by Lisa Olsen
“Leave it,” Rob said in a warning tone, but Laveda ignored it.
“The two of you here for a bit of slap and tickle?”
I looked to Rob. “I’m not sure what you mean,” I said, but I was starting to get an inkling from the knowing look in her eye.
“She’s my boss,” Rob insisted, and I could tell he was starting to lose his patience.
“So you keep saying,” she scoffed. “I ain’t deaf – and I ain’t blind neither,” she added under her breath.
“No, we’re friends,” I insisted and she gave a roll of the eyes.
“Right, come in then, friend,” she smiled, linking her arm through mine as I stepped across the threshold. “Now, who wants a coffee?”
Chapter Nine
We’d barely taken two steps when the door flung open and Leila burst in, dark hair flying about her shoulders as she nearly tackled Rob in a flurry of tears.
“Robby!” she exclaimed, hugging him tight, her words spilling out through hiccupping sobs. “I was tied in knots for you. Tried to take the pain, but I couldn’t catch hold of it. It curled through my fingers like smoke.”
Rob caught her up in a great hug, stroking her hair softly. “It’s alright, I’m fine now. There’s a good girl.”
“But I saw it. Saw the burn, saw you screaming ‘til you had no voice left and I could only hear it in my heart.”
“Hush now, Bits,” he soothed, pulling back to look into her eyes, gently framing her face with his hands. “It’s all gone now, good as new, see?”
“Good as new?” she hiccupped again, fingers scrabbling over his buttons to pull open his shirt, and I could see the mass of scar tissue over his heart. All that pain, because of me. It brought it back in a heartbeat and I looked away, swallowing back my own tears. Leila leaned close and smelled his skin. “All gone now,” she nodded to herself.
“That’s as I said, nothing but a dream to us now,” Rob smiled gently, turning her by the shoulders. “Look who I’ve brung a-visiting from America.”
“Anja!” Leila cried out with no less enthusiasm, her thin arms encircling me in a surprisingly tight hug.
“It’s good to see you again, Leila,” I said, not quite sure how to take her grave expression as she pulled back to peer into my face.
“What a lovely doll you are,” she sighed, reaching up to arrange my hair around my shoulders. “Broken and put together again, but the cracks are still there.” Leila looked close to tears again, but she sniffed, eyes hardening with resolve as she raised my chin with delicately tapered fingers. “Never you mind, they’ll fade with age,” she whispered confidentially. “I’m glad you’ve come, I have just the thing.” She let go of me and dashed off down the hall without another word.
“Same old Leila,” I said, not quite sure what to make of the exchange. What did she see when she looked at me that made her think I was cracked?
“I think I’ll go have a quick chat with her and see what’s what.” Rob gazed down the hall before his eyes swung back to me. “Will you be alright here?”
“Sure, I’ll be fine. You go catch up with your sister.” I waved him on.
“Right, I’ll keep her company,” Laveda offered. “Come with me into the kitchen, we’ll put the kettle on and get to be fast friends.” She linked her arm through mine again and I got a whiff of her spicy perfume. Sort of musky, but not… hard to describe, but it was wonderfully enticing. I considered asking her what kind of perfume she used but thought better of it. Wouldn’t it be weird for me to smell like Rob’s cousin? Besides, I didn’t want to admit to sniffing her, so I dropped it when she let go of me to fill the kettle.
“So, you’re living here with Leila?”
“Just until I get back on my feet.” Her face clouded. “Unless that’s a problem. Rob’s not moving back in anytime soon, is he?”
“No, I don’t think so. He’ll be coming back to San Francisco with me in a day or two.”
“Ah, that’s magic then,” she beamed, pulling down a Tupperware container full of shortbread cookies. “Fancy a biscuit?” She waggled them at me, her brows drawing together when I didn’t immediately reach for it. “Or don’t you eat them? Some still do I’m told.”
“Some what?”
“You know, your lot. Fangers.”
So she could tell I was a vampire. Interesting. “I like a taste every now and again.”
