his peripheral vision. He didn’t trust this vampire enough to look in her eyes.
“It’s safe to meet my gaze, grizzly bear. As you’ve pointed out, our organizations have treaties and are working towards friendship. Neither side wants to fuck that up. I have only two guards because bringing in a dozen would be a slap in the face. Bringing only two shows I trust your security, and I trust the three of you. Our people are good, but it would be three against two even if you don’t bring more people in. I require extra security when I’m vulnerable, and I’m counting on the fact I’ll have five security people looking out for my safety — my two plus the three of you.”
Collosa looked up and met her gaze. He didn’t want to, but she was right — they had to start somewhere with trust, and she was also right that the three of them could easily take out two eagles to get to her during the morning hours when she was dead to the world.
“I’ve been around Abbot’s vampires enough to be comfortable with them. I was okay around Marco, and I’m clearly okay around Kelsey, but something about you has my bear on edge. I apologize for however this comes across to you.”
“Thank you for being honest. Your bear’s senses are not wrong, but I won’t use what he’s feeling against you unless you give me cause. You have my word.”
“Thank you. Can you explain Kelsey’s new power to us?”
“I hope to god she can,” Fabio said from the doorway. “Evan says the rooms will work, so we have that settled. Etta said she didn’t want to explain Kelsey’s situation more than once, so we’ve all had to wait until we were back here with you.”
Fabio sat on the sofa beside Collosa, pulled Kelsey’s feet into his lap, removed her boots and socks, and held her feet.
“She’s cold, even for a vampire.”
“Yes,” Etta said. “She’s fighting with the energy she took in from the duck shifter. As soon as she gets over herself and takes it in, makes it hers, she’ll feel better.” She uncrossed her legs and crossed them the other direction. “A handful of vampires on the planet are able to feed from lust. They’ll still need blood occasionally because it’s a physical need as well as an energetic need, but most can go a few days without blood, once they learn to feed this way.” She focused on Collosa and Fabio. “I believe she’s safe around all of you now. She doesn’t want to hurt you, much less kill you, so she won’t feed from you while you’re watching porn upstairs, or if you happen to get horny from playing with her feet — and no, I’m not saying you will, just pointing out that if you’re horny, she can feed from that, whether it’s directed at her or not. I will work with her on safe versus unsafe ways to do this, and I can’t guarantee there’s no danger, but I don’t believe there is. She’s terrified she’ll hurt one of you, and she has the willpower to hold back.”
Etta took a breath and, for the first time, looked as if she might feel an ounce or two of compassion. “Kelsey, I need you to tell them how you killed the duck shifter.”
Kelsey didn’t want to have to do this, but Marco had been clear that an order from Etta was the same as an order from him. She kept her eyes closed, but sat up a little. James repositioned her so her head was on his shoulder, and she buried her face into his neck and breathed him in.
His scent reminded her she wasn’t alone. She moved back and looked to Fabio. “Can you scoot over a little, so I can sit between the two of you?”
Fabio moved, she followed, and then she was between them — sitting on her own, but with support around her. A hand landed on her shoulder and she touched it. Eunice was telling her he had their backs, and when she looked into the mirror on the opposite wall, she knew they all had his back, too.
She focused on Etta. Since the vampire already knew every thought Kelsey had while she killed the raping bastard, it would be easier to face her and tell her.
“The hardest part was keeping him horny, keeping the lust flowing. I bit him and gave him the cocktail to stay hard, but