Delacourt. I’m pleased to meet you. If you’d like to borrow, ah, anything? My bathroom is down the stairs on the right. Maybe soap. Or mouthwash.”
A hot wave of shame washed over Ryan at the snide comment, but she’d been belittled by far worse than the human fashion doll standing in front of her, so she simply smiled and gave Meara a Southernism. “Bless your heart. I’d be delighted to take you up on that, about half-past never. Now who the hell are you people, where am I, and which one of you is going to call me a car or taxi, since I don’t appear to have my phone with me?”
Unexpectedly, Meara started laughing. “Well, the little human has a spine, does she? And look, Dr. St. Cloud, I know perfectly well that bless your heart means kiss my ass in Savannah, so don’t think you’re getting away with anything.”
The woman was unbelievably beautiful—a tall, blond, goddess, everything Ryan was not—and jealousy mixed with envy for a nasty minute in Ryan’s pathetic, hungover brain, but then she remembered that she was standing in her pajamas in a strange place with people she didn’t know, and there were therefore more important things to worry about.
Speaking of things to worry about…
“Why do you keep calling me a ‘little human’? Is that opposed to a supermodel-tall human, like yourself? Are you making short-people jokes? Who the hell are you people?”
Meara’s astonishing golden eyes widened, and she turned to Bane. “She doesn’t know who you are? I mean, it’s not unusual for you not to tell them that you’re a vampire, but they usually at least know your name.”
Ryan started slow clapping. “Very funny. And for your next trick, we’ll all go out to Bonaventure Cemetery and leave presents for the ghost of Little Gracie.”
Bane took a step toward her but stopped when she held up a hand. “No. Stay away, or I’ll call the police. Clearly, you kidnapped me when I was passed out drunk, but I seem to be okay, so we’ll just call it even if you call me a taxi or car. Now. And stay away from me—far away from me—while I wait outside on the porch for it to arrive.”
“She doesn’t believe we’re vampires, Bane. I mean, we always have to remove their memories after, but it’s at least fun to watch them get all scared and run around screaming,” Meara said in a voice filled with glee to match the huge smile on her face.
“Don’t scare the human, Meara,” Bane growled. “Ryan, I’m sorry. This isn’t how I wanted this to go. I had to get back here, to help Hunter, but first I kissed you, and then your blood—Damn it. This is not how I wanted to explain.”
Ryan tried to speak, but her throat had suddenly quit working. In fact, her legs quit working, too, and she stumbled back and fell onto the couch. “You had to help Hunter. Would that be Hunter Evans?”
“Yes.”
“The firefighter?”
Bane blew out a sigh but then nodded. “Yes.”
Ryan stood on legs that were no longer shaky at all. Because she was no longer a hungover woman caught in a situation she didn’t understand.
Now she was a doctor, and she had a patient to protect.
“Take me to him.”
“Good job explaining this,” Meara said sweetly.
Bane shook his head. “No. You don’t understand. I—”
Ryan clenched her hands into fists. “Take me to him. Right. Fucking. Now.”
“I can’t.”
“Why? Is he dead? Did you kill him?” Ryan realized she’d started shouting, but she couldn’t help it.
Meara rolled her eyes and reached out and grabbed Ryan by the arm in an unbreakable grip. “No, he’s not dead. Bane saved him, much to my dismay. But he’s soon to be a vampire, like the rest of us. See?”
With that, the woman smiled widely, and Ryan watched in shock as perfectly realistic-looking fangs snapped down and into place where Meara’s canine teeth should have been.
“I don’t—are those—so, big deal.” She took a deep, steadying breath. “You can probably buy those at six different shops on Broughton Street.”
Meara threw her head back and laughed.
Bane pointed to the door across the room. “Out.”
“But—”
His eyes started glowing that hot blue again, and Meara sighed. “Fine. But can I play with her when you’re done with her?”
“Out!”
She left, but she laughed all the way across the room.
Ryan folded her arms and waited until Meara was gone, and then she repeated her demand. “Take me to see my patient. Now. And enough of this