“Good, ‘cause otherwise I feel like a right cow stuffing them in my face alone,” she grinned, sliding the container across the counter to me after grabbing one with each hand.
“Thanks.” I picked up a cookie, nibbling on it to be polite, even though I didn’t have much of an appetite for one. Mostly I wondered how much she new about ‘fangers’, and what that meant for me.
“Here we are,” Leila sang out, appearing in the kitchen, something small and white in her hand. “This should do the trick.” Catching up my hand, she stuck a Band-aid on the back of it over smooth skin.
“Thanks, but… there’s nothing wrong with my hand.”
“I know,” she said smoothing her fingers across the top of it. “The plaster is to remind you you’re not well yet. Best not to sneak a peek until the healing’s done or it could get messy.”
“I… don’t understand,” I admitted, looking to Laveda, but she just shrugged. “I’m all healed up from what happened.”
“On the outside maybe, but the scars on the inside take the longest to fade.” She patted my hand and then froze in place, her eyes focused on a distant point. “Oh… right then,” she blinked, snapping out of it. “No time to lose.” Flashing us both a brilliant smile, she scurried off in the direction of the bedrooms again.
I studied the bandage on my hand wondering what it was she’d seen. “Do you ever get used to that?”
“Makes it interesting at holiday gatherings,” Laveda grinned. She had other things on her mind though. “So, how long have the two of you been…?”
My breath sucked in out of habit and I choked on a dry bite of cookie before I remembered I didn’t have to breathe and froze until she could hand me a glass of water.
“Must be useful going all still like that when you’re choking,” she added with a touch of envy as I gulped it down.
“Thanks,” I croaked, taking another sip for good measure. “We’re friends, that’s all.”
“Go on, pull the other one,” she said with a wink. “Anyone can tell by looking at you how far gone the two of you are.”
Frak! Was that true? Was it really written all over our faces? “Please tell me you’re just saying that.”
“Fair enough, not just anyone could tell, but I can. Got a knack for reading people, I do.”
Knack or not, that was dangerous information for her to have, and I didn’t hesitate in using my compulsion on her, catching hold of her will with mine. “You won’t tell anyone that Rob and I have feelings for each other. In fact, you’ll forget I was ever here today,” I added for good measure. That ought to take care of it, except for the fact that she flat out laughed in my face.
“That don’t work on me, luv. Top marks for the effort though.”
“Cripes, I forgot, you’re related to Rob,” I remembered too late, falling back against the counter in disappointment. How the heck was I supposed to fix this now? There was always a good old fashioned threat, but I wasn’t sure Rob wanted me trying to strong arm his relatives. Then again, Rob was way scarier than me on most days. “If you say anything about this to anyone, Rob will go completely mental on you.”
She seemed to find the notion more amusing than threatening. “Don’t get your knickers in a knot, it’s no business of mine anyway.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to get her to understand the gravity of the situation. “I wouldn’t care, but it’s actually super important no one find out about Rob and me. We’re not doing anything wrong, but we have to hide this thing between us, at least for now. Can we trust you to keep quiet about it?”
Laveda put do
wn the box of tea and picked up both of my hands. “Tell me how you feel when you think of Rob.”
That knocked me for a loop. “How do I feel? I…” I spent so much time denying those feelings, I hardly knew how to articulate them. Only she didn’t seem all that interested in anything I had to say, her eyes unfocused as she sucked in a sharp breath and let it out long and slow, lips curving.
“Oh, I see…” she breathed. “That’s a right scorcher, ain’t it?”
“What is?”
“Those lovely tinglies you get when I say his name,” she grinned. Laveda let go of my hands and picked up my discarded water glass, gulping back the rest of the contents. “You’re pretty far gone, yeah?”
“Did you just… were you reading my mind or something?” How shiny was that? Except for the whole invading my privacy thing.
“Nothing so brilliant as all that. I told you I’ve a knack for reading people.” She put the glass in the sink and swiped another cookie. “If I focus, I pick up your emotions, feel what you’re feeling and it was pretty steamy there for a tick. Don’t you worry, I’ll keep mum about it all right. We’re family now, ain’t we?”
