How to Elude a Vampire (VRC Vampire Related Crimes #2) - Alice Winters Page 0,72
eye him before cringing. “No, thank you.”
Claude throws up his arms. “Why’d I even come!” he cries, but he heads into the house, clearly not caring too much about none of us wanting him here.
“I’ll threaten them to make the meeting go quickly,” Marcus assures me.
“Isn’t… the whole purpose of this meeting about being civil, not eating people, and not using your fangy vampireness to torture people into doing what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Do you… do you see the issue here?” I ask, kind of curious.
He seems to think for a moment, even theatrically taps his chin. “Nope. Have fun. Love you.”
“Love you too,” I say.
I head upstairs to find that Claude is already sidled up to my sister who is laughing way too hard at one of his jokes. I give her a look and she shrugs. Clearly, her brain no longer works either.
“What do you guys want to watch?” Aria asks as we sit before the ginormous screen.
“Maybe something romantic so Finn can see what a real relationship is like?” Claude suggests.
“Or maybe a comedy so Claude can see how humor actually works,” I suggest.
“Come, sweet child,” he says as he pats the spot next to him on the huge overly stuffed couch made of heaven and fluff, I believe. I quickly sit next to my sister as Claude continues to pat the couch. Artie thinks this means Claude wants him up there, so he obliges by leaping onto Claude’s lap. Not because he likes Claude or wants Claude to pet him, but so he can plant his ass on his lap, his front end on Aria’s and his head on mine where he then looks up at me with love in his eyes. I pet his wiry head as Claude squirms.
“Oh my god, this dog is trying to kill me! Somebody save me! Why’s it so big?”
“And that is what no one has ever said to you,” I say, referring to the last question he asked.
“Are you referring to my penis?”
“Shh, you’re interrupting the movie,” I say.
“The movie hasn’t started yet!” he cries as Hela jumps onto my lap with a pack of gum in her mouth like she’s planning on just eating it while I watch.
“Hey! Where’d you get that!” I say.
“Oh, that would be mine. Is she digging around in my purse?” Aria asks as she snatches up the dog, leaving me with the spit-riddled gum pack. I reach over and wipe the saliva off on Claude’s shirt.
He looks over at me like I just betrayed him and everything he believes in.
“This is a two-hundred-dollar shirt.”
“Looks like you plastered roadkill on your body and called it good.”
He narrows his eyes. “And somehow, you’re still so freaking cute.”
Once the movie starts, we all settle in. Orin even joins us for a bit before heading out.
“Do you guys want popcorn?” Aria asks.
“Ooh, I do have a weakness for popcorn. It’s best when you coat it in blood instead of butter,” Claude says.
We both stare at him, and even though Aria drinks blood as a dhampir, she still looks disgusted. Claude narrows his eyes. “Or butter if you insist.”
“I insist,” I say. “I’ll get it, in case Claude coats it in blood.”
I head off with my dog posse and walk down the stairs of the mansion to where the kitchen is. I pull open the cupboard and grab a bag of popcorn before sticking it in the microwave. As it begins to pop, I grab some bowls and that’s the moment I hear a beep.
I smack the microwave door open and listen. The security system that Orin has is set to alert us with a few beeps every time someone walks onto the property. This doesn’t set off the alarm since it could be as simple as Orin coming home or Marcus pulling in the driveway. It shuts off once they put in the code or I stop it.
But neither one told me they were heading home.
I drop the bowls and turn as I comprehend what this means.
There’s someone here.
Don’t panic, it could be anything. A dog, a raccoon, Marcus, Orin. Anything. I turn and rush up the stairs to get back to the others. When I slip into the room, I notice Aria’s fiddling with her phone.
“Did anyone text you?” I ask as I check my phone again.
“No… I’m calling Dad right now to make sure.”
Claude moves to the window and pushes back a blind. “The lights are coming on around the house.”