him from a future with me. Little did I know the strength of his will at that point. I often wonder if it was the fates that brought us together, or just some cruel, cosmic joke. I’ll never know for sure and I don’t care either.
I hope Jon hurries back soon. I don’t think I can take Joanna’s gaze on me from across the room much longer without some kind of a diversion.
Crap. She’s got that puppy-dog-adoring-look going on. I tried to take very little blood from her to avoid this. I won’t have this problem with Asa because I didn’t move in and camp out in his head for several hours.
If I could have known when Ivan would break in, I could have timed it better… But come on, there is no way I could have known that. I think I’m going to have to talk to her.
Fuck me ten ways to Tuesday! Why now? I’m tired. That’s borderline PMS human behavior for me.
Joanna gets up from the chair she was in, heading our way.
I reach out in a silent plea to Rafe to save me. Don’t let this go on longer than a minute or so, okay?
Yes, dear.
I don’t need to turn to see his smile. It came through loud and clear.
“Hi, Vivian.” Joanna sounds tired too. Good.
She doesn’t know I literally held her mind in my hand. The same hand she so calmly holds between both of hers right now. Rolling a fellow vampire without their consent, while very rare and hard to do, is a crime still decreed by the ancients to be punishable by death.
I let Joanna know everything that happened, exactly when it happened, letting her think it was herself running that situation and not me controlling her. She walked away feeling very brave and proud of what she accomplished. Unfortunately, she also feels an exceptionally strong connection to me she can’t explain away easily in her subconscious.
Damn. This is a bad week.
“Hey, Joanna. How are you feeling?”
“I’m good. Feeling really solid right now. Does that sound odd?” She gives me a soft, calm smile.
She had a good bit of my blood, maybe two ounces. I bet she feels great.
“Nah, no worries, Viv. I’m right as rain. Even better, I swear.”
“Well, that’s good, love.”
I look frantically toward the north wing, hoping for some kind of reprieve. There. I see gray sweats.
“Sorry. I’m in the middle of a meeting,” I nod my head at Jon. “We can talk later, ‘kay?”
Coward. Rafe’s liquid voice stirs up what didn’t quiet with Jon leaving the room. I feel my panties getting damp. Something I never expected tonight, that’s for sure.
“Sure,” Joanna replies. She reaches out, to grab my left hand, now holding both of mine in an earnest grip. “I’d like to stay after Liam returns to Europe. May I?”
Criminy! Another one who wants to stay here. What the hell is this? A boarding house for the chronically lost, damaged and undead or a damn hotel? Maybe I’m not a big enough bitch. Why do they all want to come play in my sandbox?
Because, you throw a damn good party, Rafe inserts smoothly. Now buck up and be nice to the young woman. It won’t kill you.
Jon arrives at that second. The biggest, fakest smile I can muster on short notice comes blazing out for Joanna.
“How about we talk about it tomorrow. Okay, Joanna?”
“That’s fine.” She lets go of my hands.
Finally. That was getting creepy.
“I’ll see you later.” Joanna leans forward, kisses one of my cheeks, and swings across to kiss the other in quick succession.
I don’t think I can handle more vampires here on a permanent basis. Truly, I don’t.
“You done teasing,” Jon, who apparently only has eyes for Rafe and I tonight, glances after the statuesque blond like she was wearing a garbage bag, “and flirting for the night?” He decides to live dangerously and continue in the same taunting tone. “Or do you want to hear what Bunny said to do with Paul?”
Chapter Twenty-nine
“Well, of course I want to know what happened, you ass.” I hold back from smacking him, but barely. Does he think I enjoy this crap?
Get it out, I command into Jon’s mind. Before I yank it out.
Jon does a funny imitation of a crack addict for a second. His arms flail like a fool at the voice sounding in his head, his eyes go round, and his body gives a sharp jerk before he can quiet his reaction.
“Holy shit. That part