Surprised to be brought so quickly into the fold, I gave her an impulsive hug. “Thanks. I don’t know what to say, you guys have been great. I wish my family stuck together half as well. Except for my sister, she’s always had my back.”
“Always wanted a sister,” Laveda admitted with a wistful sigh as she poured steaming water into four mugs. “I was stuck with nothing but brothers though, the brutes. Tea or coffee then?” she asked.
“Oh, tea, please, I’m not much of a coffee drinker,” I said, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “How many brothers do you have?”
“Why, d’ya want one?”
Rob appeared, loosening his tie and shrugging off his suit coat, revealing a shoulder holster with a very lethal looking gun tucked under one arm. “You been playing nice?” he asked his cousin.
“Don’t I always?”
“You want me to answer that?” He raised a brow as he sat at the table, favoring me with a quick wink and a smile. “Hullo,” he said to me, taking my hand where it lay on the table and giving it a squeeze. Apparently he wasn’t too concerned with Laveda spilling the beans about our relationship, and I took comfort in that, squeezing his hand back with a smile.
“Hi.” It felt good to do something so simple as hold hands without worrying about being seen and I just sat there, smiling at him like a fool until Laveda cleared her throat.
“Shall I just fetch the milk then? No need for sugar with all that sweetness passing back and forth in here.”
Rob ignored the comment, but he did tear his eyes from mine, sliding his mug closer to give it a stir. “Shoot that newspaper over here, yeah?” He jerked his head in her direction, but all she did was perch both hands on her hips.
“More like I’ll twat you over the head with it if you don’t ask nicely.”
Rob stared her down and she met his gaze without flinching. I’d seen grown men nearly wet themselves when facing that stare. “Please,” he bit out finally and she was all smiles.
“There now, was that so hard? Men, they’re so difficult to train,” she sighed, slapping the paper down on the table.
“Actually, I’ve found Rob’s training to be exceptionally thorough,” I smiled, leaning closer, propping my head up with my hand, elbow on the table. Rob’s body canted toward mine as he sat forward, our knees touching.
“The things you say,” he rumbled, lightly stroking the back of my hand and Laveda cleared her throat again.
“Go on, you two. You’re throwing off enough heat to make me blush.”
I looked away before the urge to challenge him to a sparring match faded. There were some holds I definitely wouldn’t mind revisiting now that our friendship had deepened into something more. “Sorry, we don’t get to be together like this very much. We’ll behave, I promise.”
“Behaving ain’t what I had in mind when I brung you here,” he muttered. Me neither, but what could we do with his family there?
“Is Leila coming back?” I asked, trying to focus on something other than the feel of his hand in mine.
“She’ll be around soon enough,” Rob said, blowing across the top of his mug. “She’s busy with something or other, shooed me right out without so much as a hi and goodbye. So, what you been doing to keep out of trouble, Veda?”
“Call me that again and I’ll show you trouble.” She wagged her finger at him before her eyes lit upon the clock. “Holy shitballs, is that the time? I’d better leg it soon or I’ll be late for work.” Grabbing a couple of ice cubes from the tiny freezer compartment in their fridge, she stirred them into her coffee, gulping it down as soon as it was cool enough.
“Where do you work?” I asked, wondering what kind of a place she’d start so late in the day.
“Place called Bird in Hand, do you know it?”
My mouth fell open in surprise. “You seriously work there?” She seemed so… normal. Not at all like the women I’d met there on my one and only visit. Rob’s face instantly hardened into a scowl at the news.
“I thought we agreed you’d give up this lifestyle?”
“You agreed, I happen to like this lifestyle,” Laveda said loftily, setting her mug into the bottom of the sink with a thunk and pulling out a tube of slick lip gloss.
Rob was out of his chair in a flash, grabbing her elbow roughly. “Selling yourself as a feeder? That’s a sure way to end up dead.”
