t speak, she continued, “Want me to go bite him?”

“Maybe.” I sniffed and managed a half-hearted smile.

“Want me to go get Lila Jean?”

“No.” I shook my head. “The last I saw her, she was dancing with Todd. I don’t want to mess that up. My shit that will still be the same shit tomorrow.”

“Well, then it looks like I’m all you’ve got.” Her voice was strangely gentle. Way nicer than anything I’d have expected. “So spill. Who made the badass Margie Majors cry?” She sat down beside me and took my hand.

I couldn’t help it, I clutched her hand and hiccuped, “My stupid husband.”

“How did he do that?” she prompted gently.

I was not going to tell her. Nope. No way I would bare my soul to Bitchy Booke, no matter how gorgeous she looked and how kind her eyes… “He doesn’t want me because I’m too much. Too strong. I don’t need him enough. He wants me to be some breakable delicate thing and I’m not. I never have been.”

“What a fucking waste.” Brooke pushed my hair back from my face.

Her fingers were cool and gentle on my heated skin. For a moment, I thought she was going to hug me, which on its own was something right out of a parallel universe.

Instead, she didn’t do that at all. She cupped my cheek, and wiped away my tears with her thumb—and then she kissed me.

CHAPTER FIVE

Holy fuck, did she ever kiss me.

It was like spraying kerosene on an already raging fire.

Yet, I couldn’t enjoy the moment for what it was. It felt good, and I wanted this, but why was she kissing me? What did she want from me?

I knew I should stop, I should pull away, but damn it, I didn’t want to. I only wanted to feel this.

It felt like I hadn’t been touched in so long. Or seen as a person with wants and needs. And here I was, making out with my insanely hot arch-nemesis drowning in desire.

Then I remembered what Presley had told me about her having an affair with Dallas.

That was the splash of cold water I needed to break the spell.

As soon as I put my hand between us, she pulled back, and we were both breathing heavily. Her red lips were swollen, bee-stung, and there was high color in her cheeks. Her eyes had gone as red as her lips.

Any sane person might have found that to be a sign of impending danger, but me? Christ, it made me want to kiss her again. I wanted to feel her mouth on mine, shit… I wanted to feel more than that. I wanted everything.

Maybe even her sharp little fangs in my throat.

I shook my head, trying to rattle those fucked up thoughts out of my brain, but it was more like shaking a beehive. My mind raced.

“I can hear your heartbeat pounding so fast. Don’t try to tell me you didn’t want that.” She licked her lips. “You taste just like I knew you would.”

Her words sent shockwaves of lust through me, but I had to keep it together. “You thought about kissing me? This wasn’t a spur of the moment decision?”

She bit her lip, her left fang exposed, and for some reason, I found it incredibly adorable.

“Yeah. A lot.”

I shook my head slowly. “No. Cut the shit, Brooke. What do you want? Just be honest.”

“For the first time, I am,” she whispered. “I know I went about it all wrong, and I probably shouldn’t have kissed you while you were crying over Marc, but I couldn’t stand it. You’re this… powerhouse. You’ve always been this monolith and to see a slightly above average man make you cry…”

I understood the words that came out of her mouth, but I couldn’t process them as she related them to me. If Lila Jean had said them, or hell, even Presley, I might have believed it. But Brooke Wellington?

No.

My survival instincts warned me that this was another ruse. There was something Brooke wanted from me, and she was using this to get it.

“If you’re so into me, why are you fucking Dallas Dunderman?”

“Girl.” She gave me a look like I was the stupidest creature on two feet. “As fucking if. I don’t know where Presley got that idea. I might have done something that awful when I was a teenager, but now? I’d never do that to a friend.” She wrinkled her nose. “Even if I was still that mean girl, I have zero interest in danger worms. I’m gay as hell. I’m extra gay, with gay sprinkles, and super gay sauce. I’m so gay, I shit rainbows.”

The offended expression on her face seemed real.

“God,” she added and pressed her fingers to her forehead, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles. “The very idea aged me a thousand years. Dallas Dunderman.” She snorted.

“So where did she get that idea?”

“Maybe his wishful thinking? He asked me out freshman year before he and Presley started dating. I went on one date with him, and he tried to shove his tongue down my throat and I swear to God, it was like a squirming slug. I should’ve known then men wasn’t where it was at for me, but I wasn’t ready to deal with it.”

She still hadn’t apologized for how she’d treated me, and I knew better than to simply hand over my trust and the keys to my kingdom on one interaction, but my heart hurt for her. I knew what it was like to be an outsider. To be the one that no one wanted to sit by, the one picked last in gym class, to not be able to be honest about who you were.

Although, on the other hand, she could’ve made life a lot easier for the small group of kids who’d been out when we were in high school. She’d never made it harder on them, I’d give her that, but she didn’t make it easier either.

“Heavy shit, right?” She shrugged.

“Yeah. Heavy shit,” I agreed.

“I didn’t mean to tell you this way. I wanted to, I don’t know, ease you into it, I guess? I wanted to show you that you could trust me before I dumped this on you.”

“You didn’t dump anything on me. Am I surprised? Yeah. But just being who you are isn’t something you should have to prepare people for, and if they make you feel that way, then maybe they don’t deserve to be in your life.”

“I wish I’d done things differently.” She took my hand. “I owe you an apology. I’ve thought about it over the years. Not just kissing you.” She bit her lip and her little fang peeked over her lip again. “But how I made your life hell and it wasn’t fair. It was some internalized patriarchal bullshit that I treated you badly because I wanted to be with you, and I couldn’t.”

Part of me still wasn’t ready to believe that Brooke had bullied me because she liked me.

“Yeah, that is some patriarchal bullshit,” I agreed.

“I’ve wanted to apologize since my Great Reveal.”

“So, maybe apologize?”

She laughed. “I’m trying. I’m still me, after all. I’m not used to saying sorry, but I am sorry. It feels so gross to have all of this guilt on my shoulders.” Brooke met my eyes. “It feels gross to apologize just so I can feel better. Would it change anything? For you, I mean?”

“I don’t know, but why don’t you try it?”

“I’m sorry. I am so fucking sorry. If you give me a chance to be your friend, I’ll prove to you that I deserve it.” She looked down at our linked fingers. “I expect it to take time.”

“And what about this?” I referred to the draw between us.

“Oh, I have plans for you, Margie. But I also know that you’re still in pain and need time to heal.”

“Plans, huh?” I refused to feel giddy about the possibility of this. I needed to be smart. For all I knew, she could be one of the assassins out to get Marc. What better way to get to him that to lull me into a false sense of security with a honeypot? “What if I’m not who you think I am? It would be really fucking sad if I was the same person I was in high school, don’t you think?”

“I know you, Margie. Maybe I don’t know your favorite color, or your brand of tequila, but I do know who you are and what matters to you.” She leaned in closer. “And I know that being with you would be like burning in the tail of a comet.”

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m easy. A little bit of flattery and I was ready to fall on my back. Of course, in this dress, I’d be stuck there.

I’d drawn a line in the sand, I’d set boundaries. So I should have stuck to them, but she was still holding my hand, and so earnest, and so damn beautiful.

And I was sad, lonely, and felt like shit.

I pushed my hand through the waterfall of her perfect curls and pulled her toward me, and our lips collided again, but this time, I was prepared. I knew what I was doing, and I was absolutely sure of my welcome.

She tugged me forward onto her lap and her hands were everywhere. So were mine. Later, I’d probably berate myself for not exploring her body, but something contrary in me simply wanted to mess up her hair. I wanted her to not be perfect and I wanted it to be because of me. My mark on her.

Her lips moved to my throat, and I let her.

“Oh Slayer,” she murmured against my skin.

Well, shit. This was a kink I didn’t know I had. I pressed her closer to my throat and her grip tightened. If I’d not been a slayer, it would have hurt, but I kind of wanted it to. I wanted something to remind me that this was real.

Just then, the door to the bathroom creaked open and I barely registered the sound in my haze of lust.

“What the happy horseshit is this?” Presley demanded.

“What’s it look like?” Brooke drawled over my shoulder.

“It wasn’t enough that you had to take Dallas, but you have to take my friend, too?”

I didn’t realize Presley thought of us as friends. More like I was just another bit of flotsam in her war with Brooke.

I tried to move off of Brooke, but I couldn’t. My dress was too tight. She tapped my hip, as if to signal me to move.

I whispered in her ear, “I can’t. My dress.”

She met my eyes, and brushed a kiss against my lips. “Only you.”

“You won’t even acknowledge me?” Presley demanded.

“Listen, Cornflake. I’m having a bit of an issue, here, okay? I can’t move.”

“Oh for…”

Suddenly, I felt two pairs of hands lifting me by the shoulders and hauling me to my feet, accompanied by grunts and moans.

“What’s in this thing?” Lindsey screeched in my ear. “If I throw out my back lifting your fat ass, I swear…”

I spun away from her as soon as I was able to stand on my own. “It’s not my fat ass, it’s my boobs.” I squeezed them together for emphasis.

“What were you doing to Brooke? We’ll have you brought up on charges,” Lindsey said. “You can’t just go around slaying any vampire you want.”

“Dumb dumb. They weren’t fighting,” Presley corrected.

“Well, of course, they were. What else would they be doing?” Lindsey hissed.

Brooke and I exchanged a look and then we had to not to look at each other because we were going to burst out laughing. I mean, I was a participant and still thought it was pretty surreal.

“They were kissing.”

“No,” Lindsay said.

“Yes.” I nodded and held up my hands. “Do you see a stake anywhere on my person?”

“I could be into that,” Brooke said with a grin and snapped her fangs at me.

“So gross,” Presley said.

“Didn’t know you were one of those, Cornflake,” I said as I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Not because you’re women. But because you’re… you.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And I told you she’s having an affair with Dallas.”

It seemed like her feelings were actually hurt.

“I swear to gawd, Presley. I am not having an affair with your mediocre husband. I’m gay.”

“It’s me,” Lindsey confessed. “I’m the one fucking your husband.”

Presley looked like she’d been physically struck.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Brooke demanded. “How could you do that?”

“How could I make myself happy? How could I make the man I love happy? Is that what you’re asking?” Lindsey shot back.

Just then, the door opened again, and Sharice came in. “I can hear you all yelling in the hallway. What is going on?”

Brooke grabbed Lindsey by the upper arm and dragged her toward the door. “We’re leaving.” She turned back to me. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

I nodded and put my arm around Presley. “You’re going to be okay, Cornflake.”

She hugged me hard and put her face on my shoulder and sobbed. It was warm and wet, and I just knew she was snotting all over my dress.

Sharice raised a brow. “Is this a parallel dimension?”

“Probably.” That was the only answer I had for this turn of events.

“Catch me up?”

“Lindsey is having an affair with Dallas.”

“That bastard. He told me he and Presley were separated and after he signed the papers…”

Presley stopped mid sob and lifted her head. “You’re sleeping with my husband, too?”

“No. I told him that I wanted to see separation or divorce papers first,” Sharice answered.

“So much for girl code. Best friends do not sleep with each other’s husbands.” She coughed. “Without permission.”

This time it was my eyebrow that crawled upward into my hairline. “I didn’t know you rolled like that, Presley.”

“Well, you would if you talked to me.” She started crying again. “I’ve tried so hard to be your friend and you just won’t let me. I don’t understand it. Who doesn’t want more friends?” She sniffed. “And don’t tell me it’s because you don’t trust me. You seemed to forgive Brooke pretty fast.”

“That’s a work in progress, Pres.”

She wiped the back of her hand across her face. “God, I’m all snotty and ugly.”

“So this is what I missed out on in high school? Just a bunch of crying and drama in the bathroom?” I asked.

“Basically,” Sharice said. “So what we do next is dry our tears, fix our makeup, and go back to the dance.”

“Hardcore, you guys,” I said.

Presley sniffed again. “You think so?”

“Yeah, Cornflake. You’re badass.” I hugged her. “By the way, where is that shitbag you married?”

“Who knows? He was supposed to be here by now, but he’s probably in Lindsey’s hotel room.”

“You know what? Let him stay there. You can do better than that guy,” Sharice offered.

“Definitely,” I agreed.

“But the kids.” She shook her head. “I don’t want them to grow up without a dad.”

“They don’t have to, but you don’t have to stay married to someone who disrespects you. You can’t control his choices. But you can control your own.”

“Can I come stay with you? I don’t want to be alone with a murderer on the loose,” Presley asked.

That was simply a bridge too far. I couldn’t have Presley under foot twenty-four-seven. I’d lose my mind.

“How about we talk about it when you’re feeling a little more like yourself, okay?” I said.

“You can come stay with me,” Sharice said.

“But you’re not a slayer,” Presley whined.

“Honey, if you’re scared of vampires, my house is not the place to be. Brooke and I might be spending more time together.”

Presley stomped her foot. “I’m not scared of vampires. I’m scared of the vampire that’s killing people and leaving bodies at the park.”

“What else did I miss?” Sharice asked.

“I think what we all need is a good stiff drink, or ten,” I said.

Presley nodded, still sniffing. “And pizza.”

“Fair warning,” I began. “The ranch here is shit and ass.”

“I don’t care. I want carbs,” Presley said.

“And so you shall have them,” I promised.

Sharice wrapped her arm around Presley’s waist and we basically carried her from the bathroom out into the hall.

Where I promptly tripped over a corpse.

CHAPTER SIX

Lindsey Schiller was dead.

Her body had been drained of all blood.

And the last person to be seen with her had been Brooke Wellington.

At least, that’s what I’d been able to surmise after falling face first onto her dead body, giving me an up close and personal view of the wound.

“Damn it, Margie. I know you’re getting divorced, but can you not pounce on every person who’ll stand still?” Cornflake complained.

I tried to roll off the body, but I wasn’t having much luck. “Someone roll me off of her,” I begged.

Presley and Sharice pushed me so that I could roll over onto my back, and that was worse. If I’d thought being on my back and not wearing a bra was likely to smother me, this was worse. The cleavage was weighing me down. I felt exactly like I imagined I would, like a turtle stuck on its back with arms and legs waving, but useless.

I saw Brooke, who looked stricken, and I noticed she had blood on her hand.

And suddenly, Gabe Dunavent stood over me. “Margie, what are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” Brooke demanded.

“After Margie left the dance, I came to check on her.” He looked down at the corpse next to me. “Is that Lindsey Schiller? Looks like she pissed off the wrong vampire.”

Sharice and Presley both turned their attention to Brooke.

“Or maybe it’s just supposed to look that way,” I said.

“Maybe,” Sharice agreed too easily. “Or maybe a vampire had a to settle a score and she knew just how to get away with it if she got the local slayer on her side before she did it.”

“What the hell, Sharice?” Brooke cried.

“You never liked Lindsey. The only reason you even let her hang around with us was because of who her dad was,” Sharice argued.

I was suddenly sure it wasn’t Brooke. It couldn’t be. Not unless she was gunning for my husband, too, which who knew… she might’ve been. She’d been Turned in Waco, and that’s where the most powerful vampire masters spent their time.

But that didn’t account for the small Leo sigil tattooed behind Lindsey’s ear.

“What astrological sign was she?” I asked.

“Gemini,” Sharice answered.

I nodded. I wasn’t ready to give away that piece of the puzzle.

So how did Lindsey, her affair with Dallas, connect with the guys who’d tried to take out my husband?

I needed to have a long talk with Marc and find out just what he’d been doing. It was the only way I’d be able to solve this mystery, and these murders.

“That’s it? A nod? You must’ve had some reason for asking that question,” Sharice said.

“She just does that. You get used to it,” Presley answered for me.

“Is someone going to call the police?” Gabe asked and pulled out his cell phone.

“Leave it to Lindsey to not only ruin my marriage, but this reunion,” Presley groused.

“Hey, she’s dead,” Sharice growled.

“Have you seen Dallas yet?” I asked.

“No. And he hasn’t answered any of my texts,” Presley said, ignoring Sharice’s admonishment.

“When was the last time you saw him?” I asked.

Gabe drew his phone away from his ear and hit the end key. “Do you think Dallas is missing?”

Presley’s eyes widened. “He was away on business last week. I was supposed to meet him here. He texted while he was gone. Like usual.”

“But he didn’t call?” Gabe prompted.

Presley shook her head slowly. “No.”

I finally managed to make it to my feet on my own. “Let me see his texts, if you don’t mind.” I held out my hand for her phone. She gave it to me with no hesitation.

As I scrolled through their texts, I could see a change. Either Dallas was mightily distracted, or it wasn’t Dallas texting her.

“Everyone, put your hands in the air. Get on the ground.”

We all turned as a unit to see what looked to be hotel security loaded for bear, and/or vampire, with riot gear, shock shields and stakes.

I knew what to do. “I’m complying.” I put my hands in the air and sank down to my knees. “If you’ll scan my prints, you’ll see that I’m Margie Majors, Vampire Slayer, First Class.”

“Shut up. Even if you are who you say you are, you’re retired.”

I noticed the Semper Fi tattoo on the forearm of the man speaking. “Whatever. Slayers are like Marines. Once we earn the title, it’s ours forever. And we never retire. We just eventually lie down after we’re dead.”

He stepped forward with his scanner. “One false move, and I’ll take your head off,” he promised.

“Fair enough.” I allowed him to scan my thumb and I didn’t move.

The scanner beeped. “All right, you are who you say you are. What about the rest of them? More importantly, why is there a dead body in my hotel?”

“We’re working on that part. I know it looks like a vampire perp, but I don’t think so.”

“Where’s your proof?”

“I won’t know for sure until we test the wound for vamp saliva.”

Presley had started to lower her arms, but the guard tapped at her arms with his weapon.

“In the air, Miss.”

“But I’m with her.” She pointed at me.

“We’re all just going to stay right here with our hands up until the police get here,” he said.

Gabe spoke up. “I’m a special investigator for the FBVI. My identification is in my wallet in my front right pocket. I vouch that everyone here is safe to put their arms down and sit until your local LEOs arrive.”

“If everyone here is so competent, I ask again, why is there a dead body in the hallway of my hotel?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” I answered him.

Luckily, it wasn’t long before the police arrived and began removing us from the group, one by one, to give our statements.

“I didn’t do it,” Brooke mouthed to me when they took her away.

I believed her, but someone wanted it to look like she did it.

Finally, it was only Gabe and me left.

“So. Federal Bureau of Vampire Investigations, huh?” I asked him.

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I kinda thought you were going to fall over, so I didn’t want them to shoot you before you could sit down. Figured the agency ID would calm their collective tits.”

“You thought I needed to be rescued?”

“We all do every now and then, right?” He smiled. “What do you say we finish our dance after this is over?”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I said.

“It’s just a dance,” he said.

“If it was just a dance, you wouldn’t be asking me to finish it.”

“You’re right. Maybe it is a bad idea, but maybe I don’t care,” Gabe said quietly.

“Your turn, Fed.” The security guard came for Gabe and led him away for questioning.

Then it was just me, sitting alone while the forensic techs documented the scene and prepared Lindsey’s body for transport.

Something wriggled in the back of my mind, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. There was some connection I hadn’t seen.

Lindsey said she was having an affair with Dallas, but we couldn’t be sure the last time Dallas had been in touch with Presley. So when was the last time he’d been in contact with Lindsey?

Considering each of these events separately, there was no shortest distance between two points. There were a hundred points and they were all over the map.

Yet, considering these events as a whole, the picture was much clearer.

Like I said, I didn’t believe in coincidences.

I was starting to believe that maybe Dallas’s entanglement with Sharice was the real thing, but not Lindsey.

That would mean she was a knowing participant in this. I needed to get to her room and check it out. I’m sure the cops had already been over it, but they wouldn’t know what to look for. They’d be treating it like a victim’s room, not a perp’s.

Finally, it was my turn to go back and give my statement.

When I entered the room, she had a yellow tablet and a pen. I didn’t wait for her to offer it to me. I grabbed it and started writing. I wrote it like a report for the Slayer’s Council, leaving out certain facts that I’d decided were none of their business.

Like my hot and heavy makeout session with their number one suspect.

“Seems like you’re a pro at this, Mrs. Majors.”

“Margie is fine.”

“Trouble on the home front?” Her keen eyes had picked up on my recoil at the use of “Mrs.”

“That’s not pertinent to this investigation,” I said.

“I’ll decide what’s pertinent and what’s not.”

“Then I’ll decide that you can send all further questions to my lawyer.” Two could play that game.

“You wanna play hardball?”

“Honey, you don’t know the meaning of the word. I’ve always had a good relationship with law enforcement.” Except for Sheriff Billy Ray Meekers, but that was another story. “But I’m not about to sit here and let you bully me into answering painful questions that are none of your business.”

“They are my business if it gives you a motive for murder,” she said. “So how about we start over at the beginning.”

Well, this was an unexpected turn of events. It also let me know that they didn’t have a clue. The hotel security cameras must’ve been off. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be questioning me like this.

