The Reluctant Vampire Page 0,99

managed everything but one pair of boots and her suitcase. Drina picked those up and followed him out into the garage.

They quickly stowed everything in the trunk of Victor's car, then got in.

"Chocolate and Coke?" Harper asked as he hit the bu on to open the garage door, and then started the engine.

Drina opened her mouth to answer, but paused as the garage lights automa cally came on, and she recalled his worry about using electricity and sparking another fire.

Harper grimaced, but then sighed and simply shi ed the car into gear and pulled out into the driveway. He hit the button to close the door then, and they glanced back to watch it lower and the lights go out. Frowning, he eyed the house warily, mu ering, "I don't think the garage is probably on the same circuit as the porch. At least I hope not. And I'm not an electrician, so might be completely wrong about the possibility of a fire, but . . ."

"Why don't we sit here for a minute to be sure nothing happens," Drina suggested. "Be er to be safe than sorry. I'd feel awful if we left, and something happened."

Harper nodded and shi ed the car into park, then drew one leg up and turned sideways in the seat so that he could see both her and the house. Reaching out, he took her hand in his and drew it onto his knee. He began to toy with the fingers as he asked, "Do you think Lucian will want you and Anders to take Stephanie back to Toronto?"

Drina sighed and leaned back in her seat. "Stephanie asked me something similar earlier, but I don't know. We can't stay here un l the house is repaired, so he probably will unless he finds somewhere else in town for us to stay."

They were both silent. Drina was wondering what Harper would do if that happened. Would he want to come with her? She thought so, or hoped so, but -

"Maybe he'll replace you now that there is a threat and you're a distracted new life mate like Mirabeau and Tiny," Harper commented, sliding his thumb back and forth over her palm. He glanced to her, and asked, "Would you stay here if he did that?"

Drina hesitated. She wanted to say yes. Truthfully, she wanted to pull him back inside the house, drag him to bed, and simply stay there . . . forever. However, she couldn't do that. As for saying yes, while she wanted to with all her heart, she didn't feel she could. She had assured Stephanie that she would be with her if she had to go back to Toronto and didn't want to let her down.

Aside from disappoin ng the teenager, though, Drina was worried about what would become of the girl once in Toronto in close proximity to Lucian. If he decided she could go no-fanger and was a possible threat, he might . . . Well, at the very least, he would probably insist she remain at the enforcer house, and the kid would be miserable there, with no chance at any kind of normalcy. Drina didn't even want to think about the worst of what he could do.

Harper released her fingers suddenly and turned to shi the car into gear again. "We've waited long enough. I guess we'd better get Stephanie's stuff and head back to the house."

Drina glanced around with surprise. She hadn't realized she'd sat in thought so long, but judging by the disappointment in Harper's voice, she'd been silent quite a while. And she hadn't answered his ques on. Which, judging by his closed expression, he was taking as a no.

She needed to explain her promise to Stephanie, Drina realized, but before she could, Harper reached out and turned the radio on. He also cranked it up several notches so that loud music filled the car. Rather than try to shout over the radio, Drina let it go for now. She would explain when they got back to the house . . . and then she would ask him to come to Toronto with her if Lucian did order them back. They could decide from there what to do a er that. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to be with him. The question was where that would be, and it was something they both had to decide on.

Chapter Fifteen

"There you two are. We were about to send out