Highland Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon #6) - Genevieve Jack Page 0,6
a person was supposed to feel in this situation. But did she truly feel that way? Nope. What she did feel was the oddest and most unexpected sense of pride. She’d taken on her attacker… and won.
“I handled it, Raven. This shit happens.” She bobbed her eyebrows at her sister. “You should see the other guy.”
“Avery…” Raven gave her an exasperated look.
Her phone rang. Saved by the bell. She hated having to explain her feelings or lack of them to her sister. “It’s Mom. Weird. I just spoke with her a few days ago. I wonder why she’s calling again so soon.”
Raven grimaced and backed away.
“You didn’t!” Avery scowled at her.
“Sorry.”
Avery answered and gave her mother her perkiest greeting, then listened to her ramble about how terrified she’d been when she heard the news.
“I’m fine, Mom. It’s barely a scratch. You know how dramatic Raven can be.”
“Really? Put me on video.”
Avery pulled the neck of her shirt up over her stitches and connected the video on her call. She pointed her screen toward the tiny nick her attacker had left on her throat. “See?”
“That’s it? Raven made it sound like you almost died.”
Raising the screen to her face, she gave Raven a contemptuous look. “She needs to learn to mind her own business.”
“She just cares about you, as do I. I miss you. It’s been weeks.”
“I miss you too!” Avery smiled at her mother’s image. Although she didn’t miss her old life slinging beer at the Three Sisters or the responsibility for propping up her mother and father after their divorce, she did miss her mother’s warm, breezy spirit.
“It’s been months since I’ve seen you and Raven. Is Raven there? How is her pregnancy advancing? I couldn’t get much out of her.” Her mother’s eyebrows knit with concern.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Raven wave her hands and shake her head. Of course her sister could blab about a little knife attack, but they couldn’t tell dear old Mom the truth about the baby, could they?
“Raven is good. Like an old mother hen sitting on her egg.” Avery cringed as Raven punched her hard in the shoulder. “She’s probably around here somewhere. Do you want me to try to find her?”
“Actually, I have a surprise for both of you. There’s something I haven’t told you.” Her mother’s face split into a timid grin.
“What?” Avery’s intuition suddenly flared like the first fireworks of summer.
Her mother moved her phone away from her face to reveal a bustling airport scene behind her. The murmur of voices Avery had assumed were from patrons of the Three Sisters were in fact other travelers buzzing in the terminal behind her. “I’m here! In London! I thought if you and Raven couldn’t come visit me, I’d come visit you!”
“Is that Heathrow?” This was not good. Avery glared at Raven in panic.
“Yes. Can you pick me up?” Her mother gave a squeal through a broad, toothy smile.
Avery’s throat constricted and she worked her mouth, wondering what to say. “Of course, but I don’t actually own a car and Gabriel’s brother lives outside the city. It’ll take an hour or so for us to get to you.”
“Would it be better if I took a cab? What’s the address?” Her mother patted her pockets like she was searching for a pen.
“No!” Avery blurted. All they needed was a cabbie on a mission to find an invisible mansion. “You don’t want to do that. I mean, his address is so hard to find. I’ll come get you. Just give me a chance to round up Nathaniel and borrow a car.”
Her mother flipped her honey-brown tresses behind her shoulder and grinned. “Sounds perfect. I’ll just grab a coffee and wait.”
“Bye, Mom. Love you. See you soon!” Avery ended the call and glared at her sister. “Why did you tell her?”
Her sister shrugged. “I thought she had a right to know.”
“Well now she’s in London and wants to see us, and we live with a vampire, five dragons, and a Native American healer you raised from the dead!”
“Don’t forget Clarissa and Nick.” Raven spread her hands and giggled.
“This isn’t funny, Raven. What are we going to do?”
Gabriel entered her room, looking concerned. “Why is everyone yelling?”
Avery pointed a finger at Raven. “Thanks to your wife, Sarah Tanglewood and her never-before-used passport is, at this very moment, at Heathrow Airport having a coffee and waiting for us to pick her up.”