“Nah.” I dropped the pen. “This is my statement. If you need anything else, feel free to contact my lawyer through the Slayer’s Guild.”

“It’s not going to go well for you if you walk out of here.”

“What’s your name again? And your badge number?” I asked her.

She handed me a card and I tucked it in the bodice of my dress on my way out the door.

Marc was waiting for me outside the door. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” I said as I began walking back toward the elevators that would take me to my room.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I dunno.” I shrugged. “That cop seemed to think that our troubles at home gave me a motive for murder. What’s going on, Marcus?”

To anyone else who knew him, his carefully schooled expression wouldn’t have tripped any triggers, but to me, because I knew him better than I thought I knew myself, I knew he was brewing a lie.

“Don’t even,” I warned.

He wore a pained expression. “I can’t tell you, Margie.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Can’t. I swear, I’d tell you if I could.” He looked around the hallway, and I knew he was looking for cameras.

“Well, Lindsey Schiller is dead.”

The elevator doors opened and he got on with me, and when I pressed the number for my floor, he didn’t press any for his own.

“We should talk.”

“Fine. You can help me out of this dress.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “And by the way, what you did earlier? Cutting in on my dance with Gabe? Don’t do that shit anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Everyone’s sorry today. I don’t want sorry. I want changed behavior.”

The heat of his gaze on my body burned, but I wasn’t going to allow myself the luxury. He’d made it clear where we stood, and I wasn’t going to do this to myself. I deserved to be loved for all of me. Completely. Not just the pieces he found digestible.

“All right, Margie.” He sighed heavily. “You’re right. I haven’t been fair. I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to not be with you.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him why he was trying so hard to do something that now it seemed like he didn’t want to do. But instead, I said, “That is also not fair. You’re gaslighting me, Marc. You’re acting like I’m the one who said we were done. It was you who made that choice. Don’t put your shit on me.”

“You’re right,” he admitted. Then he grinned. “I’m sorry?”

“Fucker.” I shoved him lightly. Not enough to actually move him bodily, but enough that he knew I was irritated.

“You know you love me anyway.”

“I do. That’s the shit of it.”

The elevator finally dinged on my floor and I headed to my room, with Marc following along behind. As soon as we were in the room, he pulled out his cellphone and did a sweep of the room, looking for anything that emitted a Bluetooth signal. He found nothing.

“Okay. What do you have?” he asked.

“Dress first,” I commanded as I turned around and presented my back to him.

His hands moved with measured intent as he unlaced my corset. Every so often, his fingers would graze my bare skin, and I tried desperately not to care. Not to ache for it to happen again.

“There,” he said finally. “All done.”

I sagged with relief as I took a whole breath. It had looked great on me, but breathing was much better.

Of course, now I was just same old Margie, tits sagging like deflated balloons with a roll of quarters in the bottom. My ribs hurt from where the corset had squeezed me, and my lower back was killing me. The thing had forced me into good posture and that wasn’t something my body knew how to handle.

I could jump three times the height of a normal person, but let me try to sit up straight and it was gonna take me out.

I flopped on the bed and starfished, tits out, and shapewear still on the bottom. I’m sure it was not an alluring sight.

“Marge.”

“What? You lace yourself up in that thing and see if you don’t take a minute to remember that you enjoy breathing.” I sighed. “If you don’t like what you’re looking at, look somewhere else.”

“I do like it, remember?”

I didn’t have anything to say to that. So I changed the subject back to murder. It was easier. “So Lindsey. She had a tattoo behind her ear. The sigil for the Leo astrological sign. Does that ring any bells?”

I propped myself up on my elbows so that I could watch his face.

“Should it?”

“Yeah. The guy who was killed in Hawthorne Park had the tattoo or a brand of it on his wrist, and the guy who tried to kill you was wearing a signet ring with the same marking.”

“What did you do with the ring? I could get it to a forensics lab.”

“It’s in Vlad’s butt at the moment.”

“Oh, no. He ate it? Why did you let him eat it?”

“You act like I have control over every single thing that dog does. He ate half the guy’s hand. I had to tell them at doggie daycare that it was my uncle’s ring. Shit, did I say uncle? Whatever.” I couldn’t remember. Emily wouldn’t pay it any mind regardless. “Your turn. What’s the connection to Lindsey?”

“This is Top Secret, M. With the capital letters.”

“Obviously.” I motioned for him to continue.

“Lindsey worked for the DoD. We were on an op together as ourselves. No cover this time. Except we were pretending to be lovers.”

“Pretending?” A cold wash of ice drifted down my back. “Interesting. She confessed to having an affair with Dallas Dunderman right before she was murdered.”

“She what?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, obviously Presley is the killer. The Cornhole Queen wouldn’t tolerate the usurping of her crown.”

“Shut up. You know damn well Presley Dunderman didn’t kill anyone. She may think about it a lot, but she wouldn’t do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Are you?” I shot back. “Lindsey seems like the weak link. What does Dallas have to do with this? Oh, and by the way, he’s missing.”

“What about Vampire Brooke?” he asked. “She was the last one to see Lindsey alive.”

“I think we need to revisit this earlier scenario. That pretending to be lovers thing must’ve been pretty realistic if you were in Croatia and the cops here in Kansas City know about it.” I held up my hand. “Not only do they know about it, but they think it’s my motive for murder.”

“I’ll take care of the cops.”

“I don’t need you to take care of the cops.” I left the rest of my question unasked. He knew what I wanted from him.

“Stuff happened, okay?” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “You know how it is on those ops.”

“Yeah, stuff happened. But it happened for real, didn’t it?”

“No.” He sighed. “I don’t know. What does it matter? We’re separated.”

I didn’t want to feel betrayed. It was stupid. I knew he’d sometimes had to pretend to be intimate with other people when he was on an op and that had never bothered me. I’d never seen it as Marc, my husband. It was Marc, the soldier. It was a role. It was in service for something greater. He always told me about it. It was never a secret.

But this. This felt like betrayal.

Lindsey Goddamn Schiller.

“I needed to do something you wouldn’t let me come back from,” he said quietly. “For both our sakes.”

I was just consoling Presley, and in my mind, I’d been so sure that Marc would never betray me like that. Yet, he had. And here he was trying to tell me he’d done it for us.

Motherfucker.

“I need you to go.”

“Margie, you need to understand.”

“I don’t actually need to do shit. Get out of my room, or I’ll put you out.”

He got up slowly, and when he turned to leave, I saw something on his wrist. It was a tattoo that glowed with an eerie, supernatural light.

The Leo sigil.

CHAPTER SEVEN

I let him walk out the door and I didn’t say a word.

He’d lied to me. He’d betrayed me.

Did he, though? You had a hot and heavy makeout session with Brooke. It was the same thing, wasn’t it?

Not in my head, which I knew wasn’t fair.

I needed to go pick up Vlad and see if he’d managed to drop that pinky ring. I had to find out what that meant.

I considered looping Gabe in on the hunt, because he had access to resources that I didn’t. I’d asked Marc point blank and he’d denied knowing anything about it. Even if it had been part of his Top Secret, Secret Squirrel gig, he’d have simply said, “I can’t tell you.”

I didn’t know if I could trust him.

I texted Brooke.

Me: Slayer-Wan Kenobi to Darth Vampire. You okay?

Brooke: You’re such a nerd. OMG.

Brooke: They let me out. Told me not to leave town. Blah Blah. Whatever. You?

Me: Yeah. They told me the same.

Brooke: WTF? You? Why?

Me: …

Me: Turns out Marc and Lindsey were involved.

Brooke: You’re fucking kidding me? I’m going to bite him.

Me: Lol. No. You could bite me, if you wanted.

My face flushed and my whole body got hot. I hadn’t meant to text that. Wait, yes, I had. I was hurting and looking for something to numb the pain. That wasn’t fair to Brooke.

Brooke: Oh yeah?

Me: Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m not in a great place right now.

Brooke: I know. I want to be here for you any way you need me.

Brooke: If you say you need me naked, I wouldn’t argue.

It took everything in me not to type back that her naked was exactly what I needed. But I knew it would probably just fuck me up even more.

Me: I appreciate your sacrifice for the cause.

Brooke: Are you going to the pool party tomorrow?

I’d forgotten the whole point of this weekend was the reunion. At least, the point for other people.

Me: Yeah.

Brooke: Good. I’d hate to have to come to your room and drag you kicking and screaming.

Me: I think I’d really like to see you try.

I wondered if that was too aggressive? Would she see it as the flirtation it was meant to be or…

Brooke: I’m pretty sure I would, too.

I was so wet just thinking about it, and it had been so long since I’d had an orgasm. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to indulge, I had to go get Vlad.

Damn.

Damn.

Damn.

I didn’t reply. This was getting too hot too fast.

Thinking about earlier, the way she’d kissed me, how she’d touched me. She hadn’t wanted me to be breakable or soft, she’d wanted me just the way I was.

Still, I needed to slow the fuck down. I was just coming out of a ten-year marriage and I was vulnerable.

I shimmied into my jeans and grabbed my slayer kit that passed for a purse. I decided to hit Lindsey’s room on the way to get Vlad. Hopefully, the investigators would be done by the time I got there.

I hacked the hotel database from my phone and found out which room was hers, and programmed my app to open her door. Security was in a word, lax. Especially considering that Rambo-wanna-be security guy. I also hacked into the camera signal and confirmed my earlier suspicions. The cameras were all off. It would make getting in and out of her room easier. I had a scrambler in my bag just in case someone decided to switch them back on before I was done.

It felt good to be on the hunt again. To be able to use my skills for something good.

Her room was on the other side of the complex and more than once, the long, winding halls of the hotel creeped me out. I’d have to stop every now and then and orient myself with the posted signage.

Whoever had killed Lindsey, and the others, they’d been to this hotel before. It was familiar to them.

And they had to know that The Jewel didn’t use its security cameras.

Or they’d paid someone to turn them off.

When I finally found her room, I saw that no one had been there to go through her effects. I’d have to be extra careful not to leave any prints. I was risking it with the DNA, but any hair I’d shed, it was possible she’d picked up over the course of the evening.

I pulled on a pair of latex gloves and utilized the same app Marc had to search for a Bluetooth or WiFi signal. I found a device in her lamp beside the bed, and one in the entryway. Her laptop was open and to my surprise, it came to life unlocked.

The monitoring devices were hers, as they now showed the inside of my pocket on her screen.

There was a single file on the laptop, and it contained a list of names. I recognized only three. Marc, Brooke, and Dallas.

I couldn’t fit the laptop in my bag, but I couldn’t leave it here, either. So I guessed my only option was to walk it out, carrying it like it was mine. I unplugged the charger and rolled it up, stuffing it in my bag.

I proceeded to process the rest of the room, and found condoms in the nightstand. She’d been planning on the possibility of sex with a man. Going through her suitcase, I found only the usual items. Clothes, shoes, toiletries, vibrator.

So glad I was wearing gloves.

In the bathroom, I found one more thing of particular interest. A prescription bottle with her name on it for Xyrem. Xyrem was used to treat narcolepsy, but it had a more sinister use.

On the street, it was known as GHB, a date rape drug that left the victim incapacitated and sometimes, with memory loss.

What the hell was Lindsey doing with GHB? I pocketed the bottle as well, and did another quick pass of the room, checking the usual places. Inside the top of the commode, the vents, under the desk, behind the drawers, and mini-fridge, and I didn’t find anything else of interest.

I’d need to call Ryder and have her bring me my VPN and ghost server kit so I could see what all Lindsey had been up to without frying myself in the process.

But first, off to Vlad. I was sure that Brooke had picked Mina up already, and he was probably waiting for me.

I checked through the security peep hole to see if the hall was clear and then stepped outside, and made my way back down the winding halls, heading toward the basement and the doggie daycare.

A door on my right slid open and Gabe Dunavent stood in the entryway. He didn’t seem any worse for wear. In fact, he seemed like he was about to go out. He wasn’t wearing his tux any longer, but black slacks, and a black silk shirt open at the chest, revealing his tan skin.

“Didn’t know your room was in this part of the hotel. My lucky day?”

I laughed. “No, sorry. I was just visiting a friend.”

“Oh yeah? A special friend?”

“No. Just a friend.” I shifted my bag on my shoulder. “Looks like you’re getting ready to go out.”

“I thought I might have a nightcap or two. See what shakes loose.” He shrugged. “How about you? Are you headed in for the night?”

“Actually, I’m going to get my dog from daycare. Then I’ll be in for the night. You can walk me if you want?”

He smiled, and pulled the door closed behind him. “So you’re a dog person. That’s new.”

“Not really. I just didn’t have time to devote to a pet when I was younger. I didn’t have time for anything but slaying.”

“What’s different now? Because you’re semi-retired?”

“He’s a vampire.”

“Only you, Margie.” He laughed.

We walked the long halls, and once again, they seemed endless, but Gabe was content to follow my lead.

“We’d all be fucked if there was a fire,” I said. “People would get so confused in these hallways. This place is a deathtrap.”

He nodded to the walls. “The signage is clearly marked.”

“You should know what people are like in a trauma situation. They don’t stop to read directions.”

We walked a little farther in companionable silence and then he spoke. “So, you haven’t asked me.”

I figured he was referring to his job with the Federal Bureau of Vampire Investigations. “Actually, I did, and all you said was, ‘Yeah.’”

“Well, we did have a situation at the time.” He shrugged. “If you’re curious, I’m happy to answer questions.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Are you trying to recruit me?”

“We could always use a consulting slayer. I’d get to spend more time with you. It’s a win-win.”

“I could think about it.” I did need a way to bring in more money. My retirement “stipend” wasn’t quite getting it. Which was fucked up, if I thought about it too hard. Slayers didn’t get to retire, more often than not, so over the centuries, there’d been so many who’d never gotten to take what was owed them. There were huge accounts that the Council had been sitting on and trying to hatch them like an egg.

The Guild had been trying to get more payouts to families and to me, but so far, they hadn’t had much luck. It was unfortunate they wouldn’t consider a strike. The Council would pay up then, I was sure. Assholes.

Finally, we made it to the basement of the hotel and to the doggie daycare. It occurred to me that this was actually pretty sketch. It was dark, abandoned, and there were no working cameras.

I didn’t like that Emily was down here by herself.

Well, she wasn’t totally by herself. Vlad was with her and he’d protect her.

“Kinda creepy, yeah?” Gabe said.

“I was just thinking that.”

I knocked on the door and just as Emily opened it, Vlad leaped over her shoulder to pounce on me and slam me to the ground. I grunted, and pushed on my shoulders with his massive paws and proceeded to cover my face in drool.

I probably looked like something out of a horror movie. Emily laughed and tossed me a towel, and I waited for Vlad to finish inspecting me, and giving me loves.

“Come on, big guy. Lemme up.” It occurred to me that his claws should have broken my skin, but they hadn’t. I wondered if there was something wrong with him. I managed to shove him down and picked up his paw.

He cocked his head to the side.

“Let mama see.”

Nope, they were still razor-sharp. Interesting development. He hadn’t broken the skin at the murder pond, either.

Wouldn’t that just be some ironic shit? If midlife had given me thicker skin? Can we say poetic justice? I’d have to test out this theory. Either I’d gotten thicker skin, or Vlad’s super power was not hurting me, which wouldn’t suck. I had a ton of scars from where he’d accidentally scratched me.

My sweet, excited boy had suddenly changed his demeanor. He put himself between Gabe and I, and a low growl rumbled in the back of his throat. It wasn’t a growl I’d ever heard from him before.

No, I’d heard it once before.

That terrible night in Austin when Kincaid Delallo had gotten the drop on me and slid his fangs deep into my throat and had almost drained me dry.

“Hey, little guy.” Gabe held up his hands. “I don’t mean you any harm.”

He rumbled again, and the sound was like something dredged up from Hell. Vlad hated Gabe with the burning passion of a thousand fiery suns.

I didn’t apologize. My dog had pretty good taste and if he didn’t like Gabe, that was his problem. However, I put my hand on his head. “You’re okay.”

“I’m sorry,” Gabe said. “I should have thought about the serum. We get injections so vamps find our blood abhorrent. It’s a safety precaution.”

Vlad growled again.

“No worries, but since he really doesn’t like you, maybe we can catch up later?”

“Yeah, sure. At the pool party, tomorrow?”

“Sounds good.”

He didn’t turn his back on Vlad, but instead backed up toward the stairs slowly, and then up out of sight.

“That’s wild,” Emily said. “He’s so sweet.”

I’d never seen Vlad have that kind of reaction to anyone, and now that Gabe was gone, he was back to being his happy self. He nosed at my face and neck, almost like he was hugging me.

“Good boy,” Emily encouraged. “I don’t know how you know that guy, but dogs know. If a dog doesn’t like someone, there’s usually something wrong with them. I’d stay away from him.”

I noticed the long shadows around us, and picked up the laptop, hoping my big silly dog hadn’t broken anything important, and scratched him behind the ears. “If you’re almost done, I’ll walk you to the elevators?”

“That would be great. I love my job, but it’s kind of unsettling down here at night. Let me grab my stuff.”

For a moment, I thought I saw something moving in the shadowed corridor. Blinking my eyes, I focused in on the place where the shadows seemed thicker, more solid. An awareness prickled down my spine and Vlad growled again.

I didn’t see anything, but I knew Vlad sensed something was there, too.

Digging out my Maglite, I shone a light down the hall and to my surprise, it revealed nothing.

“I don’t know if that’s worse or better,” Emily said when she shut the door behind her. “You saw something, didn’t you?”

“I thought I did.”

She shivered. “That’s an access tunnel to the outside. We have that in case of a fire, or other emergency. I’m the only one with keys, but I swear, there’s something down there.”

“Vlad and I can go check it out. It might be someone who needs help.”

Emily grabbed my arm. “I don’t think so. Whatever it is, it makes the dogs go nuts.”

“Stay here with Vlad. I want to see, just for my piece of mind.” I looked at Vlad. “You take care of Emily.”

“Brrruff.” He snuffled.

Yeah, he totally understood me.

With my Maglite high, I stepped into the long hall and followed it all the way down to the door. It was another of those seemingly unending hallways, but when I finally got to the door, I’d found nothing.

On the way back to Emily and Vlad, I took a slower approach, checking the sides and the ceiling. There was a single vent opening that a person could have fit through, had they been so motivated, but it didn’t seem as if it had been disturbed.

I wondered briefly if The Jewel of the Midwest had a vampire living in its ventilation system.

I shut off the Maglite, and used my night vision to look up into the darkness of the vent and I didn’t see anything.

Once I was back in the soft spill of light, I reassured Emily. “I didn’t see anything, but I did feel it. I don’t want to scare you, but there was something there. So if you have to be here by yourself at night, make sure you’re packing. Do you have personal protection?”

She nodded.

I stuffed the laptop under my arm and rummaged in my bag. I produced a couple thin stakes and a wrist apparatus that would shoot them for her. “Here, take this.”

“That’s too cool.”

“It’ll give human shitheads pause, too. I promise.”

Yet, my Slayer Senses told me that whatever had been in the dark was also tied to these murders.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Well, that’s creepy as fuck,” Lila Jean said after I filled her in on most everything that had gone down. She popped a chocolate-covered strawberry in her mouth and leaned on Vlad like a pillow. “I guess I won’t be wandering these halls by myself.”

“Speaking of wandering the halls, why are you in my room instead of banging Todd Cowan like a screen door in a hurricane?”

She snorted. “The bloom is definitely off that rose.” Lila Jean grabbed another strawberry. “I can’t believe all of that went down in the bathroom at Prom Redux. A murder? No, no, what really gets me is the makeout session with Brooke Wellington.”

I pursed my lips. “You’re fine with murder, but kissing Brooke is what gets you?”

She grinned. “It’s a side effect of being your best friend. There’s always a body, or a some kind of life or death emergency. This thing with Brooke is a serious deviation from the norm. You’re sure she’s not evil?”

“She has a vampire poodle,” I said, as if that were explanation enough.

Although, for Lila Jean, it seemed to be. She nodded sagely. “I’d love to meet Mina.”

Vlad perked his head at the mention of his new friend.

“No, not today. Tomorrow,” I said, glad he was looking forward to another romp at doggie daycare. It made me feel less guilty about leaving him alone.

I realized she hadn’t explained to me why the bloom was off the Todd Rose. “Wait, wait, enough about me and murder. Why was Todd a no-go?”

“He was just so gross. He’s divorced, right? And all he wanted to do was talk about how she did him wrong. How all the problems in the marriage were her fault and how she didn’t meet his needs, blah blah blah.”

“God, I hate that. It makes me want to punch them right in the face.” I took one of the strawberries and reached for a new bottle of champagne. “I usually tell them that their wives don’t want to sleep with them because they’re probably not getting them off. Learn about the little man in the boat. Try to knock him out of it with your tongue, and she’ll be more into it.”

Lila Jean snorted. “Right? Ugh. So gross. His poor wife.”

