The Reluctant Vampire Page 0,110

grimly, as they reached Harper's car.

"And I am so not cutting up some poor person to feed. Let's just go back. I'll survive two hours."

"Sounds like a plan," Harper said, as they reached the car.

It took them several minutes, but they found a pay phone at a corner store. While Stephanie and Harper stocked up on junk food for the trip home, Drina called Teddy. The police chief was relieved to hear they'd found Stephanie and promised his first call, even before he started calling in the search party, would be to Lucian to have him send someone to Windsor to keep an eye on the McGills for the next li le while just in case. He then asked what their ETA was and assured her he'd be wai ng up to see they got back okay.

Drina had expected Stephanie to sleep for the journey home, but she didn't. Drina was determined to keep up a lively cha er to help Harper fend off sleepiness, and Stephanie joined the effort. It made the sudden silence that hit the car when they passed the Port Henry limits sign that much more noticeable. It was nine thirty on the nose when they arrived at Teddy's. Both SUVs and Teddy's car were in the driveway. Drina had to smile when Harper parked behind Anders's SUV, blocking it in.

"Nice," Stephanie said from the backseat.

"What?" Harper asked innocently, and Drina chuckled softly as they all got out of the car. Mirabeau had the front door open before they reached the porch. She peered over them with amusement and shook her head. "You all look exhausted."

Drina smiled wryly. "Probably because we are."

Nodding, she stepped to the side to let them enter, squeezing Stephanie's arm as she passed.

"I smell food," Stephanie said, sniffing the air as she paused in the front hall.

"We made breakfast. It should be ready in a few minutes," Mirabeau said with a grin as she followed Drina and Harper into the house.

"We?" Stephanie asked, eyeing the woman dubiously as she kicked off the overlarge shoes Teddy had loaned her when she'd left with Anders.

"Well, all I did was toast the toast and butter it," Mirabeau admitted with a grin. "But it's a start."

"It's more than I know how to do," Drina said dryly as she removed her borrowed boots.

"Lucky you, then, that I'm a chef." Harper kissed her on the forehead as he reached past her for a hanger.

"Lucky both of us that we landed with life mates who could cook," Mirabeau said with amusement, and then tilted her head, and said, "Hmm. The nanos couldn't have known - " She shook her head. "Nah."

"Where's Anders?" Drina asked as she took the bomber from Stephanie and hung it in the closet.

"Here."

She turned to see him standing in the doorway to the dining room, and slipped her arm protec vely around Stephanie even as Harper slid his arm around her.

"Relax," Anders said dryly. "We're eating and sleeping, then we'll talk."

Drina heard Stephanie's relieved sigh and squeezed her shoulders, but her eyes went to Mirabeau in question.

"He said he was going to take Stephanie to Toronto as soon as you guys got back," Mirabeau said grimly.

"But Teddy piped up and said he suspected Anders would have a mu ny if he tried it. But it didn't ma er anyway, because if Anders tried to drive out of here when he hasn't slept in over twenty-four hours, Teddy'd have to arrest him for dangerous driving and - as he put it - throw his immortal arse in the clink for twenty-four hours."

Drina smiled, thinking she really liked the police chief of Port Henry.

"So," Mirabeau said with a grin, "Anders backed off and agreed to wait un l everyone has eaten and slept before heading back to Toronto."

Drina sensed the tension in Stephanie and clasped her shoulders knowingly as she assured her, "You won't be going back alone. I'll beat the crap out of Anders if I have to, but I'm coming with you."

"Can you beat the crap out of him?" Stephanie asked dubiously.

"Hey, she used to be a gladiator," Harper told the girl encouragingly. "Besides, I'd help beat the crap out of him. But we won't need to. I'll call my office a er we've eaten and arrange for my helicopter to pick us up tonight a er we've slept. That way Anders can't refuse us. In fact, he'll be lucky if we let him come with us."

"Thanks," Stephanie said huskily, but her expression was troubled