Laveda pulled her arm free without much effort, poking him in the chest with the gloss. “Don’t you get stroppy with me, I can take care of myself. I don’t need you sticking your nose into it, Robby. And if you must know, I’m the help, not the menu. I work there as a bartender.”
The anger dissolved between them as he took in the piece of news. “Oh,” he said, jaw unclenching. “Well, that’s alright then.”
“So glad you approve,” she muttered sourly. “Not that it’s any business of yours to begin with.”
“It’s my business to look after you, especially when you’re living under my roof.”
“Which I appreciate, ta muchly.” She leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “But I can manage just fine.”
I still wasn’t clear on their relationship, it didn’t seem to follow any experiences I had with my distant cousins. But I could see they cared about each other, that much was obvious.
Leila appeared, taking her seat at the table and immediately diving into the Tupperware container. “Has everything been sorted? I’ve packed your things,” she said around a mouthful of cookies.
“Packed my things?” Rob asked, a pucker of confusion appearing on his brow.
“Don’t be thick, Robby, it makes you sound daft. I’ve packed Laveda’s things of course.”
Laveda’s eyes stretched wide. “What, you kicking me out then?”
“Of course not, you’ll be going with them to San Francisco.”
“I will?” she gasped.
Right at the same time Rob and I both said, “She will?”
“Didn’t I tell you before?” Leila blinked, all innocence as she stole the last cookie.
Chapter Ten
“You’ll love it there, Laveda, and the jet is posh as anything. Leather soft enough bite into,” Leila beamed.
I leaned closer to Rob as they chatted about the trip. “Did you tell her we were leaving for home soon?”
“No, I didn’t get a chance to. But if Leila had one of her visions… it’s likely Laveda’s meant to go with us.”
“Of course she’s meant to go,” Leila declared. “I saw it for m’self. And there’s a surprise waiting for you as well.”
“What kind of surprise?” Laveda’s eyes sparkled in anticipation.
“Can’t tell you or it won’t be a surprise.” A roll of the eyes was given.
“Guess I’d better go give notice then.” Laveda decided, tucking her lip gloss away, unused.
&n
bsp; “Just like that?” I asked in surprise and she turned to me in distress.
“Don’t you want me to go with?”
“Well, sure, you’re more than welcome to hitch a ride. But isn’t this kind of sudden to uproot everything and move half a world away? Do you even have a passport?”
Laveda’s dimples sprang back to life. “She’s adorable, ain’t she?” she grinned with a shake of the head. “Picking up at the drop of a hat don’t mean nothing to our folk. It’s what’s kept us alive all these years.” All of a sudden I was reminded she might not be as young as she looked.
“Alright then, we’d be glad to have you. Rob can send you the flight information as soon as it’s arranged.”
“Aces. Come on then, Leila, time to go walkies.” She grabbed her coat off a hook hanging inside the broom closet.
“But why? I’m not going to work and I’ve just made my tea the right shade of tasty,” Leila pouted.
“Because Robby’s bound to bust a nut if we don’t give them some alone time soon,” she said, holding out Leila’s coat.
“Oi, you’re not so old I can’t lay you across my lap if you get too cheeky,” Rob warned, eyes narrowing.
“And you’re not a close enough cousin that I’d mind,” she teased back.
Definitely an odd family relationship. “You really don’t have to leave on our account.” I hated the thought of chasing them out of their own home, especially on a cold winter night.
“It’s no trouble. Come on, Leila, I’ll buy you a treacle tart.”
Leila’s eyes suddenly brimmed with happiness, reaching for her coat. “With clotted cream?”
“If you like.”
“You’re not taking her to the Bird in Hand,” Rob warned, winding a white scarf around Leila’s neck.
“Course not, what do you take me for? We’re for the Pink Poodle instead.” Laveda shot me a quick wink, but Rob didn’t rise to the bait. “Don’t let him give you any guff. He’s all talk, yeah?”
“Well, not all talk,” I grinned back.
“It’s definitely time to clear out. Let’s go, Leila.”