“Maybe you should go seduce her?”

Lila Jean giggled. “Maybe I should.”

Vlad snatched a strawberry out of her hand and gulped it down.

“Oh no! Is chocolate bad for vampire dogs?”

“He’s technically already dead, so I think it’s fine? I’m going to have to walk him before morning, though. I wish he’d hurry up and shit out that pinky ring. I’ll feel a lot better knowing where it is.”

He looked over at me with a dopey expression on his face.

“Yeah, we’re talking about you,” I said.

“You’re sure that you don’t think Brooke offed Lindsey?” Lila Jean asked.

“Mostly. And no, not just because she told me I’m hot.”

She laughed. “Hey, I trust your judgment. Except for the part where you didn’t let Brooke bite Marc. What an asshole.”

“Part of me thinks we should talk it out, just to debride any wounds. We need to still maintain a good relationship for Ryder.” I held out my hand to stop her from protesting. “I know, I know. She’s going to leave the nest soon, but we are still a family. I’m still her mom. I’m not going to let anything come between us.”

“I know that.” Lila Jean squeezed my hand. “I just think you need to give yourself some space from him. This is tearing you apart. If not for Marc, what would’ve happened with Brooke today?”

I pressed my lip together. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Fine. I would have hoed it up with Gabe and Brooke.”

Lila Jean spat her champagne. “What?”

“Oh. I forgot that part. He sort of came on to me. But it’s just as well because like I said earlier, Vlad hates him.”

“Vlad doesn’t have to like him for a hookup.”

Vlad seemed to raise his eyebrows, as if to say, that yes, he absolutely did have to like him for him to be anywhere near me.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I don’t want to do what I did in my twenties.”

“Which part?”

“Using dick for validation. I slept with so many men I didn’t really want to just because I wanted to feel wanted. I thought if they wanted to fuck me, I must have some value. Now, here I am, feeling lost, and sad, and what am I doing?”

“Not fucking Gabe Dunavent?”

I downed my champagne. “Right. That’s the good choice.”

“So where does Brooke fit into this?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been honest with her about what I feel about the whole thing, and I think she’s been honest with me.”

“I wouldn’t have suspected in a million years that she was such a thundercunt because she had a case of the bean for you.”

“Right? It’s surreal, but the way she kissed me seemed genuine enough.”

“You know that all I want for you is to be happy. So whoever makes you happy is who I’m cheering for. At the moment, it is definitely not Marcus.”

“Damn! I almost forgot one of the most important parts of this mystery.” I rolled over and grabbed my bag and pulled out Lindsey’s prescription bottle.

“This is GHB,” Lila Jean said, after she looked at the label.

“Yeah. What was she doing with it?”

“Maybe Marc knows.”

“He probably does, but I don’t think he’s going to give me an honest answer. Not after I saw the Leo sigil on his wrist and I asked him point-blank about it.”

“Okay, so wait. You said that it glowed. Do you think maybe you’re the only one who could see it? What if Marc doesn’t know about it?”

I hadn’t even considered that possibility.

“And from the way he talked about what happened in Croatia, what if Lindsey used the GHB on him?”

“I… I don’t know. But why would she do that?”

“That’s what we have to find out.”

“I don’t want to ruin your good time this weekend. It always ends up like that. You end up helping me on a case, and you don’t get to follow through on your plans.”

“Girl, please. I live for this. You know that.”

“But I also know you were looking forward to some hittin’ and quittin’.”

“I can find dick anywhere. Murder, that’s slightly harder. It’s like real-life Forensic Files and I get to do some good.”

“If you’re sure.”

“Plus, you always spoil me with treats. It’s not a bad gig if you can get it,” she teased. “Oh no.”

“What?”

“Presley. Has anyone checked on her?”

“I haven’t. I guess I should. I just don’t have the energy, though. Not tonight.”

“Me either. I mean, I care. I don’t want her to be alone, but I don’t want to be the one who has to sit with her.”

“Do you think Dallas is dead?”

“Probably. His corpse will show up at the most inconvenient time.” Lila Jean took a sip of her champagne. “If it follows the usual blueprint for your adventures.”

“Someone went to a lot of trouble to convince Presley that Brooke and Dallas were having an affair. Whoever it was didn’t know that Brooke has zero interest in… what did she call it? Danger worms.”

“Danger worms, indeed.” Lila Jean snuggled closer to Vlad. “This is the only guy I need right here.”

“He is kind of the best.”

“Speaking of the best, tomorrow is the pool party. What are you wearing?”

“Oh God, no.”

“Oh God, yes.”

“I don’t know if I can take another day of all of that attention. I’m happy to sit around in bathing suit with a Guns N’ Roses T-shirt over it and slip by unnoticed.”

“I knew you were going to say that. Luckily, they know you at Torrid and the saleswomen were more than happy to help me pick out a few suits.”

“I am not putting the cleavage on display. It’ll roast in the sun.” I patted my chest. “And it’ll make it old before its time.”

I wondered if that would be a way to test my new abilities. Would my skin be more resistant to burns, too? I didn’t really want to risk it.

“I know. So look, I got you this rash guard thing. It’s like shirt, and shorts. But it still makes your curves look poppin’.” She roused herself from her where she snuggled Vlad and handed me a bag.

“You and Ryder really went all out on this.”

“We did. You deserve to have fun, and to be happy.”

I opened the bag and I didn’t hate it. I usually hated all of my bathing suit options. With my dimensions, everything I wore looked lewd. I was much more comfortable wearing a shirt and bike shorts.

And this was almost the same thing. It was a two-piece, but there was amazing coverage. The neckline was modest and covered my décolletage, with long sleeves. It was blue and green, like a mermaid tale, and sparkled like scales.

“This is actually perfect.”

“See? If you’d trust me once in a while.”

“I trust you all the time,” I promised her.

“Speaking of trust, where’s your water bottle?”

I realized then that I didn’t have it. It wasn’t in my room, and it wasn’t in my bag. I’d had it earlier, and I’d left it in my room.

“Someone’s been in here.” I looked at the strawberry I was about to put in my mouth and put it down.

“Given the GHB in play, I wouldn’t drink anything you didn’t open from a sealed container yourself.” Lila Jean sat up straighter. “You checked the room for listening devices, right?”

“I did. We’re clear.”

“Why did they take your water bottle? I don’t like this, Margie.”

“Me either.” Someone had been in my room without me knowing. I was slipping. My mind was too much on my bean and not on the task at hand. This was why slayers didn’t get to retire. They got sloppy and they paid for it with their lives.

“Do you want to come stay in my room?” Lila Jean asked.

Now, I was extra glad that we had decided to get our own rooms. I didn’t want to put Lila Jean in any more danger than she was already in. “Obviously not. That might put a target on your back."

“I don’t know, am I safer alone or with you and Vlad?”

“Hey, I see what you’re doing.” I nodded at her.

She grinned. “I know you’re strong, Margie. I know this is what you do, but I also know that if I lost you, I couldn’t handle it. So think about what’s best for you now and then, okay?”

“I do.”

Lila Jean eyed me.

“I do,” I repeated. “I didn’t call Presley to check on her because that wasn’t best for me.” I sighed. “Even though, I probably should.”

“She’s fine. She’s going to need you more when all of this comes to fruition, regardless of how things turn out with him. If he’s alive, what a fucking bastard. And if he’s dead…”

“…He’s still a bastard. He’s just a dead bastard.”

Lila Jean nodded. “I’ll give her a text tonight to check on her.”

“Actually, you know what? Maybe you should stay here tonight.” I’d been thinking about the creepy shadows down by the doggie daycare and I didn’t want her walking those halls alone. Vampires could go out in the daylight, but their power was magnified at night. Lila Jean knew how to defend herself, I’d shared a lot of my training with her. But she wasn’t a chosen one. She was mortal, human, with only those strengths and weaknesses.

“Sleepover!” She hopped back on the bed. “We can watch The Craft.”

“You always want to watch The Craft.”

“Yes, I do.” She grabbed the pentacle necklace around her neck and gave it a rub with her thumb. “Obviously.”

“Obviously.”

This moment made me think about what Marc had said earlier about how I wanted him, but I didn’t need him.

It had really pissed me off, but maybe he was right. Maybe I should have needed him, not because I wasn’t capable, but because I needed Lila Jean. I need Vlad. He was leaving me, and I was going to survive.

I didn’t think I’d survive without Vlad and Lila Jean. Without them, I’d be lost. Dead on the inside and just waiting for my body to catch up.

Maybe I was supposed to feel that way about Marc, too. Maybe it was unfair to him that I didn’t.

“Since someone has been here, we probably shouldn’t eat any of the food I brought. Will you be okay until breakfast?” I asked her. “I could run out to the store and grab some things.”

“No, I’m good. All I need is my Margie.” She stuffed her feet under the covers.

“And all I need is my Lila Jean, safe and sound.”

I grabbed the remote and logged into my streaming account and pulled up The Craft. As the movie started to play, the familiar music washing over me and reminding me of the normal parts of my childhood. They’d all been with Lila Jean.

Vlad wiggled in between us, his head on Lila Jean’s shoulder, and his butt on my hip.

Of course, he’d give me the butt.

I sighed.

When was he going to move that ring?

CHAPTER NINE

The pool party started at noon and in the main pool with the biggest swim-up bar and I was going to have to make a delayed entrance.

Vlad and I had left the room at eleven, but he’d found so many interesting things on the way to daycare this morning. First, it had been the housekeeping cart several doors down. He’d pounded that thing within an inch of its life. The action had sent it crashing into the wall over and over again, and when the occupant of the room had come out to presumably ask what the hell, he’d taken one look at my amorous vampire pit bull and gone back inside his room and locked the door.

I slid a twenty under the door. “Sorry, my friend. He can’t help it.”

We journeyed on toward the elevators and there was a very sexy potted fern that drew his attention. So I had to wait for him to grind one out on the poor plant, and once we were in the elevators, he took a keen interest in the bench. I managed to dissuade him from the bench, if only because we’d be riding that elevator up and down all day.

The coup de grace was the briefcase.

When we stepped off the elevator, a man was waiting to get on, and he’d set down what looked to be an alligator skin briefcase.

The very sight of it caused Vlad to howl and he tackled it, just thrusting away with his eyes rolling in the back of his head.

The man looked at me.

I looked at him.

Vlad continued to hump his very expensive briefcase.

“Madam,” he said. “Please get control of your animal.”

“It’s really easier to just let him finish. I’ll pay to replace your briefcase, if it comes to that.”

Hehehe. Comes to that. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from cackling.

“I have somewhere to be.”

“You’re more than welcome to intervene as you see fit,” I bluffed. There was no way I’d take the chance that Vlad might bite someone, but really, what did it actually hurt to let him have his little pieces of joy? I seriously doubted this Bentley-driving fuck had any emotional attachment to the bag my dog was currently enjoying. Hell, my dog probably had more attachment to it than this guy himself did.

“He does seem to enjoy it,” the man said.

Well, suddenly, the guy wasn’t so bad either.

“But I really am going to be late.” He snapped his fingers and then said something else in what sounded to be German.

Vlad’s ears perked and he paused, mid-thrust.

The man’s eyes glowed red, just like Vlad’s, and he removed the alligator briefcase from Vlad’s embrace.

Vlad whimpered.

“Sorry, old boy. I must go.” He tipped his hat to me.

It reminded me I should probably stop being such a judgmental bitch. I’d made a lot of value judgments about that man, and he probably didn’t even drive his own Bentley.

But now, Vlad was even more uncomfortable.

I couldn’t, and wouldn’t expect Emily to deal with him in this state.

Finally, I ended up taking him back to the room for some time with his love pillow. Then we moved smartly through the hotel until we made it to daycare. Luckily, Mina was already there and ready to distract him.

“It would be okay with me if Vlad was the last to be picked up again tonight,” Emily said.

“You got it. You made it home okay?”

She nodded. “Thanks, Margie.”

I left Vlad playing with Mina, and made my way toward the main pool. If I’d thought Prom Redux had been wild, this was another level.

The place was packed, and with more than just reunion guests. It was a batshit free for all, and there were so many bodies crammed into the space that it just couldn’t be sanitary. At least the kids had been relegated to the kids’ pool, so we didn’t have to worry about being “family-friendly.”

Thank fuck for that.

I didn’t like children, for the most part. Or maybe it wasn’t the children I didn’t like, but the parents. I should have to watch what I say because of their kids? Blood and violence were fine, but a couple “fucks” and the world was coming to an end. Oh, think of the children. Bah.

Yet, Ryder had been different. As soon as I’d seen her big eyes and chubby cheeks, I’d have done anything for her. It was like I knew I was supposed to take care of her.

I’d shared a moment with her mother, with Allison, before she’d died. I’d tried so goddamn hard to save her, but she’d lost too much blood and the vamps who’d attacked her had done it to cause maximum damage, not to Turn her. She’d motioned to where Ryder was hiding under some bags of trash, and the little girl had emerged, and she’d put Ryder’s small hand in mine.

That had been Allison’s last act on earth. To give the care and keeping of her child to me.

Every time I thought about it, I wondered if I was enough. If I loved Ryder hard enough, if I pushed her enough, if I sheltered her enough. I wondered if I had lived up to what Allison wanted for her.

I hoped so.

Just then, I saw Lila Jean, Brooke, Presley, and Sharice. Brooke waved me over and I spied a familiar purple bag on a chair. Lila Jean’s. So I dropped my cover-up on top of her bag and waded into the pool. She had a mimosa waiting for me.

“Poured it myself just for you,” she said.

I accepted it gratefully. “It’s been a morning already.” And I tried, and failed, not to eye-love Brooke in her red bikini. It was official. She was trying to kill me.

“How you doing?” I asked Presley.

“I’m okay.” She took another drink of her cocktail. “I haven’t heard from Dallas at all. They won’t let me file a missing persons’ report until tomorrow.”

“Lila Jean or I will go with you, if you want?”

“You probably shouldn’t,” Presley said. “They won’t give me anyone to talk to but that detective who has it out for you.”

“Eh, fuck her. What’s she gonna do? Be mad?”

“Call the Council and the Guild,” Presley replied quietly.

“I invited her to. It’s fine.” I looked around at my little crew and realized that I was pretty lucky. Cornflake drove me nuts, but she was worried about what this meant for me.

It was all so unexpected.

“Ladies,” Gabe said as he approached. “Can I get you anything? More cocktails? Chips and salsa?”

“No, we’re good, but thanks,” Lila Jean answered.

“May I join you?” he asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. He sat down on the ledge next to me.

“Oh, I see Marc,” Brooke said and waved her hand, motioning for him to come over.

He acknowledged her and began making his way over to us, cocktail in hand.

“You look good,” Brooke said and hugged him.

I didn’t have the feelings about that I’d expected to have. When we first spoke about the reunion, I’d thought he was coming because he wanted to see if the fires with Brooke still burned, and I’d been so jealous.

But now, I didn’t feel that. I was kind of numb, really. I didn’t feel anything at all.

“So do you,” Marc answered her. “Looks like the vamp life agrees with you.”

“I guess it does,” she answered. “So Margie has been entertaining me with tales of her exploits. She’s had quite the wild ride, huh?”

I had?

I took the opportunity to study his wrist and looked for the tattoo, but I didn’t see it. There was nothing there.

Lila Jean had been right. He probably hadn’t known it was there.

“Do you guys mind if I steal my ex away for a minute?” I grabbed his hand and led him toward a mostly empty corner away from the crowd. “Let’s hit that empty hot tub for a second, okay?”

He nodded. He knew me well enough to know it was important. Once we were in the hot water, and alone, he pulled the curtains around the tub closed.

“What’s going on, Marge?”

“First, I’m sorry I got so angry with you. It clouded my judgment.”

“You have every right to be angry with me.”

“I saw something on your wrist yesterday. It looked like a tattoo. But it was glowing. It was the Leo sigil.”

“What?” He lifted his arm and examined his wrist. “I don’t see anything.”

“I don’t see it today either. So you did something last night that changed it somehow.”

“I didn’t do anything except go to my room and go to sleep.”

“Well, something’s changed. I don’t know what.” I leaned closer to him. “I found something else, too. Do you know what Lindsey was doing with GHB?”

“Yeah. She used it in our last op. Human trafficker she went home with to make him think they’d had sex, and to get him knocked out while we wired his house.”

“She had it with her in her room. Why would she bring it to the reunion? And there’s more. I’ve got her laptop in my room. There’s a document file that has a list of names and your name is on it. So is Dallas’s and Brooke’s.”

“Fuck,” Marc growled and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Where is it now?”

“I uploaded the doc to the cloud and to my phone and I hid the laptop in plain sight. Anyone who searches the room will think it’s mine. I hid all of her stuff behind a firewall.”

“Smart move.” He nodded. “We need to figure out what this Leo thing means.”

“And why she had that tattoo behind her ear. I think it must have something to do with the human trafficking ring you guys were working on.”

“I’ll kick it up the ladder and see what shakes out,” Marc said.

“Okay. Have you checked in with Ryder?”

“Yeah. I asked her to stay with Jasmine until Tuesday.”

“Good.”

“Margie? She still thinks we’re going to get back together. You know that, don’t you?”

“I know.” I still did too, until yesterday.

“We should talk to her.”

“No, you should talk to her. I’ve already said what I needed to say.”

“It’s not fair to make me the bad guy, here.”

Part of me wanted to say that he was the one who left, so he could be the one to bear the brunt. Yet, I’d had some epiphanies that reminded me that I wasn’t blameless. “I’m not making you the bad guy. She’s your daughter. You need to work on the way you communicate with her. Help her understand your feelings.”

“Sometimes, I feel like I don’t even know her. That she doesn’t want to know me.”

“Marc, it’s just because you’ve been gone so much. I’ve been home with her a lot. We’re good friends. We spend time together. You can do that too, if you’ll just make the effort. She wants you to. I promise.”

“I do want that. I’m just afraid that she’s going to pick you.”

“Marcus. You know better than that. It’s not about picking me or you. She wants us to be happy. Once you explain to her there’s no way you can be happy with me, she’ll understand.” I pressed my lips together and swallowed the emotion that was now thick in my throat. “I’ll tell her I’ll be okay. Is that what you want?”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

“Okay. I’ll do it after this weekend from hell is finally over. We should get back.”

“I need to tell you something.”

Whatever it was, I suddenly didn’t want to hear it. I knew that tone. This was about Lindsey. I just knew it.

“I… I kissed her for real. I know you already know it happened, but I should have told you. I tell you everything. I still want to tell you everything, even though I know that’s unfair. But I saw the look on your face. I saw how betrayed you were. And that’s not… you don’t deserve that. So that’s the truth. I kissed her. I wanted to. And I did.”

My nose stung like I’d been punched in the face. I blinked hard, willing the tears to stay back behind my eyes where they goddamn belonged. God, Margie, suck it up. Swallow it. Cry later. Don’t give him that.

I knew he wasn’t trying to hurt me, but that didn’t change that I didn’t want to be vulnerable in front of him now. I wanted to be the slayer. A chosen one. Strong. Unwavering. Undefeated.

“Thanks for being honest with me. It really does mean a lot.” I wiped at my nose, thankful that I hadn’t started with the ugly-cry snot goblins. “We can move forward together and redefine our relationship. If for nothing else, because no matter what happens, we’re still family. Ryder made us a family.”

Actually, Allison made us a family.

“Allison picked you,” he said quietly, echoing my thoughts.

I nodded. “And we’re still going to look out for each other.”

“I guess I need to apologize for what I did with Gabe. I gave you half-assed excuses before. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have done a lot of things.”

I grabbed his hand. “Me too.”

“What, did you kiss someone you didn’t tell me about?” he teased.

“Actually, I did.”

He looked like I’d just punched him. “Who?”

“Brooke.”

“That’s a surprise.”

“Yeah. It is. For both of us. We’re taking it slow. Friends first and then, we’ll see. After I’ve had some time to grieve you.”

“Maybe after we get this case solved, we should take some distance.”

I nodded. “That’s probably best.”

I realized I hadn’t asked him how he was handling Lindsey’s death, but I wasn’t that evolved. If he wanted to talk about it, I’d listen, but I wasn’t going to go looking for knives to stick in my own heart.

“We should get back,” he said. “I’ll let you know if I dig anything up about this tattoo. I’m going to go into the head office later and have them scan my wrist and see if they find anything.”

“Be careful. The more I hear about this, the more I think it’s bigger than anything we’ve dealt with before. There was someone in my room last night.”

“You be careful. If it’s the traffickers from my last op out for revenge, or to replenish their stock, you’d be worth big money to them. They supply a lot of private vampire crews who don’t abide by the feeding laws. Do you know what they could get for a slayer on the open market?”

I nodded. “I’m expensive,” I teased.

“Your friend Gabe. I don’t really remember him from school. What did he say he was doing now?”

“FBVI.”

