"Like you?" Michael said. He still hadn't forgotten the arsenal of stakes and crosses that Eve kept hidden in her room. In the old days, that had seemed like good sense, living in Morganville. Now, it seemed like a recipe for domestic violence.
Eve looked stricken. "I'd never -- "
"I know. " He took her hand gently in his. "I know. "
She softened, but then she shook it off and went back to frowning at him. "Look, this is dangerous. They know you're an easier target than those other guys, and they're going to hate you even worse, because you're one of us. Our age. "
"Maybe, " Michael said. "Eve, come on, sit. Sit down. "
She did, but it was more like a collapse, and she didn't stop jittering her heel up and down in agitation, or drumming her black-painted fingernails on the table. "This is bad, " she said. "You know that, right? Nine point five on the ten point scale of make-me-yak. "
"Compared to what?" Shane asked. "We're already living with the enemy. What does that score? Not to mention you probably get extra points for banging him -- "
Michael stood up so fast his chair tipped and hit the floor with a clatter. Shane straightened up, ready for trouble, fists clenched.
"Shut up, Shane, " Michael said, deathly quiet. "I mean it. "
Shane stared past him at Eve. "He's going to bite you. He can't help it, and once he starts, he won't stop, he'll kill you. But you know that, right? What is that, some freak-ass Goth idea of romantic suicide? You turning into a fang-banger?"
"Butt out, Shane. What you know about Goth culture, you got from old episodes of The Munsters and your Aryan Brotherhood dad. " Great, now Eve was angry, too. That left Claire the only sane one in the room.
Michael made an effort to dial it back. "Come on, Shane. Leave her alone. You're the one hurting her, not me. "
Shane's gaze snapped to Michael and focused. Hard. "I don't hurt girls. You say I do, and you'd better back it up, asshole. "
Shane pushed away from the wall, because Michael was taking steps in his direction. Claire watched, wide-eyed and frozen.
Eve got between them, hands outstretched to hold both of them back. "Come on, guys, you don't want to do this. "