“Maybe you should let him stick close. Just in case.”

“Was the FBVI involved in the op in Croatia?”

“CIVA was. FBVI is mostly stateside, but since some of their transport routes are through the US, Kansas City in particular, the I-70 Corridor, he might be.”

“He asked if I might be interested in doing some contracting for FBVI. I might do it. Then I could move out of the house.”

“Margie, if you really want to stay in the house, I won’t fight you on that. You can have it. I just thought it would be easier on you to sell it.”

“It will be. You were right. I just wasn’t ready.”

“Take as long as you need.”

The waterworks threatened again. “Shit. We better get back or they’re going to think we’re doing something else in here.”

I didn’t wait for his reply. Instead, I opened the curtains and made my way back to the pool where my friends were waiting for me.

“You okay?” Gabe asked.

I nodded. “Fine. Like always.”

Something glinted in the faux sunlight on the ledge of the pool by where we’d set our drinks.

It was a small coin, embossed with the Leo sigil.

CHAPTER TEN

I snatched it up and in doing so, made sure to knock over all of drinks with the back of my arm. Someone had been there, and we hadn’t seen them. They’d had plenty of access to our drinks, and I wasn’t going to risk it.

“Oh shit, sorry, you guys. Let me go get everyone some more drinks,” I said.

“No worries. I’ll get them. Gabe was up and headed toward the bar before any of us could protest.

“Was that on purpose?” Lila Jean asked.

“Yeah. Look.” I unfurled my fingers and showed them the coin.

“That’s weird.” Lila Jean craned her neck to get a better look. “It looks like it’s actually gold.”

“Who would leave a gold coin just lying around?” Presley asked. “That’s weird.”

“Act cool. We can study it at length back in the room later,” I said.

I was suddenly regretting my swimsuit choices. If I’d worn a traditional suit, I could have shoved the coin in my bra, but in this thing, I’d have to shove it up under the bottom of my shirt and that wasn’t going to happen on the sly.

When Gabe returned with our drinks, looking like a cabana boy for a bachelorette party, his eyes narrowed.

“What’s that?” He nodded to the coin in my hand.

I debated playing dumb, but I made the decision to show it to Gabe and see what he had to say. He was FBVI, right? If this was vampire-related, he’d know. Whether he’d share that information with me or not was another story. It was cool in my hand, but I found its weight heavy all the same. “I found it by our drinks.”

He dropped the platter of cocktails and snatched the coin out of my hand to quickly shove it in the pocket of his swim trunks. “We need to talk about this, but not here.”

Brooke sighed. “Is this what it’s going to be like dating you? Always with something interrupting our good time?” She took the blood cocktail and sipped. “It’s not a deal breaker. I just want to be prepared.”

“You’re dating?” Cornflake squeaked.

“Hush,” Lila Jean said. “We’ll tell you later.”

“I don’t know. I’m usually pretty boring,” I answered. “There’s the occasional slayage, but…” I shrugged.

“Come on,” Gabe said, grabbing my arm. “We’re too exposed here.”

I’d just gotten in the water. So far, I’d actually gotten to participate in twenty minutes of the reunion. Which I guess was a win, because I’d said I didn’t want to come. Except now that I was here, I kind of wanted to. More than that, I wanted to hang out with my friends. I’d never really had that luxury.

Of course, if I didn’t figure out what that Leo sigil meant, I might be short a few of my crew.

Gabe led me away from the group, and he pushed his way through crowds of people until we were in one of the connecting rivers and he kept going until we were in another pool that was empty except for us. The water was cooler here, darker somehow.

“You don’t have clearance, but I’m going to break protocol. Number one, I know we can trust you and I want to bring you in anyway. It would be best if you had all of the information. I think your life is in danger.”

“My life’s always in danger, Gabe.” I swam into the deeper end and let the cool water wash over me.

He followed. “No. I think the threat is more immediate. Do you know what that coin means?”

Obviously, I didn’t.

“That particular coin means someone in our group has been put up for auction, and considering the members of our little crew, you’re the most likely candidate.”

“But who are they? I’ve seen that sigil in other places.”

“Come here.” He put his hands around my waist and tugged me toward him.

I put my arms around his shoulders and let him tread water for the both of us. He leaned closer to my ear.

“They could have ears anywhere, Margie.”

“So tell me who they are.”

“They’re an elite group of vampires and wanna bes who procure stock for those with a particular taste.”

“Human trafficking,” I said, remembering Marc’s most recent op in Croatia.

“Aged slayer blood would go for millions.” He leaned even closer to me, if that was possible. “The slayer herself? Billions.”

“The threat of blood slavery has been hanging over my head since I first picked up a stake. They aren’t the first to try. I’m sure they won’t be the last.”

“Margie, you don’t understand. They’re organized now. They’ve infiltrated the highest levels of our government. For every vampire who moves through society and obeys human laws, there are those who think that vampires should dominate humans and treat them like livestock. They’re stronger, faster, a higher rung on the evolutionary ladder. The Great Reveal, for them, was just the start.”

Just because I knew what I was doing didn’t mean I wasn’t going to listen when someone who had experience tried to tell me something. “So what do you suggest I do?”

“That wasn’t sarcasm?” he asked, obviously surprised.

“No. FBVI is your gig. If you have some insight I can use, I’m all ears, Gabe.”

“I know you’ll want to protect your friends, but the best way to do that is to keep your distance. Especially from Marc.”

Could they have been going after me when they broke into Marc’s house? That didn’t make any sense, though. It was clear I didn’t live there. Anyone who had half a clue what they were doing would have done enough recon to know that.

“Look, I get that your first instinct is to tell me to go fuck myself. I get it. I’d feel the same if it were me. These are heavy hitters, Margie.” His dark eyes glittered with some unnamed emotion.

Excitement fluttered through me on butterfly wings. “When can I see the file? What do they call themselves?”

“Marge,” he started again.

“Hey, I listened. You said you were thinking about bringing me in. If you bring me in, I’m not alone. I have the whole FBVI at my back.”

“You’re really willing to work with us on this?”

I realized he was still so very close to me. Close enough that anyone watching would think it was an intimate moment and leave us alone. He was acting like this was some kind of cover, but I was experienced enough to know when someone wanted something from me. Gabe wanted more than just my consult on this case.

Earlier, I’d gotten the idea he was interested in something physical, but now I wasn’t so sure. I’d noticed he didn’t have any comment about Brooke and I dating. Not that we were, or anything.

“Come to my room tonight after the trivia competition. You remember where?”

“I remember.” His room wasn’t too far from Lindsey’s.

He didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t seem inclined to let me go.

“It’s too bad you didn’t want to take me swimming in high school,” I said, to test his response.

“I was a dumbass,” he said whispered in my ear. “A total dumbass.”

I’d been so caught up in our clandestine plots, that I hadn’t noticed the criss-crossing of scars across his shoulders and back.

I liked scars. I found them interesting, and I thought they said a lot about the person who bore them. Scars were proof of pain, yes, but more than that, they were proof of survival. Proof that whatever had tried to lay you low had failed.

“That’s some badge,” I said, and swept my thumb over his shoulder, mapping the topography of those long-healed wounds, reading the story of his suffering.

“Iraq,” he said. “I stumbled into a nest of vamps.”

“They didn’t bite you?” I inspected the scars more closely, mentally cataloguing the range and sizes of the weapons they’d have to use to make those kinds of scars.

“No, that nest was particularly old. Their nails were like dragon claws. They saved me.”

“Is that why you work for the FBVI? To help them?”

“Those that deserve it, yes.” He leaned in close to me again, his lips close to my ear. “I learned a lot in Iraq about vamps and humans. About myself.”

Things were getting too intense too fast. This was the part I was supposed to ask what he’d learned about himself and then he’d continue on with his story about his pain and he’d try to use it to get in my pants. I’d heard this song and dance before.

“We should probably get back to the others,” I said.

“Is that really what you want?” He pressed his lips to my cheek in a way that was oddly reverent. “None of them see you like I do, Margie. None of them know your true value.”

Yeah, I’d heard that before, too. “I guess I’m worth one gold coin.”

“Billions of them,” he whispered and pressed another kiss to my throat.

I felt nothing when he touched me. Any attraction that had simmered between us, at least for me, was long gone.

I needed the information he had and he didn’t seem inclined to give it to me unless I played along. He’d insisted I come to his room, and I knew where that led. He was going to try to get me to sleep with him. If the information wasn’t contingent on him getting what he wanted from me, he would have waited before making his grand announcement.

Well, I’d play along for now.

I pulled back from him and met his eyes. “The water’s pretty deep here, don’t you think?”

And I meant more than just the pool.

“I can do this all day,” he said. “This is an easy day at the gym.”

That was when I noticed he wasn’t winded at all, and he’d been treading water keeping us both afloat for some time.

I was worried about Brooke, Lila Jean, and even Cornflake out there by themselves. I needed to get this new information to Marc as well. I needed to hurry this up.

So I kissed him.

I’d surprised him. He was still under my lips, so much so that I pulled back. “What? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“Very much so. But I have to wonder why now?”

He was deflecting. Interesting. “Why now? Our lives are on the line. You brought me to a secluded place and started talking poetry about how you see me. Did I misread you?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“You just surprised me, is all. I thought I’d need to convince you how good we could be together.”

“I already told you I was willing to listen to new ideas,” I teased.

“It seems I’ve got you right where I want you, Margie. Yet somehow, I know I don’t.”

“What do you mean?” I made sure to look into his eyes, to press my body closer to his.

“You’re holding back.”

I arched a brow. “So are you.”

“Fair enough.”

He leaned in to kiss me again and I knew I had to put on a better show. I had to kiss him like I was dying, and he was the cure.

I had to kiss him the way I kissed Brooke.

I pretended the hard slant of his lips were soft, lush ones. I pretended that we were in the ladies' room again and her hands were in my hair and her sharp little fangs were scraping against my tongue.

The sound of giggling interrupted our interlude and wordlessly, we swam back toward the connecting river to take us to another pool.

I dove beneath the water and imagined it had scrubbed away the traces of him. I’d be going back for more tonight. I needed to get inside his room and see what all he knew he wasn’t telling me. I wasn’t about to let him parse out bits of information as he saw fit, pay for play.

Not when the people I loved were at risk.

He’d soon find out that there was no bridge too far when it came to my chosen family.

I swam back to where we’d left our group. Sharice and Cornflake had left, and it was only Lila Jean and Brooke. I noticed that Gabe didn’t follow me back.

“So what’s up?” Lila Jean asked.

“I need you guys to be extra careful, okay?” I looked at Brooke. “You too.”

“Moi?” She pointed to herself. “It’s nice to know you care.”

“Apparently, there’s some kind of fucked up blood trafficking ring, and Gabe thinks I’m the target,” I said.

“Gabe just wants to get you alone and scared to danger bone,” Brooke said.

“I guess Gabe doesn’t know her that well, does he?” Lila Jean asked. “Scared? Not since you were twelve.”

“I may have kissed him to let him think it was a possibility so he’ll cough up the info I need.”

Brooke raised a brow. “So wait, you think this is credible?”

“Yeah. You know that coin I found? I’ve been seeing that sigil everywhere. It was on a guy who was murdered in Hawthorne Park, on someone who tried to take Marc out, and now on that coin. Gabe says it means someone has bid on one of us.”

“To buy?” Brooke looked at me over her the red rims of her sunglasses. “Are you kidding me?”

Lila Jean nodded. “I think you need to activate the secret weapon.”

“Yeah, I’m going to text her to bring my kit. Gabe kept that damn coin. Which is just as well if it has some kind of tracking device in it. We’re supposed to talk more after Trivia.”

“Sounds like a plan. I don’t think any of us, including you, should be going anywhere by themselves,” Lila Jean said. “Not just at night.”

Brooke pushed her sunglasses up on the top of her head. “Darling, you do know that we can be out in the daylight.”

“I’m not a dumbass,” Lila Jean drawled.

“I didn’t say you were. Not being informed doesn’t make you a dumbass.” She sniffed. “I mean, maybe a little since everyone knows that now.”

“Ugh. Don’t vampsplain,” Lila Jean grumbled.

Brooke just threw her head back and laughed that deep, throaty, sexy laugh of hers.

But even that couldn’t mute the memory of the shadows I’d seen in the hallway. The skittering thing that was possibly living in the ventilation system of the hotel.

“You’re right. There’s more to this picture we haven’t seen yet. There are pieces missing, and I’m sure they’re deadly. Where are Sharice and Presley?”

“They’re picking out their outfits for Trivia,” Lila Jean supplied.

“I’m worried about Presley. I think Dallas is dead.”

“Maybe you can use Gabe to put pressure on local PD to file a missing persons?” Brooke suggested.

“I was already going to ask. I meant to have done it already.”

“I need to tell you both,” Lila Jean began. “I’ve heard some whispers that people still think Brooke killed Lindsey.”

“Oh, why? Because I’m the only vampire in the group?”

Lila Jean shrugged and leaned her elbows back on the ledge of the pool. “I mean, I guess? You were the last one to see her alive.”

“I have zero motive,” Brooke said. “Presley had more motive.”

“That detective thinks I did it,” I said. “Because Lindsey was contracting for the DoD with Marc.” I kicked my feet in the shallow water.

“That’s fucked. Did they have an affair?” Brooke asked.

“Not exactly, no.”

“Are you okay?” Brooke put her hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah, we talked about it. But I don’t understand why Lindsey was trying so hard to make everyone think she had an affair with Dallas. Oh shit! Almost forgot to tell you, Brooke, but Lindsey had a tattoo of that sigil behind her ear.”

“So that marking either means they work for the group,” Brooke began. “Or they’re property of the group. You know, the way they brand cattle?”

“I didn’t think of that!” Lila Jean blurted. “Didn’t you say that the guy who was murdered at Hawthorne Park had what you thought was a brand?”

“It could have been a tattoo or a brand,” I corrected.

“You know what this means?” Brooke asked.

“We need a get a look at that body,” I answered. “But there’s no way I’m getting past Sheriff Meekers.”

“Brooke could do it,” Lila Jean offered, closing her eyes and tilting her head up into the sun.

“You’re going to think I’m an asshole, but it actually sounds like fun.”

“The only thing Meekers hates more than me is vampires,” I said.

“Billy Ray Meekers is dumber than a box of hair and the only reason he keeps getting elected sheriff is because no one else wants the job. A vampire could bite his left ass cheek and he’d never know it,” Brooke said.

She was correct. I couldn’t count all the times he’d screwed up an op for me because he was determined to meddle in vampire affairs without an understanding of how things worked.

“So tonight, we’ve got a two-pronged attack. We put in an appearance at Trivia, then Lila Jean, you and Brooke will drive back to Leavenworth and get a better look at the Hawthorne Park body, and I’ll head to Gabe’s.”

Lila Jean smacked the back of my head.

“What the hell was that for?” I rubbed the spot where she’d clocked me.

“Didn’t we just say no one was to go anywhere by themselves, including you?” Lila Jean answered.

Brooke pursed her lips. “You did agree. I heard it.”

“I won’t be alone. I’ll have Gabe walk me.”

“I don’t like it,” Lila Jean replied and crossed her arms over her chest.

“To be fair, you don’t like anything,” Brooke said.

“I like lots of things. Just not things that put my bestie in danger.” Lila Jean shoved my shoulder.

“I hear you, I do. Only right now, what are our choices?”

“Trivia. Morgue. Then Gabe. We can be in and out. And you can stop and grab your kit.”

Brooke grinned. “She’s got a point.”

“Counterpoint: if the trafficking ring is after me, it puts you both in more danger. I don’t want to be absent from the hotel that long. What if they come looking for me?”

Lila Jean knew we were at an impasse. I didn’t like to worry her, but it was best if I stayed more visible. Then they wouldn’t be looking to put a target on the backs of the people I loved.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I checked the daycare app to make sure Vlad was still getting along okay. I missed his big head. I had the overwhelming urge to go kiss him. I made myself a note to check with Emily and see if she freelanced. She was so good with him and that would solve part of my issue with hanging out my own shingle.

He and Mina were chasing each other around the dog run and having a grand time. He stopped to look up at the camera, as if he knew I was watching him, and his mouth hung open and he panted happily.

I was going to be on my deathbed by the time he passed that ring, I was sure of it. At least in that eventuality, no one could blame Vlad for eating anyone. Of course, I didn’t want to spend the next forty years picking through his poop.

Obviously, I’d do it, but I wouldn’t be happy about it.

I’d had my fingers on my phone to text Ryder, but I didn’t want her anywhere this hotel. Not until I slayed the shit out of these traffickers. I’d have to use other means. I had both Marc and Gabe at my disposal and between them, they had to be able to get me the supplies I needed.

Lila Jean and I met Brooke, and Cornflake outside the small ballroom. The place looked like it had been decorated by teenagers, which was Cornflake’s intent, so I’d say it was mostly a hit.

Until she wrinkled her nose looking at the hashtag who remembers poster. “I really should have thought that one through a bit more.”

Lila Jean giggled. “Whore members.”

“Whore members,” Presley repeated with a sigh.

“Are you okay?” Lila Jean asked her.

“I know I’m not supposed to be, but I think I am.” Presley wore a thoughtful expression.

“You’re supposed to be whatever you are,” Brooke said helpfully. “You’re allowed to feel whatever you feel.”

Presley looked down at her shoes. “Even if I’m hoping for the worst?”

Her confession didn’t surprise me. She wasn’t happy with Dallas. I knew that she wasn’t wishing him dead, she was just wishing to be done.

“Honey,” Brooke said. “It’s not the worst if you’re hoping for it.”

“I feel awful that I don’t feel awful.”

“Oh, lemme just squeeze past ya…” an unfamiliar voice said, and the woman pushed through our group, followed by two other couples, inside the event room.

We waited for them to pass, and then Presley continued. “You know, it’s been like that scene from War of the Roses where she’s thinking her husband died and she’s not sad. She’s thinking about all the crap she’ll never have to put up with again. She’s not glad he’s dead, but she’s glad to be free.”

I could understand that. I’d felt it about myself. After Austin, the Council thought I was dead. For a moment, I’d let myself consider what that meant for me. It was like the start of my new life.

No, it hadn’t been like the start of my new life, it had been the start of my new life. I’d retired and then I’d married Marc.

“Of course, now that I said it, he probably is actually dead and some asshole heard me and is going to report me and I’m not going to get any of the life insurance payout.” Presley’s eyes widened. “That makes me sound even worse.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Lila Jean reassured her. “It makes you sound practical. Women have to think about those kinds of things and what they mean for us and our children. I mean, what would you do to support your kids if Dallas was dead?”

Presley nodded slowly. “He basically has to be at this point, doesn’t he? Or he just abandoned me and the kids. Me, he might. But those kids were his pride and joy. He’d never just leave for a business trip and not come back.”

“At least you believe me now that I’m not having an affair with your husband,” Brooke replied.

“I guess I do owe you an apology.” Then her eyes narrowed. “Speaking of apologies, where is Sharice?”

“She texted me she was going home early. She was too upset about what happened to Lindsey and with Dallas missing…” Brooke shrugged.

“It’s interesting, you know?” Presley said. “Back in school, if any of us had a hangnail, the whole world stopped. Lindsey is dead, and everything is carrying on as if it never happened.”

“It puts things into perspective, even for our small town,” Brooke said. “Although, I haven’t really recognized a lot of people. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t pay close enough attention.”

“I did,” Presley said. “I hand-lettered every single invitation.”

“We should probably get our table and claim our team name,” Lila Jean said as another group pushed through us. “Or we could at least get out of the middle of the door.”

“I organized the thing. If I want to stand in the middle of the doorway, I will.” Presely sniffed indignantly.

“That’s the hill you’re going to die on?” I asked her. Reaching for my water bottle, I realized I hadn’t brought it. Not that there was water in it anyway.

Wordlessly, Brooke handed me a flash.

“No.” She pouted. “I just want thing to make sense. I want to be in control of something. Anything. The only thing I can control right now is where I stand.”

Lila Jean rubbed her arm. “Oh honey.”

“Come one. Let’s go win this shit. What’s the prize?” Brooke asked.

“A wine club membership,” Presley answered, her voice almost drowned out by the roaring din inside the room.

“Sounds right up my alley,” Lila Jean said, peering inside

“I’ll catch up with you guys in a minute. I’m gonna hit the ladies,” I said.

Lila Jean narrowed her eyes at me and I pointed to the sign immediately to the left of us.

“It’s right there. Come with me if you want.” A shiver slid down my back. If something was living in the vent shafts, was it looking down in the bathrooms, too? Of course, I had to pee so badly that I didn’t care.

Even being a stepmom meant that I didn’t get to go to the bathroom by myself. Ever. After the Great Reveal, and the attack that took Allison, Ryder hadn’t wanted to be alone at all the first year. She’d insisted I go everywhere with her, and that she go everywhere with me. Even to the bathroom.

But I hadn’t minded so much. It was what she’d needed to feel safe and normal. It wasn’t like it had been a big sacrifice. I’d peed in all manner of places while dispensing my duties. In the wild, on the back of a Vespa running from vampire mobsters in Greece, and once when a vamp punched me so hard in my kidneys, I peed blood right there. So if Creepy McShit wanted to watch me pee, I didn’t give a pig’s damn.

“I know you only said that because you think I won’t,” Lila Jean huffed.

“I know you. I know you absolutely will go in there with me. But really, I’m sure I’ll be fine. You guys go ahead and get our seats.”

I turned and headed into the restroom.

As soon as the outer door closed behind me, the music and chatter coming from the event room hushed to almost nothing, and the fluorescent lights overhead began to flicker. I could see the long-dead corpses of roaches in the light covers. So much for The Jewel of the Midwest. The least they could do was vacuum that out.

I knew they couldn’t be trusted with that shoddy selection of ranch.

The grate to the air vent creaked open, swinging on its hinges, and that’s when I knew shit was about to go down.

I was grateful I’d dressed in my usual fare of a concert t-shirt, stretchy jeans, and my specially modified Doc Martens.

Those Docs came into contact with flesh, and they’d deploy a silver blade that worked for all intents and purposes just like a stake. Silver fucked up most anything supernatural. I liked to cast a wide net, just in case.

An oily shadow slipped from the darkness above and that flickering light gave up the ghost, dumping me in total darkness with that thing. I ran to the door, but it wasn’t to escape. I turned the lock and broke it off, locking myself inside with the thing.

I didn’t know what it was, but it wasn’t getting past me, and it was leaving one of two ways that didn’t involve that door. Either the way it came, or dead, and I didn’t care which.

I was certain it didn’t know what I was, because if it did, then it would know I could see in the dark and cutting that light gave it zero advantage.

Moving through the darkness, I sensed the unholy presence of its “otherness.” It filled the space with a malevolence that skittered up my spine like spiders.

“Come on, fucker. Let’s dance.”

It obliged me, launching itself at my throat, wrapping around me like a boa constrictor. I broke its hold, and aimed a roundhouse kick center mass and sent it flying. It connected with the wall with a solid thumb, and then it hissed, and snapped, seeking purchase with long, dripping fangs.

I wasn’t sure what this was, and I didn’t know if it had ever been human. It seemed to be made of shadow and rage.

It was faster than I was, but not stronger. I waited for it to strike again, and when it did, I grabbed it by the throat.

However, it surprised me by unhinging its jaw to clamp its railroad spike fangs around my wrist. I prepared myself for the pain, but there was none. Its teeth hadn’t been able to penetrate my skin.

“Haha, fucker!”

It struck again and again, but to no avail. I couldn’t afford to be too smug, because I couldn’t get another good grip on the slippery little shit. It seemed to melt right out of my grasp and disappear into the shadows, only to reconstitute and attack again.

“Margie!” Lila Jean yelled, and I heard the door rattle as she tried to pry it open.

“Margie’s not available. Leave a message and she’ll get back to you,” I said as I swiped another roundhouse kick at the thing. The silver seemed to bother it, but not enough to make it run from me.

Something heavy crashed through the door, spilling bright light inside and illuminating the room. That caused the thing to hiss again, and to scurry back up into the ventilation system, closing the door behind it.

“Shit.” I ran over to stand under the vent and I saw a flash of red eyes watching me before they disappeared into the darkness. I jumped up on the sink, and then from there, I jumped up to grab onto the vent, but it didn’t open for me.

Whatever it was, it knew exactly what it was doing.

I dropped back down to the floor and I saw Brooke standing in that doorway, haloed in light, with her eyes red as blood and her fangs down. She was ready for a fight.

“What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know yet,” I told her.

Lila Jean emerged from behind her. “That was disgusting,” she said.

“Filthy,” Brooke agreed with a shudder. “I’d have tried to help Margie kick its ass, though.”

“Thanks, you guys.”

“What, like we’re going to let you do this on your own? Please.” Brooke retracted her fangs.

“Is Presley still inside?” I asked them, dusting the minuscule bits of flotsam off my jeans.

“Yeah, she’s having a grand time. Marc is at our table,” Lila Jean said. “If you wanted to wash monster off your hands and join us.”

“Has Gabe made an appearance, yet?”

“I saw him sitting with Todd Cowan and some of the other guys,” Brooke said.

“Todd Cowan.” Lila Jean rolled her eyes. “What was I thinking?”

“Hey, to be fair, he was pretty cute in school. I mean, if you’re into that kind of thing.” Brooke grinned. “But listen. Sharice told us he doesn’t go down, so why bother?”

“Wow, I’m so glad I saved myself that waste of time,” Lila Jean said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

We all paused, and I was sure it was consider the value or lack thereof, of sex with men who didn’t lunch at the happy clam. An exercise in futility for me, that was for sure.

That was something else I was going to miss about Marc. His superior skills as a “cunning linguist so to speak.” He knew just how to touch me, even after ten years, to rearrange my brain cells. And my guts.

I went to the sink, and realized I had stains on my hands that looked like ink. “Eww. Guys.” I held up my hands.

“It’s like it was some kind of vampire shadow squid or something.” Lila Jean wrinkled her nose.

“So gross.” I looked up at the ceiling. “Thanks, you piece of shit.” I held my hands out. “Anyone have something to put some of this in? Maybe we can send it to the Council lab and see what it is.”

“Why does fighting evil always have to involve slime?” Lila Jean asked. “This isn’t the first time, you know. There was that poltergeist. Then the mucus demon…”

“Wait. Wait. Wait.” Brooke shook her head. “Mucus demon? And how in the hell do you fight a poltergeist? It doesn’t have a physical body.”

I shrugged. “That was what we were doing on actual Prom night. So I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t have a date.”

“Honestly? You didn’t miss anything but awkward, sticky fumblings in the back of someone’s daddy’s Camaro,” Brooke said as she turned to look in the mirror and fix an errant strand of hair no one could see but her.

“See? I knew it,” Lila Jean replied. “I knew it was one of those rituals we’d been taught was so important, but really, what’s it good for except putting expectations on young people to have sex.”

“When you called them ‘young people’, you aged yourself by ninety years,” Brooke said. “I saw it happen. Your hair just turned white and you were chasing kids off your lawn with a stick.”

“A boom stick,” she agreed.

“Back to the topic at hand.” I wiggled my hands at them and the slime jiggled, but stayed in place.

“Oh, right.” Lila Jean dug in her purse and pulled out an empty pill bottle with the label scraped off. She held it out to me and we managed to get some of the black goop into the bottle.

“You just had that in your purse?” Brooke asked.

“Hang out with us long enough, and you’d be surprised at the things you keep in your bag.” She pulled out a baggie and sealed the pill bottle inside. “One order of goop ready to be shipped to the Council.”

Brooke turned on the water for me and, unfortunately, it did nothing to remove the crap from my hands.

“It didn’t like the light, right?” Brooke dug out her cellphone and used the flashlight app to hit the gunk with a blast of light.

It seemed that it found even artificial light to be anathema and it the stuff dissolved like it had been hit with acid.

I noticed now in the light, there were red places on my skin where it had tried to bite me and both Lila Jean and Brooke noticed them, too.

“Are you okay?” Lila Jean asked. “Did it bite you?”

“He tried to bite me, but he didn’t break the skin.” I grinned. “It’s a new power, I think. I got thicker skin.”

“It only took you twenty years,” Brooke teased.

“I know, right?” I grinned wider. “I think it’s just poetic justice that now that I’m older and wiser, I got almost impenetrable skin.”

“One would think,” Brooke drawled. “That a vampire slayer would be born with bitey-resistant skin.”

“Design flaw,” I said.

“What do we do now? Should we head out to the morgue?” Lila Jean asked.

“You know, I kind of want to go play some trivia. Ten minutes?” I found myself actually wanting to participate in the reunion.

“Look at you, balancing normal and slayer life,” my best friend teased. “Taking time to smell the corpses.”

“That’s not the visual you wanted, was it?” I cringed.

“No, not really. But it happened.” She shrugged.

“Let’s go kick some trivia ass.” Brooke shook her fist in the air.

This turn of events made me think that maybe this was what a normal life looked like.

It was all I’d ever wanted, but I wasn’t normal. So my normal wouldn’t look like anyone else’s. Maybe that was okay.

And maybe, I’d been trying too hard to force Marc and me both into boxes that fit neither of us.

I’d have to tell him that after this was all over.

We still had miles to go to solve these murders, and to get everyone I loved in the clear, but I knew I could do it.

Everything was going to be okay.

CHAPTER TWELVE

If my life had a narrator, it would Samuel L. Jackson, and not just because I needed two scoops of “motherfucker” when it came to describing anything that happened to me.

Right now, he’d be saying, “Everything, was not, in fact, okay. Motherfucker.”

In fact, everything was about to go from shit and ass to worse.

The three of us went back into the event room and to our table.

Marc mouthed, “You okay?”

I nodded and pantomimed staking, and he nodded. I could smell his cologne. He wore fuckboy scents, but I had to admit, there was something about them that turned me into a zombie. I’d follow it anywhere. I leaned closer to sniff him.

“Woman,” he whispered.

“Hey, if you wear the manwhore spray…”

He grabbed my hand and squeezed, but it wasn’t my paw that felt the pressure, it was my heart. Stupid. I shouldn’t be sniffing my ex. He shouldn’t be holding my hand. Not when he didn’t want the same things I did.

The emcee for the night was Brian Kildare, and it suited him. He was a radio talk show host and he was always hamming it up, so he was actually pretty good at the announcing gig. We’d missed a good portion of the game, so even if we got all of the answers right, from here until the end, our team still wouldn’t be in the running for the grand prize, but that was okay.

“Okay, guys,” Brian said. “Now, we’re ready for the next question. Who was voted most likely to go bald before graduating college? No cheating now. Was it Todd Cowan, Dallas Dunderman, or…” He looked down at his card and then back out at the audience. “Me?”

The crowd laughed, but something curled awful and heavy in my gut.

“Timer’s running out,” Brian announced. “Did you write your answers down?”

Somewhere, a phone alarm jingled.

“Sounds like time’s up. Ready for the big reveal?” Brian grinned.

I jumped up from the table, something about his verbiage kicked off all the alarm bells in my head, but it was too late.

Brian had already clicked the button on the curtain that would reveal the answer. Without looking, he said, “It was Dallas Dunderman!”

The crowd gave a collective gasp, and someone screamed.

Brian’s smile froze on his face, he didn’t understand what had happened, but he hadn’t looked at where there was supposed to be a screen that revealed his answer.

Instead, it revealed Dallas Dunderman.

He was nude, suspended from the ceiling by his feet, with his throat torn out and the Leo sigil tattoo behind his ear.

I grabbed Presley and tucked her face against my chest, but from the way she grabbed me, I knew it was too late. She’d already seen him.

It reminded me of what Brooke had said about branding cattle. That’s definitely what this had been.

People had started to panic, some were running for the doors, but we needed to keep the scene intact. This display had been designed to evoke this kind of response, so the best thing we could do was not give it to the perp.

I looked to Marc, who understood my unspoken plea, and instead of going up to the stage himself, he pulled Presley from my arms and into his, and she clung to his solid, safe strength. I ran up to the stage where Brian was still holding the mic, and his eyes were wide and frozen. He was going into shock.

Lila Jean followed me up to the stage and she knew just what to do. It reminded me yet again that my crew was a powerhouse. Lila Jean was actually magic. She had to be.

The lights were bright, and all eyes were on me, which wasn’t something I’d ever gotten used to. Taking the mic, I began, “If I could have your attention?”

Surprisingly, everyone turned to look at me. Even those people who had their hands on the door.

“Hi, you guys might remember me from school. You might not. But most of you know my face. It was everywhere after the Great Reveal.”

There were murmurs among the crowd.

“I know this is scary, and I know it looks like a vampire did this.”

More murmurs answered me. Somewhere in the back of the room, I could hear someone crying.

“We’re not going to judge a book based on its cover, or a murder based on first impressions.”

“What are we going to do?” Marc demanded in his deep, soothing baritone.

I loved him for that response. He knew how to handle a crowd in a crisis.

“We’re going to help the police by waiting calmly at our tables for them to arrive. This helps them by keeping the crime scene intact, giving them an accurate account of who was here and, more importantly, who wasn’t. It’ll narrow down their list of suspects and we’ll help them catch this killer faster.”

“We’re not safe,” another voice yelled.

“You’re safer in here with me than you are out there without me.” I gave them a half-grin I hoped they found endearing. “I’m Margie Majors, and I’m a slayer. I’ve been kicking rogue vamp ass for more than twenty years.” I straightened my spine and squared my shoulders. “I’m the only known slayer to have survived to middle age. I saved entire cities during the Great Reveal. People I didn’t know. So what do you think I would do for those I love who are here in this room?”

I was pretty proud of that speech. It made me sound like a total badass.

“I promise you, I’ll keep you safe until the police arrive and can do their job. There’s still an open bar. We’ll get everyone some cocktails and we’re all going to wait at our tables until we can be questioned.” I met several people’s gazes in the audience. “Me too.”

It wasn’t long before hotel security swarmed the doors, and not long after that, the police arrived.

Of course, the detective in charge was that angry one from the day before who was determined I was to blame for Lindsey’s murder.

When she saw me, the first thing she said was, “Of course, you’re here.”

“Of course I am. It’s my high school reunion.”

“From hell,” she added.

“From hell,” I agreed easily.

“Yet, I’m not surprised. We got a tip this morning that we’d find Dallas Dunderman dead, and that you killed him.”

“Why am I the murderer this time? Was Dallas supposed to be having an affair with my husband too?”

“We’ll question you first all the same,” she said.

Well, fuck. I definitely wasn’t getting to Gabe’s room tonight. They’d already decided I was their guy. I could still push them off to the Guild and the Council, but that wouldn’t help them find Dallas’s killer. So I followed her to a small conference room.

Once inside, she offered me something to drink, but I declined.

“Everyone was surprisingly calm. Was that your work?” the detective asked me.

“I guess it was, yeah. I wanted to preserve the scene so you could get an accurate head count of who was there. A couple people might’ve slipped out, but we did the best we could,” I said, proud of my crew.

“We? You mean your friends?”

Who the fuck else would I mean? I hated the way that when people were in charge of something they liked to beat you about the head and face with their authority by asking questions they already knew the answer to, as if it were some kind of test.

“Obviously.” I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, but I just didn’t have the patience. We had a murder to solve.

Actually, we had several.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name.”

“Detective Tasha Weaving.”

She pulled out another one of those yellow tablets.

“Why don’t you save us both the time and confess? We already know that it was you and your vampire friend.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard. Why would you…” I blew out a puff of air. “Okay. So why? What possible motive could I have?”

“To make yourself relevant again.”

“Excuse the fuck out of me?” I said, leaning forward and bracing my arms on the table.

“I do believe you heard me. You’re middle-aged. You’re slowing down. Your life is in a tailspin. Everything is falling apart. I understand. The husband you gave up your career for is leaving you for another woman. The world has forgotten you—”

“—They obviously haven’t, as indicated by the crowd in the event room. But yeah, do go on. Or don’t. I was a slayer long before the Great Reveal. I operated in the shadows. I was trained to live quietly, and to die quietly. I don’t need accolades. In fact, it’s better in my line of work if I’m anonymous. My face on CNN was not something I was gunning for.”

“Maybe not,” she said. “But you’re drowning in debt. What better way than to get some endorsements, make yourself out to be some kind of superhero.”

“Why would anyone help me do that?”

“Your vampire has her own reasons. We’re testing her saliva now and I can tell you that my gut says it’s going to be hers.”

“Your little tipster, you know them well? What’s their motive for wanting to take a slayer offline? That’s something you should consider.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Further, this place? It’s got an infestation of something I’ve never seen before. So you want to haul me off to jail? That’s fine. I’ll be fine. But will you?” I fixed her with a pointed look.

“You’re not the only slayer, and now we have the FBVI. See? You’re irrelevant.”

“Wouldn’t that be great?” I smiled. “I could have a life. I could go to Fiji on vacation and not worry that the world was going to fall apart.”

A knock sounded on the door, and I turned to see Gabe.

“I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong woman here, Tasha.” He put a file down on the table in front of her. “Margie is consulting for the FBVI on this case. She’s not a suspect.”

I knew then that was exactly the wrong thing to say and to do.

“In my jurisdiction, I’ll question who I please about what I please. The evidence adds up, and we have an informant willing to testify that they heard Margie Majors and Brooke Wellington plotting his death,” Detective Weaving said.

“That’s an outright lie. You got a lie detector? I’ll take it right now.”

Gabe rolled his eyes. “Number one, you don’t have to. It’s not admissible as evidence in this jurisdiction. Two, even if you did, since you’re consulting for the FBVI, you have immunity. And three, Margie, you’re an expert at regulating your body. You can slow down your heartrate to fool a Master Vampire, a lie detector test doesn’t really even register, now does it?”

“I’m just so frustrated,” I confessed, hoping to find some common ground.

“Murder will do that,” the detective said.

“No, actually, it won’t. If I was pissed off enough to take someone out, it would be a good day. I wouldn’t be frustrated, or upset. I’d be having a good time.”

“Margie,” Gabe admonished. “Maybe not the best thing to say when you’re accused of murder?”

He was probably right. “Well, I mean, come on.”

“Are we done here?” Gabe said.

“No.”

“I was trying to give you your dignity, Officer Weaving.” Gabe’s tone lightened, as if he were talking to a child.

“Detective,” she corrected.

I knew he’d done that on purpose just to piss in her oatmeal, but it rubbed me the wrong way. He sure did flash that badge with ease for something that was supposed to be on the down-low.

“Margie?” she said.

“What now?”

“Don’t leave the hotel. We’re on lockdown until the scenes have been processed.”

“She’ll stay if she chooses to stay. As I said, Margie is now with the FBVI.” He opened the door and led me out.

Only it wasn’t the reprieve I’d hoped for. I saw Brooke in handcuffs. A thousand emotions hit me at once.

“What’s this?” I cried.

“They said they found my venom in his wounds. My DNA. I didn’t, Margie. I swear, I didn’t.” She lifted her chin high, but her lip trembled.

I believed her. I would have believed her before we had our hot and heavy makeout session. I knew she wouldn’t do that.

“I know.”

“Call my lawyer. The number is in my bag at the table with Lila Jean. And Mina!”

“I will.”

“Must be nice having a slayer in your back pocket,” the cop said as he jerked her forward.

If she hadn’t been a vampire, he would’ve dislocated her shoulder.

Gabe said nothing, and did nothing to help her the way he’d helped me. Not that it surprised me, but I’d hoped he’d help her.

“I’ll get you out. I swear.”

She nodded and he dragged her down the hallway, a contingent of officers surrounding them like they thought she was some kind of Hannibal Lecter.

Vampire laws were different than human laws. If a vampire was convicted in a court of law of murder, it was an immediate death sentence. It was one of the laws humans had required to allow them to co-exist.

There was no way in hell I was going to let that happen to Brooke.

Gabe dragged me away from the scene. “Come on. Quickly.”

I followed him to the elevators and down to his room, texting Lila Jean on the way to call Brooke’s lawyer and have them meet her. She’d handle it, and bring Marc up to date.

Once we were inside, Gabe locked the door, and engaged in extra security measures.

“The Order of Leocadia,” he began. “That’s what these traffickers call themselves.”

“Why did you have to wait until now to tell me that?”

“I’m sorry, I had to get clearance.”

“They tattoo their prey. Brand them like livestock,” I said. “What else?”

“The bid is definitely on you, Margie. It’s over a million dollars.”

“Shit, I might turn myself in to them for a million dollars.”

“Don’t even joke about it. They have people everywhere.” He looked into my eyes for a long moment. “Everywhere.”

“I’ve had a price on my head before.” I shrugged as if it didn’t matter. As if it was business as usual.

“Not like this. They… they were content to leave you alone when you were young because slayer blood doesn’t come into its power until around forty. It’s rich with flavor, and it carries with it all of the power of the slayer. If you have super strength, it doubles the vampire’s strength. If you have power in your voice, it gives the vampire seduction.”

“Did you just make a tabletop roleplaying reference?”

“Hey, you knew I was a nerd just like you.” He smiled softly. “But I need to know that you’re taking this seriously.”

“I am taking it seriously, Gabe. I swear.

“Good. I want to stay close to me so I can help protect you.” He held up his hand. “And before you argue, I know that someone tried to break into Marc’s house.”

“How did you know that?”

“I have my ways. I can’t tell you yet, but I will. You just have to trust me.”

“That doesn’t come easily for me, Gabe.” I shoved my hands in my pockets.

“I know.”

I pressed my lips together. “I will on one condition.”

“Marge, there’s nothing I can do for Brooke. They found her venom in Dallas’s wounds. All the lawyers, all the money, all the FBVI resources in the world can’t save her. I know it’s harsh, but it’s better to cut your losses.”

“People aren’t expendable,” I said, angry at the things he said.

I knew he was right. If this has been only about a tactical advantage, cutting my losses was the right thing to do, but I’d never just been about tactics and numbers.

Whatever it cost me, I would always follow my heart.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I spent an awkward night with Gabe after asking Emily if she could dogsit Vlad and Mina overnight. After explaining what had happened, she’d been more than willing to help out. She was an angel sent from heaven. Lila Jean, Marc, and Presley all spend the night together in Presley’s suite, which had comforted me greatly to know they were all together and looking out for each other.

Sleep had eluded me in Gabe’s room. We’d spent long hours going over the files, and when we’d gone to bed, he’d taken the floor.

Not that I wanted him in the bed, but the way he’d acted before, like every tidbit of information he shared with me was reliant on what he could get out of me. He’d said he’d been waiting on clearance, but I knew in my bones that was a lie.

I just wasn’t sure why he was lying to me. He’d wanted me in his room awfully bad and then when he got me there, he didn’t ask for whatever it was he wanted.

And I couldn’t stop thinking about Brooke. I hoped she was okay. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get her out, but I would. I’d promised, and I kept my promises. If only I could figure out who their informant was and why they’d lie.

All of the pieces of the puzzle were on the board, but I still wasn’t sure how they fit together and I needed to figure it out damn quick.

My brain whirred all night, and when morning came, I was no closer to an answer than I had been the night before.

Which I’d admit, pissed me off. That certain something that wriggled in the back of my brain like a stray maggot was so close to putting this together.

When it was finally dawn, I got up and gathered my things, taking the files he’d spread out for me, and went back to my room for a quick shower before I walked Vlad. I needed to see my good boy and hug his heavy bulk to ground me in the real. His velvet coat was the perfect hiding place. I could bury my face in the back of his neck and shut out everything but dog. With Vlad, everything was good. Everything was pure.

Emily met me in the lobby and we went to one of the indoor parks to walk him and Mina. He didn’t stop to have his way with a single thing along the way.

“Is he feeling okay?” I asked her.

“Oh, you noticed that, too?” Emily nodded knowingly. “He’s made use of his love pillow, but other than that, he hasn’t really had too much of a problem. I think he’s been using up all of his energy with Mina.”

“Are they…” Could vampire dogs get pregnant? I imagined vampire poobulls, and the imagery brought me so much joy.

“No. I don’t think so? I watch them fairly closely, but not every second. So I couldn’t say for sure they haven’t, but I haven’t seen it.”

“For a second, I was thinking how cute a litter of vampire poobulls would be.”

“They would be the cutest thing ever,” Emily agreed.

Vlad whined, and Mina nosed at his head, as if offering comfort.

“What’s wrong, Buddy?” Oh no. There had been murders in the hotel. My dog was about to lose his mind. “Keep it together, sweetpea. You can’t. Oh, please don’t.”

He whined again.

“What’s wrong with him? Do you think he’s finally passing that ring you were telling me about?” Emily asked.

“You know there have been some murders in the hotel? Murder scenes do something to his biology. He flips shit.”

“Uh oh,” Emily said.

I grabbed hold of the leash and harness and hoped against hope that my strength would be enough to keep him under control.

He howled this time, and it wasn’t a sound I’d ever heard from him before, not even the other times we’d accidentally come across a murder scene and he’d lost his mind. His guts burbled, and he let out a fart that rumbled like a freight train.

Oh God, no.

Poor Vlad began shaking all over and Mina stepped back from him and darted behind Emily’s legs. I grabbed him and pressed him against me, making sure I still had a good grip on his leash. Sometimes, my heartbeat and my scent could calm him down.

“It’s okay, honey. It’s gonna be okay.”

He started tearing at the ground, trying to dig through the solid cement underneath us, and I realized we must be right on top of one of the scenes. I felt like the worst dog mom on the planet. I hadn’t even considered his condition.

If I couldn’t get him to stop, he might actually dig through the concrete.

I wonder what kind of charges I’d catch for that.

I whispered soft, soothing words to Vlad, and my little guy was trying so hard, but he couldn’t help it.

His stomach rumbled again, and I realized my poor pupper’s ass sounded like a tornado that had just touched down. The sound was almost deafening. People were pressing their palms over their ears and taking cover.

Which was probably the best solution for all involved because I had a feeling that ring was going to shoot out of his ass like a shit-covered bullet.

Another low, eerie howl burbled forth and he mule-kicked, lifted up his back legs, as if they were hydraulics. Then, just as I’d suspected, a missile shot out of his ass, and to my misfortune, clocked Detective Weaving right in the middle of her forehead.

It was like those shoot the duck carnival games where you shot the target on a metal duck with a BB and knocked it smooth the fuck over. That’s what happened to Detective Weaving.

Vlad’s ass-BB had clocked her square on target and knocked her out.

Only it must have been some kind of instinct, but her hand shot out and snatched the ring out of the air as she fell.

“Oh, fuck.”

Vlad slowly began to quiet, and he looked down at the big hole he’d made through the first layer of concrete and then back up at me, as if to say, “Sorry.”

“I know.” I held him close. “We need to get out of here.”

That woman would have nothing good for my dog, and I wasn’t about to stand around and find out how she felt about vampire dogs.

“I know where to go,” Emily said.

But it was too late. Police surrounded us, and they were ripping Vlad out of my arms. I saw he was about to struggle, he’d bite them if he thought they were going to hurt me.

Then I remembered Mina’s vampire powers and I tried to communicate with her. I begged her to tell Vlad not to fight them. They’d put him down on the spot.

I had no idea if it worked or not, but Vlad, for whatever reason, allowed them to crate him.

“Smart dog,” Detective Weaver said, standing over us, a shit smear still in the middle of her forehead.

It wasn’t the smear that mattered. It was the ring she held in her hand that was still, unfortunately, on a half-digested pinky finger.

“I’ve got you,” she said, with unabashed glee. “Dead to rights, slayer.”

“Not my dog,” I said quietly.

“He’s an abomination and if the DNA on this finger matches the case I think it will, you’re fucked.”

Abomination? I grit my teeth to hold my venom back. I knew better than to make threats where people could hear me, but I swore on all that was holy, if they hurt Vlad, I’d make her pay. I’d destroy her career. Her personal life. I’d make it my life’s mission to make her wish she was dead.

“Nothing to say?” she goaded.

Emily tucked Mina farther behind her legs, as if protecting her from the detective.

“I have plenty to say, but I’ll do it when you have more motivation to listen,” I promised.

“Was a threat?”

“Hmm. Let’s see. What constitutes a credible threat? I do believe that by law, if any reasonable person would be afraid. I also have to have the means and opportunity to carry out that threat. What exactly did I threaten you with? I said I would speak when you were motivated to listen. There is no implicit threat in that sentence.”

I hated her in that moment. I hated her in a way I’d never hated another human being in all of my life. Not when I’d been bullied in school. Not when I’d fought off Kincaid. Never.

Now, it burned in my veins like lava.

I stuck my fingers into the crate and Vlad licked them.

“You’re going to be okay, baby. I promise.”

I’d been making a lot of promises I had yet to follow through on, but I would, I swore to myself.

I watched them carry Vlad off and scenarios played through my head. I could kick all of their asses and take him to Mexico, but that would mean facing Council and Guild justice, and I’d end up losing Vlad anyway.

“Hey, Defective.”

“Nice,” she said, referring to my obviously on-purpose mispronunciation. “What?”

“You’ve got a little something.” I pointed to her head where the shit smear was still visible.

“Fuck,” she grumbled and swiped at it with the back of her hand.

“Shithead,” Emily said under her breath.

“I’ve got to get him back,” I said aloud.

“You will. We’ll figure something out.”

It occurred to me that this weekend had been comprised of basically all of my worst fears.

I was afraid that my marriage was over. It was.

I was afraid that someone would try to take Vlad from me. They did.

I was afraid that I’d be helpless to stop either of those things from happening.

Now, they were here and they were just as awful as I imagined they’d be.

Yet, I refused to be helpless. There was always a way. My choices weren’t always ideal, but I did have a choice.

A plan had started to form in the back of my mind, and I wasn’t sure where it would take me. Something I’d learned during my long career as a slayer was that I couldn’t second guess myself. I had to make my choices based on the information available and trust that I’d made the best choice I could have.

Even if it all went to shit in the end.

That’s all any of us can do, and regret is absolutely useless.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t sorry for how some of the choices I’d made had impacted other people. I never wanted to hurt anyone who didn’t have it coming, but I couldn’t say I’d choose differently. There was a reason I’d made those choices to begin with. To look at it any other way would drive me insane with what-ifs and regret.

Who did that regret serve? No one. Least of all me.

Emily put her hand on my shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“I will make it okay. Somehow.”

Suddenly, something that Gabe said sparked in my mind. He’d said that the Order of Leocadia had members everywhere. I just had to wonder if maybe Defective Shithead belonged to the order.

Otherwise, how would she know what the pinky ring meant?

She could’ve taken Vlad into custody based on the fact the ring had still been on a human bone, but that wasn’t the detail she’d honed in on. She’d said it matched a missing persons’ case.

Marc and I had checked the police databases for any hint of our guy, and there’d been none.

So, where had her information come from if not from the Order?

Another piece of the puzzle down.

“I’m sorry, Emily. I need to go. You’ve got Mina until we get this all figured out?” I reached down and scratched the poodle behind her ears and she put her face in my hand. She seemed to be telling me that Emily was right, it was all going to be okay.

Or maybe that she trusted me to make it okay?

“Such a good girl for Miss Emily.”

Mina perked her ears and then lifted her chin as if to say, “But of course.”

If a dog could epitomize those Grey Poupon commercials from the 80s, it would be Mina Wellington.

I stopped by Arthur Bryant’s to get some burnt ends and fries, and thankfully, they had good ranch dressing and gave me a hefty portion. I needed to feed my brain. I knew I was risking it, but I was starving. There was a good chance anything they could put in my food, my system could metabolize.

My phone buzzed and it was Ryder.

Ryder: Mom. What. The. Fuck.

Me: Which fucked up thing are you referring to?

I stuffed a few fries in my mouth after drowning them in ranch. By all that was holy, you could just put a nipple on that bottle and I’d nurse like a baby.

Ryder: Dad. You’re just letting him go?

Ryder: What happened to the plan?

Me: That’s a long story. I’ll explain when I get home.

Ryder: Would that explanation work for me?

God, I was proud of her. She wasn’t afraid to call people on their shit.

Me: Absolutely not. But we’ve got a situation.

Ryder: There’s always a situation.

Ryder: What’s going on?

Me: Slayer shit. But they’ve taken Vlad?

Ryder: Who took Vlad? I’ll kill them with my bare hands.

Me: Remember, don’t text things like that. You want plausible deniability.

Ryder: Sorry, not sorry.

Ryder: I’m coming.

Me: No. I need you to stay home. It’s too dangerous.

Ryder: I saw the murders on the news. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.

Me: Fine, but make it 45. Drive safe.

I was torn between wanting Ryder close by so I could watch over her, and putting as much distance between her and this mess as possible.

Marc was going to be pissed, but this was the young woman she’d raised. We’d taught her to fight for what she believed in, to stand up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves, and to have the six of the people she loved. This was her, being who we’d raised her to be.

I realized we couldn’t teach her to be one thing, and then be upset when she followed through. Standing up and doing the right thing even when it was hard, meant doing it even when it was hard on us as her parents.

Because if not her, then who?

It was easy, and definitely my first instinct, to keep her as far away from danger as possible. But we couldn’t expect other people to stand up and do the work we were capable of doing.

It was also the forefront of my mind to say that if anything happened to her, I’d never forgive myself. And I wouldn’t. Yet, the decision for her to come, ultimately, wasn’t mine to make. Just like trusting myself to make the best choice based on the information available, I had to trust her to do the same.

But I didn’t have to like it.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

After realizing I’d just impregnated myself with a food baby, I realized my mistake.

Oh my God, I was so full.

If a vampire jumped on me right now, I’d probably fall over and let him have his way with me. I could barely move.

However, I felt much better and more prepared to deal with things.

And damn me for even having that thought, because just as I did, I got a text from the League of Ethical Treatment for Vampires.

They’d already made the decision to put Vlad down.

Right after that, a text from Brooke’s lawyer asking me to speak in her defense. They were putting her on trial for Dallas’s murder.

This had all moved much too fast for it to be any kind of real justice. I didn’t upset, because I wasn’t going to allow it to happen. It was really that simple.

Yes, I was going to make Defective Shithead pay, and the Order of Leocadia. I’d burn it to the fucking ground.

They had zero idea who they were dealing with, but they were gonna learn today. Whatever the fallout from this decision, I’d deal with it. The Council and Guild included. No one was going to hurt my dog or my soon-to-be girlfriend. I was the slayer. A motherfucking chosen one, it was time to pull up my granny panties and act like it.

I activated the phone tree and texted everyone, asking them to meet me in my room, Gabe included.

We all met a short time later, and Grabe brought bottles of vodka, Marc brought chocolate, Lila Jean brought coffee, and Cornflake brought herself.

“Okay, fuckers,” I began.

“You know shit is about to get real when she starts a sentence like that. Let’s rock n’ roll,” Marcus said.

“You bet your ass. I’ve been going about this the entirely wrong way,” I said, breaking off a piece of the chocolate bar and shoving it in my mouth, and then, regretting it instantly because I was still packed full of burnt ends.

Gabe scratched his head. “You’re about to put us straight on the path to hell, aren’t you?”

“Probably,” I admitted. “But you’re free to get off the handcart. What I’m going to suggest is a big risk for any of us involved. The only thing I demand is that if you can’t help, don’t interfere.”

Gabe scratched his head. “Shit.”

“There’s the door,” Marc was quick to point out.

“I didn’t say no,” Gabe said. “I just said shit, because I know I’m going to say yes.”

Lila Jean rubbed his arm. “You’re a good egg.”

“That remains to be seen,” Marc said and crossed his arms.

A knock sounded on the door, and Presley opened it for Ryder to enter.

“Ryder! What are you doing here?” Marc demanded, and then turned to me. “What is she doing here?”

“Fighting for what she believes in,” I answered.

“Hell yeah, Mama M!” Ryder shook her fist in the air. “This will not borne and tonight we ride!” She looked around the room. “We do ride, right?”

“Yes, we ride,” I confirmed.

Presley raised her hand.

“Yes, Cornflake.”

“Where are we riding to and is it going to mess up my hair?” she asked.

“Most likely,” I admitted.

“Just checking,” she said.

“So here’s the sitch. Brooke was arrested for Dallas’s murder. They say they found her venom in the wounds, but we all know that Brooke wouldn’t do that.”

“I’d believe she was sleeping with him, at least until I found out she was gay, but she’d never kill him,” Presley said.

We all nodded. “The Defective Detective thinks Brooke and I are working together. She thinks I killed Lindsey, or at least she wants to pin it on me.” I shot Gabe a meaningful look.

“Do you think she’s part of the Order?” Gabe asked.

“I do.”

“Shit. Okay, you guys, here’s what’s up. That Leo sigil you’ve been seeing everywhere? It represents a trafficking ring who has their eye on Margie. Marc, you dealt with some of their members in Croatia.”

Marc didn’t question how Gabe knew about Croatia, and I was grateful he was going with the flow.

“Anyway, Super Fucking Dangerous doesn’t being to cover it. Margie’s blood is worth billions to them, and they’ll do anything to get it.”

I saw Ryder’s eyes widen and Marc put his arm around her.

“I think they’re behind what’s happening to Brooke, and Vlad.”

“Vlad? What’s happening to Vlad?” Lila Jean demanded.

“Sorry, I meant to update everyone. They took. My. Fucking. Dog.”

Marc shook his head slowly. “They don’t know what they’ve done.”

“They don’t,” I said. “But they will.”

“How did this happen,” Lila Jean prompted.

“Well, you all know about the body. Someone tried to kill Marc as soon as he got back from Croatia. Of course, they failed because he’s a badass and I dumped the body. Vlad broke out of the house and tracked me down to the murder pond—”

“Murder pond?” Gabe interrupted.

“Obviously where she dumps the bodies of people who fuck with her? Duh. Be quiet so we can get to the plan,” Presley admonished.

I found myself liking Presley more and more every day. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Of course, it would figure we’d form some kind of friendship now that I was moving.

“So at the murder pond, Vlad ate a tiny little finger that happened to be wearing a pinky ring.” I looked around the room. “With that sigil, so he was obviously part of the Order. Owned by them or worked for them.”

“Oh no,” Ryder said.

“Yeah. So it was sitting in his poor tummy all weekend, and we just so happened to be walking him upstairs in one of those fake outdoor areas which was, unfortunately, right over a murder scene. You know he loses his mind. So, mind lost, and that’s when the ring finally decided to make an appearance. It shot out of his ass like a bullet and shit-creamed that detective right in the forehead. She had Vlad taken into custody, and she wants to have him put down. You all know the law, if he hurts anyone unless it’s in direct defense of one of us, he’s toast.”

“Too bad it didn’t get her right in the mouth,” Lila Jean said.

“That bitch didn’t even give you a chance to defend him,” Presley cried. “I don’t like the little beast, but I know how much you love him. And that’s just wrong.”

“It is.” I made a mental note that if we got through this, I would work harder on teaching Vlad not to mount Presley’s leg. “And we can’t let it stand. Not for Vlad, and not for Brooke. This is basically attempted murder.”

“So what’s the plan?” Presley narrowed her eyes. “I am ready to kick all the ass. I am even willing to break a nail,” she vowed.

I looked at Gabe. “This is your last chance to back out.”

“Technically, he can back out any time he wants,” Marc said unhelpfully.

“Okay, this is the last chance you can back out and I won’t think you’re a traitorous, undermining, backstabbing piece of shit.”

“Damn,” Gabe said. “I’ve got you. If she’s Order, we need to know. I can offer some FBVI resources since it’s likely she is. What’s your plan?”

“We’re going to break them out,” I said.

“Fuck yeah,” Ryder cried.

“Margie,” Marc warned.

“Hey, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I totally get it. But I am not letting them murder my dog or my… my Brooke.”

“I just… have you thought about the fallout?” he asked, ever the voice of reason.

“Not farther than if I could live with myself if I didn’t.”

Marc nodded. “Okay, let’s work on that first. Exit strategy should be the first thing we plan.”

“Mexico?” Ryder said.

“I’m thinking something more like Brazil,” I said.

“Done. I’ve always wanted to go,” Ryder agreed.

“It’s as good a place as any, I guess,” Marc said.

“Brazil? It’s hot there, right? And with big bugs that drink your eye jelly while you sleep?” Presley sighed.

“If possible, I want the rest of you to come out of this unscathed. I’ll try to keep your involvement to a minimum,” I said.

“Of the group of us, Marc, Margie, and I have the most cover. FBVI can cover a lot of sins, as can the DoD, and Margie is a slayer. There’ll be a lot of red tape, but I’m sure we can untangle it.”

Why was he suddenly so on board to help with this? He’d said earlier to cut my losses. I wasn’t naïve enough to think he’d changed his mind.

Maybe he really was concerned that Weaving was Order?

I’d take his help, but I’d be wary.

“I can use some of my connections to get us out of the country and to Brazil,” Marc said.

“Us? You’re coming?” I said.

“Of course, I’m coming.” Marc sounded insulted that I’d thought otherwise. “I can freelance. It’ll be fine.”

“You’re not going to have to. At least, not for long. I have connections that can make this go away if we prove this was all about the Order,” Gabe promised.

“Wait, who are you?” Ryder asked.

“Gabe, Ryder. Ryder, Gabe. Stepdaughter, old lab partner. FBVI.”

“Do you have a government-issued stake? Can I see it? Do you use the 250 or the sterling 3?” Ryder demanded.

Gabe laughed. “Are you a chosen one, too?”

“Nah, my mom is just cool.” Ryder grinned.

It was so surreal to look at her now as an adult. My mind registered that she was grown. She was responsible and mature. She was a woman. But when I looked at her, I still saw her chubby little girl fingers and the lips with orange stains at the corner from her freezee pops. I heard her little voice asking me to dress her dolls up and to play store.

Marc and I shared a look, and I knew he was thinking the same thing.

It was what my heart needed. Even though we weren’t together, that didn’t mean that these moments would stop. It didn’t mean that this moments hadn’t mattered. I think that’s what I’d been most afraid of losing.

I still got to be Ryder’s mom.

“I prefer the 10. It’s fully automated.” Gabe winked at Ryder.

“Now that is cool.”

He started typing on his phone, then he said, “Okay, I know where they’re being held. Vlad is in a specialized vampire containment unit at the city jail. He’s with Brooke. They’re going to be moved to a federal facility tonight. They’re not wasting any time.”

“I bet that’s when the Order is going to make some kind of play, whatever it is,” I said.

“I think so, too,” Gabe said. “So we’ll need to hit them tonight during the transfer.”

“How are we going to get around Detective Shithead?” Lila Jean asked. “No one is allowed to leave the hotel.”

“I just happened to have been able to access the building plans for this hotel,” Gabe said. “There are some service tunnels that aren’t in use and I’m pretty sure we can get access with Margie’s hacking skills.”

I nodded. “We can easily re-code one of our room keys.”

“So we’re going to exit through the service tunnels, and then we need an op vehicle,” Marc said. “We could probably get away with hotwiring one of the hotel courtesy vans. They’re old as shit, with an old school start system. None of that proximity key crap.”

“Gabe, can you find out what route they’re taking?”

“Yeah. I just found out they’re taking them both to the containment facility under Leavenworth Pen.”

That’s where Brooke and Vlad would both meet their end. We couldn’t allow that transfer to happen.

“So most likely, the best place to hit them will be on that tiny road off of 152. The road is hilly, curvy, and dangerous, but they’ll take it because it’s the fastest,” I said.

“We’ll be boxed in,” Marcus said.

“So will they. If they have air support, we may have to come up with something else, but I don’t think they will,” Gabe said. “I don’t see any acquisitions orders in the system.

“My hacking skills? Dude,” I said.

Gabe shrugged. “My little machine here mostly does it for me.”

“So I was right. The Order is going to want to keep this on the down low to keep any non-Order brass from interfering. That makes it easier for us,” I said.

“Presley, you’re going to drive your own vehicle. They’ll let you out. You’re not a suspect, and you’re the grieving widow,” I said. “You’re also going to be the honeypot.”

“A prisoner transport wouldn’t stop to help me, do you think?” Presley asked.

“They will if you’re in the middle of the road. They won’t have a choice. And if you get caught, you can say we forced you.”

“I’m not saying anything of the kind.” Presley lifted her chin. “Nobody makes me do anything. I’m proud to be part of this. It’s what’s right.”

“If you’re sure,” I said.

“Surer than ever.”

“Lila Jean, you’re going to sneak around the back and break out Vlad and Brooke. You’ve got your lock picks?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Marc, you and I are going to be the muscle. We’re going to kick the shit out of them and leave them in the back of their own truck.”

“I’ll run base camp,” Gabe said. “I’ll be Charlie, and you can be my angels.”

Marc arched a brow.

“Yeah, why not?” Gabe stood firm.

“I mean, I guess,” Marc agreed.

“From there,” Gabe said, “They’ll expect you to go to Mexico. They’ll put alerts out at the Canadian Border. So we’re going to drive to Florida, through the Keys and then there’ll be an outfitted shipping container ready to get you into Brazil.”

“Oh, I don’t want to shit in a bucket,” Presley wailed. “I mean, I’ll do it, but…”

Gabe laughed. “When I say outfitted, I mean outfitted. Plumbing, everything. The CIVA uses them to transport high profile targets and supplies.”

“You’ll stay behind and work on this from your end to get us cleared?” I asked.

“Yeah, and I’ll be in touch when you can come back.”

“Okay, everyone, let’s get some food and rest. We’ll meet back here at eight sharp,” Marc said.

“No, not here,” Gabe corrected. “The access to those service tunnels is by the doggie daycare. We’ll meet there.”

“There’s a door there that goes directly to the outside. Is that what you’re talking about?” I asked.

“No. There’s a hidden run that goes in between the hotel walls and it’ll lead us out far away from the normal exits.”

I’d seen the plans for the hotel.

Those hidden walkways weren’t on them.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I knew that Gabe was at super-secret agency spook level with his access to information, but I had a bad feeling about just how he knew about those access tunnels.

Especially considering the thing that I’d seen in the tunnels, and what had attacked me in the restroom.

Shit, I realized that sticky ink was still in Lila Jean’s purse.

I wondered just what Gabe knew about it.

I double-checked the hotel cameras again, just to make sure they were off. Scrolling through on my laptop, I saw that they weren’t online for the hotel, but they were a live feed to somewhere.

Someone else had tapped in. They’d have an easy access view into whatever we were doing. Was it Order, FBVI, CIVA, or local PD? We had to find out before we made our move. I texted Gabe to come to my room.

It wasn’t long before I heard a knock on the door, and when I checked through the security peep hole, it was Gabe. He had to have been close by, which was weird. What was he doing on my side of the hotel?

“What’s up, Marge?”

I searched his face and all I saw was genuine concern.

“The cameras are live. I wanted to check in with you and see if it was FBVI.”

“Fuck. That’s not me.”

“What are we going to do? They’re going to see us going down to the dog run, and they’ll see us moving down that tunnel toward the exit. There’s a camera right over the entrance to the daycare.”

“Maybe we can interrupt the signal,” Gabe said. “We’d have to do it fairly quickly before we made our move, but we can do it.”

“I want to know who else has their fingers in this pie. What if there are players on the board we don’t know about?”

He nodded. “I don’t know if we have time to trace the signal, but it would be good to know who exactly had their eyes in the sky.”

“There was something else,” I began.

His eyes searched my face. “What is it?”

“You’ve seen some shit. Things that a lot of other people haven’t, right?”

“I guess you could say that. Why?”

“I saw something in that access tunnel by the doggie daycare.”

“Something?” he repeated. “What kind of something?”

“The Big Bad kind. It’s a vamp of some kind, I think? It tried to bite me, but it had a bad day.”

“What was it like, this vamp thing?”

“It seemed like it was made of shadows and misery. Or squid. It inked on me, and the shit was sticky, but direct light melted it almost like acid. After both encounters, it disappeared into the ventilation system.”

His face went pale. “Margie. Why are you just telling me this now?”

“Well, shit, my guy, I’ve been a little distracted with murder.”

“Can you show me where you saw it?” he asked. “I need to take some readings.”

We headed out first to the upper event room ladies room where the thing had attacked me. I noticed that maintenance had repaired the door partition I’d threw the thing into and they’d even managed to suck out the dead roached from the light cover.

“There.” I pointed to the vent shaft. “It dropped down from there.”

“And in a public bathroom,” he said, and shook his head.

“Right? Public bathrooms are always creepy, somehow. They always feel oddly exposed.”

He jumped up on the sink vanity like I’d done, and then leaped to grab the grate, and it slid open for him.

“It was secured last time, so it’s been back through here,” I said.

Gabe swung his feet up into the space and lifted himself up into the ceiling. “I’m getting some heavy readings here. It also stinks like skittles and feet.”

“Anything else up there?”

“Nothing good. Someone, or something, has been camped here for extended periods of time.”

I shivered and rubbed my hands up and down my arms.

He swung back down, and landed first on the vanity, then he stepped down to the floor. “I wanted to follow the trail up there, but we’re on limited time. I think we should see if it’s going to get in our way in the access tunnel.”

We made our way down to the basement of The Jewel of the Midwest, and as we did, I saw all the places where Vlad had to stop and take hump break and the memory twisted my guts. After descending the stairs to the front door of the doggie daycare, I pointed down the access hallway.

“It was down there, that night after you walked me to get Vlad.”

He stepped into the heavy shadows and lifted his phone, peering into the gloom. “Exactly where?”

I walked down the hallway with him until we got to the spot where I was sure I’d seen the thing. “It was here.” And then I leaned against the wall. “This is where it seemed to disappear.”

Gabe pulled a device out of his pocket and attached it to his phone. Whatever signature trails the device read, alarms buzzed and all the lights on the thing illuminated.

“I think I know what they are. The readings say there’s more than one. These things are elite servants of the Order.”

I sighed. “Of course they are.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? These things are dangerous.”

“Well, my dude, I was sorta distracted with murder.”

“Distraction is a killer. I know they teach you that at slayer daycare,” he said.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I acknowledged with a shrug.

“I don’t think you understand how right,” he said. “These things are nasty pieces of work. Real bad motherfuckers. If he’d managed to break your skin, he could have had power over you. Enslaved your mind and made you a servant to the Order. Or a willing victim.”

That’s when I knew I couldn’t trust Gabe Dunavent and a cold prickle of awareness skittered down my spine like a hundred tiny spider legs.

I’d never told him the thing had tried to bite me and couldn’t break the skin, but somehow, he knew.

“Do you think that’s what happened to Lindsey? Do you think that thing bit her? She was acting erratically and out of character before all of this. So was Dallas.” Except Lindsey and Dallas were both on that list that I hadn’t shared with him. As was Marc.

“It could be,” he said, much too casually. “Or maybe Lindsey and Dallas were just shitty human beings.”

“I can’t argue with you there.” My mind raced with a way to extract myself. “We should get back. I need to do that thing.” I nodded toward the stairs.

He smiled at me, and suddenly, his grin was too wide. Too big. Too white. “Oh, I fucked up, didn’t I?” he tsked. “Such a shame, I was doing so well, too. But you can’t win them all, can you?”

I deadpanned. “What are you talking about?”

“Cut the shit, Margie. You caught me. So go on. Ask me.”

“I’ve asked you all the questions I need to ask you.”

“Do you want to play rough? I kind of do.”

I cracked my neck from side to side. “We can play rough. Your choice. Your boys watching are going to see you get your ass kicked, but I guess that’s up to you.”

“If you’d kissed me because you wanted to, we wouldn’t be here. You think I didn’t know a show when I saw it?” He began unbuttoning his shirt. “In fact, I remembered so clearly how you felt about me in high school. I’m the only guy you ever looked at besides Miracle Marc. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the nerdy chubby girl who was my lab partner was actually a chosen one?” He dropped the shirt and started on his pants.

It hit me then, what had happened to him. I remembered the scars on his shoulder. His story about the vampire den that had saved him. “You never came out of that den, did you? They tore you apart and devoured your humanity,” I said.

“No!” He growled. “They made me better. Stronger. Faster. With more endurance. And the ability to hide from your kind. I can move through the world and prey as I choose, and no one knows. You couldn’t even tell with a DNA test.”

The horrible truth of it came to light just as all the pieces finally clicked together in my mind’s eye.

“Yet, there’s a price to be paid for that, isn’t there? You have to recharge in complete darkness. You’re made of shadow. You were the thing in the vent.”

“Yes, Marge.” He admitted as we began to circle each other. “If only you’d let me taste me you. Open your veins for me, babe. Let me drink. Give me the gift of your blood, and I’ll no longer have to take that shadow shape.”

“What fucks do I give if you have to live in shadows? All you had to do was ask me. I’d have given you my blood if you’d come to me like a friend and told me what happened to you. But instead, you set all of this up, didn’t you? You are part of the Order.”

“I’m not part of the Order, I am its lord and master.”

“You could have stopped this at any time, but instead, you were willing to murder my friends, my fucking dog, you piece of shit.”

“I could still stop it, but the price has gone up.”

“Fuck you,” I said.

“Every vampire in the world is bidding on your blood. They’re all going to watch me take you down. And they’re all going to pay for their very own piece of finely aged, and nicely marbled slayer.”

“Christ, you’re disgusting.” I wrinkled my nose. “And why are you naked? Do you think your danger worm is that intimidating? Because I’ve got news for you. It’s old hat. Men have always used their bodies to intimidate women, and to hurt them. Get that thing anywhere near me, and I swear to God, I’ll twist it off like rotten fruit.”

“It’s not that, silly slayer. It’s for this.”

And suddenly, all the light was gone from the space and his skin fell from his body like melting sugar. He crawled from the hollowed-out shell he wore to move through the world, and his darkness was absolute.

I grabbed my phone and turned the flashlight app on and raised the brightness to retina-searing, but it did little when the darkness was all around me. A second and third creature just Gabe swarmed me, followed by human stooges. This was a fight I couldn’t afford to lose, but wasn’t sure I could win. There were too many of them.

Despair crept into my chest and wrapped around my heart and squeezed.

Literally.

This was his power, his strength. He could make me doubt myself, doubt everything.

I dug deep and pulled on my love for Ryder, for Marc, for Lila Jean, for Vlad, and even, I realized, for Cornflake.

I could do this.

I would do this.

Brooke and Vlad were depending on me.

I was depending on me.

My strength rallied and warmth grew in the center of my chest and when I tried the light from the phone app again, it worked.

The Gabe-Shadow howled in pain and rage.

“Yeah, eat every dick, fucker.” I waved my phone around, until one of his stooges knocked it out of my hand.

The three shadows swarmed me, and tried to wrap themselves around my throat, and they kept biting, even though their fangs couldn’t penetrate my skin. All the while, his stooges were fighting me hand to hand.

They kept coming, no matter what I did to them. I broke two ribs on one guy, I’d felt and heard them give with a snap, but these guys were like zombies. Their pain receptors must’ve been turned off or something. It seemed like no matter what kind of damage I could dish out, they could take it.

“You can’t fight us forever,” Gabe said.

“You think not? I could do this all day.” I’d pay for it later, but right now? I’d fight until I couldn’t lift my arms. He didn’t know how long my super strength could last.

“But will it last long enough to save Vlad and Brooke?” I heard a voice in my head.

“Get the fuck out of my head,” I growled and took a couple hits from the goons so I could grab my phone.

Anything to inflict more pain on these shadow cunts.

A shot rang out, and one of the goons heads exploded. It still took long moments for his body to drop. I saw Marc and Ryder both with weapons raised out of the corner of my eye. I struggled to pull the sticky shadows away from me, but they tightened their hold, wrapping around my throat.

“Light,” I hissed.

Ryder got her phone and Marc’s while he aimed again and took out another henchman. Suddenly, I was free, and I only had a single second of reprieve until I saw the shadow go for Ryder.

They wrapped around her, closing off her airway and as she kicked and fought like a pissed off mountain lion, my choices were suddenly super clear.

I was reminded that this weekend had been about facing my worst fears, and this took the shit sundae.

Marc continued to fire on the goons, and we shared a look, knowing that if he could get the numbers down to just us and the shadows, we had a chance.

But Ryder didn’t.

Her time was short and her air was running out.

“You win,” I said and stopped fighting. The three goons that were left grabbed hold of me, and Marc got one more shot off, taking the third one out so it dropped just behind me.

“Nasty, nasty, Miracle Majors. Put it down, or I’ll let your daughter drown in the dark. It hurts more than you’d think.”

Marc grit his teeth, his jaw squared, and he placed the Beretta on the floor.

“Ah, Margie. You’re so predictable. Didn’t I tell you it was time to cut your losses?” he hissed through the black, gaping maw of his mouth.

“Let her go,” I demanded. “Let them both go.”

“Margie,” Marc began.

“How touching. You’d still die for him, wouldn’t you?”

Emotion choked me and it had a tighter grip than even Gabe’s shadow. “I’ve already lived for him. That’s the hard part. Shut up and get on with it.”

His shadow crept over me, wrapping around me like a snake in a shroud, squeezing ever tighter. “Let me in, Margie.”

“Let them go first.”

“Mama, no,” Ryder cried. “No.”

I met her eyes, and I hoped she could feel the searing fire of all the love in my heart. “It’s okay, baby. You go on. I’ll be right behind you.”

“She’s too old for pretty lies. You should tell her.” He cackled. “She should know what’s going to happen to you. And it’s all for her and the daddy that doesn’t want you anymore.”

I realized then he was feeding on misery and sorrow. Well, I wasn’t going to let him glut on my family.

“Remember the Reveal? I was right behind you. I crawled out from under a building, but I did make it. I’ll survive this, too. Go.”

“You’ll pray you didn’t, blood slave. You’re going to let me in. I won’t let them go until you do. I’m going to drink you down, and then you’ll spend your days as a blood bag,” Gabe hissed.

“Goddamnit, will you fucking bite, or are you going to bark me to death,” I taunted him and then I managed to turn my head to Marc. “Get her the fuck out of here. Follow through with the plan. Make sure you don’t forget Vlad’s leash.” I hoped against hope he understood what I was telling him.

Vlad would find me, no matter what. Even if he got his darkness into my veins, Vlad would tear his fucking head off. And then we could all escape to Brazil.

Or Thailand.

Or Jamaica.

“Come on,” Marc said to Ryder.

“What the fuck,” she screamed. “You can’t just leave her here. He’s going to kill her. I won’t lose another mom to these fucks.” She dove for the gun.

Two of the shadows wrapped around her again and blocked her air, squeezed her chest so hard I was surprised I didn’t hear the snapping of bones.

“I was content to let you go, but now that I can see you’re going to be a problem, I’ll just have to keep you.” Gabe turned back to me, his fangs dripping. “You’ll open your veins to me now just to let her live. You’ll let me inside if you want me to let her go.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“I don’t want her to see,” I asked. “Please, give me that.”

“But she cries so prettily.” He licked the side of my face. “Your pain tastes very real, Margie. It’s aged so finely. It’s like a good whisky. It burns all the way down. Give me a taste, first.”

“No.”

He tsked. “Then how can I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?”

“Your shadow shits know how to hunt her down if I don’t.”

“Mama,” Ryder cried again.

“Go on, baby. I love you. I’ll see you soon,” I promised.

And I meant every damn word. I wasn’t just being brave. I was going to figure out how to tear him apart with my bare hands.

“Maybe I’ll do it anyway after you’re my blood slave. What do you think about that?”

“I think that if there’s any of my blood in your body and you hurt my child, I’ll figure out how to kill you from the inside.”

He laughed, as if he were genuinely amused. “Oh, Margie, Margie.” Then he turned to my family. “Well, go on then.” Gabe clacked his teeth together. “Run.”

Marc hauled a wailing Ryder over his shoulder and did just that, he ran, and it was exactly what I wanted him to do. Ryder would have stayed to fight, and I needed her clear and safe.

“Let me in, Margie. Just like you promised.”

And I did, because they weren’t far enough away to be safe. None of the people I loved would be safe until I figured out how to kill these shadow vamps. Maybe containing them would be better. Then they could be studied and scientists could try undoing their existence one molecule at a time.

His fangs were cold and sharp as they slipped into my skin and he drank deep. He pulled and pulled at my vein like I was a Capri Sun. As the blood left my body, I didn’t give in to fear. I refused to feel defeat.

I’d won. No matter what happened here, I’d won. My daughter was safe. The people I loved were safe. He’d given me exactly what I wanted. I wasn’t afraid of what came next. His darkness was nothing in the face of all the love and hope that blossomed inside of me.

Even as the dark, wormy tendrils of his essence squirmed inside me, filling me up with shadow.

“Let me in,” he hissed again.

“I’m not fighting you,” I answered. “There’s just no room.”

“I’m killing you,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Draining you dry. Where is your fear? Give it to me.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“Then I guess I should have drained your little girl dry first.”

It came to me then, how to defeat him. How to kill him. He was desperate because he couldn’t fill me up with his darkness and that’s ultimately what he needed. To make me lose all hope, just like him.

Maybe it was my slayer’s senses, or maybe it was being connected to him this way, but I knew everything about him now. He fed on pain and fear, but it was the complete absence of hope that made his victims become like him.

That’s what had happened to him in that vampire den in Iraq. He’d lost hope and this was what it had made him.

I couldn’t change him.

I couldn’t find enough love in my heart to lead him to the light. I didn’t want to, and it sure as fuck wasn’t my job to fix a broken man. He had to do it himself.

And until he did, he couldn’t be allowed to go spilling his darkness on everyone else.

No, what I had to do was shore myself up on the inside. Make my light so bright, he couldn’t stand it. Make it so hot it burned him.

That’s what I thought about then, about how much I still had to do. Doubts about who I was, what I wanted and my worth crept in because I remembered Marc’s words about how he needed to be needed.

I was too strong.

I was too hard.

I was too much.

And that made me not enough at the same time.

But then I remembered all the things I had done, all the things I still could do, and all the things I still wanted to do. My strengths were not weaknesses.

Being too much for Marc didn’t mean I’d lost my value.

He’d lost his.

The warmth inside of me grew, and now, instead of trying to writhe his way into my veins, Gabe strained to get away from me, to get away from the stark, nuclear burn of my inner power.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want this?” I said, sharply. “Keep trying. Dig deeper. Dig as far into me as you can. You’ll never see yourself. No matter how deep you go.”

“How?” he cried.

“I know who I am and I don’t need your validation.”

“It can’t be that simple,” he cried.

“In this case, I think it might just be.” I pushed with my mind and shoved his darkness away. “This is why men like you don’t like women my age. You can’t infect us with your bullshit.”

I noticed that shadows around me had started growing ever smaller. The harder he tried, the smaller he got until he’d been stuffed back into his skin like an extra-large ravioli. The light had started to return, and the other shadows who were with him, they were stuffed back into their human shapes as well, which unfortunately turned out to be Dallas Dunderman and Lindsey Schiller.

“Hands in the air!” Defective Shithead called from behind me.

For fuck’s sake, not her again. “Like you just don’t care?”

“This is not the time, Majors.”

That’s when I noticed we’d been surrounded by FBVI agents who were loaded for bear, or in this case, they were all wearing tactical gear and vampire-repellent clothing. They proceeded to cuff Lindsey, Dallas, and Gabe, and fitted them each with a collar that zapped them every time it seemed they were trying to shed their skins.

“When is the time?” I asked her.

“Maybe now? Can I get a statement?”

“Can I have my dog?” I countered as I squared up to her.

“Yes, Margie. Your dog is fine. So is Brooke. Wanna take a walk?”

“Depends. You’re not going to put a hood on me and shove me in the back of a van are you?” Because I’d still have to kick her ass.

She laughed. “No. I’m sorry I couldn’t loop you in, but I couldn’t get you alone and then the brass decided it was best to keep you in the dark. We didn’t know how deep your ties to Gabe Dunavent ran.”

“I should kick your ass for letting me think you were going to hurt my dog. And my Brooke.” I was torn between being pissed off and grateful. Maybe it was a strange brew of the two.

She shrugged. “Peril of the job, I guess.” She nodded to her team. “Get these fuckos out of here.”

They dragged Dallas, Lindsey, and Gabe kicking and screaming down the access tunnel and outside.

“You should know, we almost staged a jailbreak.”

“There wasn’t an almost. It happened. My guys were instructed to let them go with you. Although, I’m sorry to tell you that your dog might have another day. He ate the tracking chip as planned. So…” She shrugged.

“Wait, how did it happen? It was only moments ago I got Ryder and Marc free.”

“No, it’s been hours,” she said. “Dunavent created some kind of shadow vortex in a place outside of time. We’re not sure how he did it, but our scientists are going to figure it out.” Tasha grinned. “Your daughter called me and told me I better get my ass down here and do my fucking job. I believe that’s verbatim. We just had to wait for you to break the vortex before we could interfere. How’d you do it?”

“This going to sound hokey as shit,” I began.

“Hit me with it anyway.”

“I believed in myself. In my own power. I reminded myself I didn’t need his goddamn validation. It broke his hold.”

“That is spectacular.”

“So where’s my little family?”

“They’re waiting for you upstairs. Indulge me with just a few more questions, okay? Then you can have the rest of the week at the hotel on us. A sort of thank you, I’m sorry, whatever, yeah?”

“There’s something else I’d rather have.”

“Are we negotiating?” She sounded almost pleased.

I smiled then. “No, I’m asking you for a favor.”

“I can’t make any promises until I hear what it is,” Tasha said.

Funny how she’d gone from Defective Shithead to Tasha so quickly. I smirked to myself, remembering how that ring hit her right in the middle of her forehead, and her eyes had crossed, and she’d fallen the fuck over. That was funny no matter who you were, unless of course, you were Tasha…

Although, I’d been in my fair and unfair share of scrapes, and if I’d gotten clocked with a shit-covered missile from a vampire pit bull’s ass, I’d have laughed. If I could laugh at myself about that time I shit myself in Yellowstone, surely I’d be able to laugh about this? If it were me, that is. I was definitely laughing about it now.

“Dallas is dead, right? For all intents and purposes, there’s no one home.”

“Yeah. He didn’t maintain any of his former personality, he’s literally a shadow.”

“Do you think the FBVI could give Presley the option of having him declared dead so she can collect on his life insurance policy?”

Tasha raised her brows.

“Listen, she’s got two kids to raise and put through school. She’s… she’s not like us. She’s delicate. Dallas was the breadwinner.”

“I think I need to show you something.” She pulled out her phone and pulled up a video. “Watch this.”

I took the phone and when the video clip began to play, I wasn’t sure I was in the right place.

Presley Dunderman, the Cornhole Queen, had lost her entire goddamn mind.

I watched as the guards exited the transport van, and when they didn’t move fast enough, Presley launched herself at them. She’d been possessed by a cheerleading honey badger. She went through her cheer routines, but she’d turned the arm and hand motions into various punches, and the kicks, well, those spoke for themselves.

“That is not a delicate woman,” Tasha said.

My eyes started to tear up and I handed the phone back to her. “Yes, it is. That’s a woman who used everything she had in her arsenal to help a friend when her own life was swirling the drain. That’s a woman full of rage with nowhere to put it and no one to listen.”

“Maybe you’re right. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.”

“By the way, where did that ring come from?”

I smirked. “I thought it matched an open case?”

She shrugged. “I will admit, a lot of what I’ve said to you in the past forty-eight has been bullshit. Although, Brooke’s arrest had to look like we were following up on Gabe’s ‘anonymous’ tip. He got Brooke’s venom somehow and applied it to Lindsey’s and Dallas’s wounds.”

“She didn’t do it,” I reiterated.

“We know that. Gabe wanted Brooke and Vlad out of his way. So, tell me about the ring.”

“It should be known before I tell you where it came from, Vlad didn’t do the guy in. Marc and I did. He broke into Marc’s home and tried to kill him. He was a trap. The body exploded when I tried to dump it, and Vlad got the hand, and I tried to get it away from him, but he managed to swallow it.”

“We’ve not been able to get an ID, but he’s part of the Order that Gabe told you about. I assumed you figured that out. I have my suspicions that Gabe set it up. I don’t think he knew you and Marc were separated.”

“Yeah, I got there. And Gabe wasn’t real FBVI, obviously.”

“Oh no, he was. But we’ve suspected he was dirty for some time.”

I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “I’m still not apologizing for the shit missile. It was funny. But I will apologize for calling you Defective Shithead.”

“Oh? That’s pretty good.” She nodded her head.

“You said you had some other questions? I really want to wrap this up so I can go see my people.”

“Your friend Lila Jean said there was a list, and you found it on Lindsey Schiller’s laptop? Dare I hope it’s still in your possession?”

“It is. Marc’s name was on that list.”

“If you’re thinking that he could still be a target, unfortunately, you’re right. The Order of Leocadia is more than just Gabe. Upon hearing news of his failure, they’ll send someone else. Maybe not today, probably not tomorrow, but eventually. This defeat? It’s only going to whet their appetites more for your blood.”

“Apparently, I’m worth billions on the black market.” I said this as if I’d just mastered a new skill.

“Oh, is that all?” Tasha said casually.

We laughed.

Then she said, “We’d also appreciate if you can turn over any evidence or other material you have gathered during the course of your investigation. In exchange, we’ll make that body situation go away. I know it would stand up in court as a clean kill, but you don’t need that right now.”

“No, I really don’t. I came to my high school reunion, expecting it to be hell, and it was, but for a different reason.”

“Twenty-fifth class reunions. Killer.” She gave a cockeyed grin. “Although, they don’t usually have an actual body count.”

“Of course mine did. Just my luck.” I pushed myself off the wall and straightened.

“Actually, I’d say your luck is pretty good, Majors. Aren’t you the oldest living vampire slayer?”

“That’s not luck. I’m too stubborn to die.”

“Maybe you’ll actually consider consulting for us in the future.”

“Call me any time,” I said, and offered her my hand.

She took it and shook it, her grip firm, and solid, but none of that faux male alpha preening bullshit where they’d squeeze your hand too hard just to prove that you shouldn’t be shaking hands like men do. To remember your place. To stay in the lane they’d drawn for you.

Well, fuck that. I’d always squeeze back, and I was always stronger.

Yet today, with Tasha Weaving, that wasn’t necessary. We’d handled our shit, and that was that.

“I do have a few more questions, but they can wait, if you’ll come down to the field office some time next week.”

“Definitely. If you want to walk with me to my room, I’ll get you that laptop and some of the files I snatched from Gabe. I want to take a shower before I see everyone. I’ve still got Gabe-ink on my shirt.”

We both shuddered.

“If you never say that again—”

“Yeah, no. If I never think it again…”

She walked me back to my room, and I noticed that the hallways that had seemed so endless, so dark, so heavy, they were just hallways again. This was just another hotel that smelled the way all hotels do, and looked in some way or another like all other hotels, too. It was nice, that painted up mediocrity. Because it was normal.

I was sure I looked like refried shit through a goose. But that’s not why I wanted to shower. I wanted all of Gabe gone. I didn’t want any part of him to be able to touch Ryder, Marcus, or Lila Jean, or Brooke, or even Vlad. I wanted him gone.

I opened my door, and thankfully, everything was still where I’d left it. I gratefully handed it off to Tasha, and said goodbye.

Then, I got into a scalding hot shower that washed away all physical traces of Gabe Dunavent and the Order of Leocadia.

Freshly scrubbed and in clean clothes, I took the elevator up to where the greatest treasures in the world waited for me.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Vlad tackled me.

He pounced on me and knocked me straight to the ground, but I’d never been so happy to be steamrolled by a dog in all of my life. The heavy weight of him pushing me down was so welcome. His bulk was comfortable, familiar, and safe.

I didn’t care that we were in the middle of the lobby. I didn’t care that the scents I would associate with this memory were the faint musty scents of hotel carpet, wood polish, and the tang of chlorine from the indoor pools. Those would be my favorite scents. Blended with meaty dog breath.

Vlad slobbered all over me, covered my face and hair in kisses and red goobers, but I didn’t care. No, I did care. It was amazing. I wanted more of them.

“Who is the best, best boy? That’s you!” I scratched his ears and kissed his face.

He cocked his head to the side as if to say, “Me?”

“Yes, you. Oh, I was so worried.” I buried my face in his black velvet fur and he wagged his tail so hard the thump echoed like the beat of a bass drum.

Mina approached me gingerly and I held out my arms for her, too. Now, sure of her reception, she pounced on me, too, licking my face and my ears, and chewing on my hair.

I was covered in vampire dog, and I’d never been happier.

“Who’s the best girl? That’s you,” I said to Mina.

She licked my nose, and she and Vlad shared a look before they continued loving me.

Ryder was the first to break ranks and join us on the lobby floor. “They’re not getting all of my Mama M.” She flopped on me too.

“Come here, kiddo.” I pulled her closer to me and kissed the top of her head. “I hear you might have had some choice words for that detective.”

She squeezed me tight. I felt almost like one of those novelty animal keychains. The kind that you squeezed so they pooped, and their eyes bugged out of their heads. But it was good too.

And I didn’t poop.

“Don’t you ever do that again,” she demanded.

“I won’t make that promise.” I pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Because every time. Do you understand me? Every. Time. I will pick you. That is my job.”

“As the slayer?” she sniffed and looked away.

“Oh, kiddo. Destiny may have marked me as a slayer, but I’ve got a more important job. Your mother. No matter how old you are, or where you go, it will always be job, and my right to keep you safe.”

“I can’t be without you, Mama M.”

From the way she burrowed into me, and clung so tightly, I knew she was thinking about Allison. About how she bled to death in a stranger’s arms and left Ryder all alone in the infested, dangerous dark.

“You won’t have to be. While I will choose you every time, I knew he wasn’t going to beat me. I’d decided he wouldn’t.” Vlad had taken to licking Ryder now, and he kept trying to wriggle in between us to hog the attention.

“It doesn’t work like that,” Ryder said. “My first mom didn’t choose to leave me.” She was quiet for a long moment. “Did she?”

“No, baby. She’d have stayed if she could. But hell, I’m the chosen one. How useless would that be if I didn’t have some kind of power?”

“We will accept that answer and will kick your ass next time you scare us like that.”

I grabbed her face and looked into her eyes. Then I turned her head to the side and made a big show of peering into her ears. “Is that a mouse in your pocket, or are you possessed?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s the royal “we.”

I could tell that it had really scared her, though. It had really scared me, too. Yet, we’d come through mostly unscathed.

“I know you didn’t have to grow up with me doing the job. It was all stories, and training, and fun. The occasional op, but nothing like this. This is what it is, honey. This is the reality of being a slayer. It’s why they don’t live long.”

Ryder hugged me tighter. “I understand why you didn’t want me to come now. I get it. But I don’t think, no matter what, that I could have stayed home.”

“So you do get it,” I said softly.

She looked at me, and I saw the woman she’d become. The child was still there, those chubby hands, those round cheeks, but that had moved to the background, and for the first time, the woman was in the foreground.

“I guess I do. I love you.”

“I love you too. More than my own breath.” I hugged her tight.

“My turn!” Marc, instead of joining us on the floor, snatched me up and held me aloft up in the air like a Kewpie doll prize. “Goddamnit, woman. Don’t you scare me like that ever again.”

“I… can’t promise that,” I whispered in his ear as he hugged me close.

“I know, but I need to pretend right now that you’re going to be safe. Let me have the illusion for five minutes so I can catch my breath.”

“I’m fine, Marcus. Really.”

He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “I love you, Margie. I’ll always love you. You know that, right?”

My eyes watered and my nose tingled. I didn’t cry when a new kind of vampire almost killed me, but my ex telling me he loved me, that was going to do me in.

“I love you too.” It was hard to say the words for some reason. Maybe because I knew what they meant between us had to change.

“If you love each other, you should get married. Oh, right. You did. Stop fucking it up,” Ryder commanded from her spot on the floor with the dogs.

Before this weekend, I’d have replied to that comment by looking at Marc and saying, “Yeah, stop fucking it up.” But now? Now, I understood. It was like that Don Henley and Patty Smyth song: sometimes love just ain’t enough.

No matter how badly you wished it was.

“Maybe we should work on it some more,” Marc said quietly.

I couldn’t believe I was saying this, but there it was. “No, we shouldn’t.”

“Margie, I thought you were going to die. It reminded me of all the things we still have to do together. You’re my best friend.”

“I’m your best friend who wants you, but doesn’t need you,” I reminded him. “That hasn’t changed. I can’t give you what you want. I love you, but I will never need you the way you need to be needed. As much as it’s tearing me apart, you were right to ask for a divorce.”

Marcus buried his face in my hair and hugged me tighter. When he pulled back, he was crying. Not ugly crying, but one, single, tear. I think the kids were calling it the “manly tear” but Marc had never been afraid of his emotions. He’d never had trouble expressing them, and that was part of the reason I loved him.

“Can I still call you to dump a body?” he asked, as if he didn’t already know the answer.

I put my hand on his cheek. “Always. I’m your ride or die forever, Marc.”

This wasn’t how I wanted to say goodbye to him, to the dreams we had for our future together, but somehow, it was okay. It was like cutting necrotic flesh out of an old would that wouldn’t heal.

I let go of him, my fingers still hungry for the feel of his solid flesh, and my hands and arms felt strangely empty when we stepped apart.

Lila Jean pushed Cornflake up next.

“So like, you better hug me, okay?” She wouldn’t look at me. “I know I’m not your favorite person, but—”

I didn’t even wait for her to finish. I snatched her up and hugged her tight. “Oh, Presley. Yes, you are.”

She returned the hug and squeezed me like she was dying.

“I saw the video. You kicked so much ass. You were amazing.”

“Well, I did what I could.” She stepped away from me, demure.

“Me too. I’m sure you know by now that Dallas resurrected as a shadow vamp. I asked Weaving if he could be declared dead so you’ll still get his life insurance.”

“Is there anything left of him?” she asked softly. “Did he know you?”

“No, he was a shell. His body was still moving around, but there was nothing left.” I hugged her again. “And Gabe told me that one of his powers was to take away the will of his victims. Who knows how long Gabe had power over Dallas? You forget everything bad that he ever did and you tell your kids he died fighting for the good guys, okay?”

“I will.”

“But uh, I still don’t want them on my obstacle course.”

“God, you’re the worst neighbor.” She sniffed and rolled her eyes. “Just awful.” But her words didn’t carry any bite.

“I know, Cornflake.” I winked at her. “Maybe I could show them a few things.”

Her eyes widened and immediately sparkled. “They’d love that.”

“But holy shit, at a reasonable time. Like in the afternoon.” Then I added for good measure, “On a leap year.”

Finally, it was Lila Jean’s turn. “Girl, I’m going to put on my red cowboy boots and kick your ass so hard if you ever scare me like that again.”

I collapsed in her arms. “You’ve been such a rock. You’re the best friend a slayer could ask for.”

“Yeah, well, I almost had a heart attack when Ryder told me what happened. You’re not allowed to scare us like that. I forbid it. I’ll smack you in the back of the head again.”

“Okay,” I said softly.

“Auntie Lila Jean telling you what’s what,” Ryder crowed.

Then, Lila Jean handed me off to Brooke, who definitely didn’t look like she’d ever seen the inside of a jail cell, let alone had been in one only hours ago. Her hair hung over her shoulder in waves, and she was wearing a tailored red shirt dress, red heels and a white hat with a red satin ribbon.

“So hey,” I said, my tongue suddenly thick in my mouth and all my words were stuck in my throat.

“Yeah, hey.” She fidgeted with her Chanel bag.

We stared at each other for a long moment.

“I guess I’ll go,” she began. “No one’s ever done anything like that for me before. Put themselves at risk to save me. I mean, Mina, but dogs are inherently good. Not like people.” Brooke pushed an invisible stray hair behind her ear.

I was coming to learn that was something she did when she was nervous.

I was at a loss for what to do with my own hands. My arms felt awkward hanging by my sides, and I didn’t want to cross them over my chest because that body language closed you off in other people’s perceptions.

And I wasn’t closed off. For the first time in a long time, I was completely open.

“Do you like this dress?” she asked suddenly.

“You look beautiful, Brooke. You always look beautiful.”

“Good.” She smiled widely. “That makes me feel better.”

“I’ll tell you any time you want to hear it.”

She took my hands. “So here’s the thing. I was going to do this grand gesture, but—”

“Let’s not be hasty dismissing grand gestures,” I interrupted.

Her hands were cool, and smooth, like marble statue. I found it soothing and comfortable.

“Well, I was going to just sweep you off your feet and carry you out into the sunset, but that’s not going to work, is it? You’re still half in love with your husband and your heart needs some time. I told you earlier I wanted to be here for you any way you needed me, but it was a shock seeing what you do in action. It was cool, but it was intense.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I’m glad you’re okay. I’m saying that I really want to kiss you again. But I don’t want to be the girl you under so you can get over your ex.”

I hadn’t even thought about a ho phase, or even rebound sex, and the idea held zero appeal.

“I want to be friends.” She pressed her lips together. “I want to be more than friends, obviously, but right now, I think you need a friend more than you need a date.”

I realized she was right. I didn’t like it, but that didn’t make it any less true. It wouldn’t be fair to me, or to Brooke to jump into another relationship when I hadn’t finished grieving my last one. When I hadn’t done the work on myself.

Just like with Gabe, it wasn’t okay to expect someone else to be the answer to my problems. I had to be the answer to my problems. I had to fix my trauma so it didn’t spill over onto other people and hurt them.

It was okay if I wasn’t okay. It was okay to look for support. It wasn’t okay to use someone to fill the emptiness just so I didn’t have to feel it.

And that’s not what I thought my feelings for Brooke were, but I owed it to us both to heal before we tried to build anything more.

“Okay. Friends?” I held out my hand to her.

“Fuck that.” She yanked me against her, not shy about using her vampiric strength.

She felt so good, and her hands burned through my clothes and I felt her touch almost under my skin.

“I said friends,” she whispered in my ear. “I didn’t say we were friends without UST.”

I laughed so hard I snorted. “You’re awful.”

“I know. And now you can think of ways to pay me back.” She winked at me. “You’ll have ample opportunity if you take me up on my offer.”

“What offer is that?”

“Roomies! I just put an offer in on a house in your neighborhood. It has five bedrooms.” She turned to look at Presley. “And yes, she can bring her obstacle course, and you can bring your little monsters to play on it.”

This would solve my problem of where to live. It’d be easier to let go of the house I’d shared with Marc if I wasn’t living in it.

If you’d told me last week that at the end of the high school reunion from hell, I’d be considering becoming roommates with Brooke Wellington, well, I’d have told you that you were mean as a snake and twice as ugly.

Yet, here I was.

“That kind of seems like a grand gesture to me,” I said.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to, but I’d love to have you.” The tone in her voice was light and playful, and I caught the double entendre and blushed so hotly, I could sizzle an egg on my ears.

I looked around at all the faces of the people I loved, and they all were waiting with bright eyes and smiles. Even Marc. His smile was sad, but gentle and full of warmth.

Looking back at Brooke, I said, “Fuck it. Why not? What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Oh, Slayer. You know better to than to ask that question,” Brooke replied.

And again, if I’d been so lucky as to obtain the wonderful, talented, motherfuckerly talents of Samuel L. Jackson, I’m sure he’d have said, “And these motherfuckers were about to find out.”

To follow along with Margie’s next adventures, click below for The Divorce From Hell!

The Divorce From Hell

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much for reading The High School Reunion From Hell. I had such a great time writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

This book just poured out of me. The words were in my fingertips just begging to get out. I’m excited for you to see what happens next to Margie and her crew.

I’d love it if we could stay connected. You can follow me on Amazon, BookBub, or go to my website www.sarannadewylde.com to sign up for my newsletter.

I love you guys! I couldn’t do this without you.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Thank You!