Verity smirked at him. “I bet some of the things you did were fun before you deemed them ‘bad.’”
A darkness consumed his eyes. “That fun got me a wife with a baby on the way at the age of twenty. No good it did her.”
There she went again, getting him in a poor mood. It probably wasn’t very wise, considering their current situation. It would be helpful to have some shifters in their corner when it came to deciding their fate. She should be doing everything she could to show them just how harmless they were, not teasing them.
“Did you love her?” she asked in an undertone, curious.
His eyes creased as he sighed. “The best I could. She was a sweet thing. Loved laughing, though I didn’t see much of that after we were hitched, and she spent her days in our small apartment, unaware of the secrets I was keeping.”
She pointed at Julian, who was putting on a good show for Riley and Emery. “The only person I’ve ever loved was my brother, though he’d say I treat him more like a son. He’s probably right.”
“You’re lucky ye have one another.”
“We are,” she agreed. “Don’t you have anyone important in your life? What about her?”
Verity pointed at Emery sitting a few rows ahead of them. She was quite a bit younger than him, but some men liked that sort of thing.
Deane laughed. “She’s my rookie partner. One of many friends I’ve made within the Society.”
“You don’t have anyone you speak frankly with or to depend on?” She couldn’t imagine not being able to sit down and share a cocktail with her little brother. Knowing he was there made such a difference.
“That’s not my way.” He shook his head. “If ye don’t get close, ye won’t suffer.”
That sounded like something someone who’d experienced loss would say. She nodded toward Riley and muttered, “What about him? Where’s he fall in that?”
Deane’s expression grew serious. “It started as a promise to his mum and myself.”
“And now?” She truly wanted to know. This man was responsible for caring for her nephew’s wellbeing, and she needed to understand just how seriously he was taking it. The boy was family and a teen at the precarious stage of life when the scales could tip in any direction given the appropriate weight. If he wasn’t dedicated to being there for the boy, she wanted to know because she was all in.
“The lad’s got a sense of humor I wasn’t expecting.” Deane scratched his temple and seemed to take a minute to consider his response. “It’s more than just keeping a promise. He needs someone who will be there for him no matter what.”
“We agree about that.” Verity stared at the boy’s back. She wasn’t sure how a shifter thought he’d be able to raise a vampire properly, but she wasn’t going to bring that up now. Not when their place in this “Society” was so tentative.
Deane’s expressive eyes combed the lush terrain and rested on a red-streaked bird perched on the top of the speaker system mounted on a nearby post. He said quietly enough so the kid wouldn’t hear, “The holidays are hard when ye’re missing family. I don’t think he’s too pleased to be away from Denver for Christmas. It doesn’t look very wintery round these parts.”
It almost sounded like he was asking for help.
She noted the palms at the edge of the lawn and agreed. This wasn’t the place you pictured when thinking of a holiday scene, and it was nothing like the Rocky Mountains’ snow-covered peaks. She also considered this would be the first time Riley wouldn’t be enjoying the foods associated with the holidays. Though it was distant in her memory, Verity recalled when she was in her youth and had transitioned into becoming a vampire. Food no longer had the same appeal.
“Holidays filled with big meals aren’t the same when food doesn’t taste good.” She wrinkled her nose. “Julian and I have a tradition of feeding the animals around here at Christmas instead. It changes the focus for us, and it’s fun getting creative with it. You’re welcome to bring him over to join us.”
Deane pulled out his phone and checked the screen. “It crept up on me. Christmas Eve is tomorrow, and I haven’t gotten anything for him. What do ye suppose a lad who likes writing would like?”
Verity thought of all the holidays she’d spent with Julian and supposed Riley wouldn’t have the same interests. She frowned. “Haven’t you spent time with him?”
His brow wrinkled, and he went silent. He didn’t say another word about it. He only sat and watched the remainder of Julian’s performance. Verity left him alone. Maybe he’d had enough. After all, he didn’t strike her as a man who was comfortable with revealing details from his past, and he had divulged more than she’d expected he might.
For the remainder of the afternoon, Julian showed their guests around the property, giving extra time to introducing his alligators. Riley’s eyes observed everything in curiosity, though he didn’t often speak or express much emotion. Verity sensed it was his way of taking things in without committing to anything haphazardly. She hoped he might grow to trust them enough to reveal his true personality. If he’d refused the human blood Ramsay tried to force feed him, he must have strong convictions. None of her siblings, including herself, had ever done such a thing with Lycos.
When the sun touched the Everglades to the west, they returned to the house. Verity dug out some fruit from the kitchen and offered it to their shifter guests, sorry they didn’t have anything more to offer them. She chopped the apple at the bar in their lounge as Deane walked to her upright piano and rested his hand on the fallboard. She brought over a plate of fruit to their coffee table and set it down, looking at him. “Do you play?”
“No,” he answered and slipped his hands into his pockets.
Emery started crunching away at the apple slices. Mid-bite, she asked, “Do you know any classic rock?”
Verity sat down on the piano bench and lifted the fallboard, exposing its ivory keys. Her fingers settled on their smooth faces, and she glanced over her shoulder at her brother, who’d already reached for his guitar. She felt Deane’s eyes on her from where he stood, only a stride away.
She answered Emery’s question with the song she selected. Upon the discovery of jazz, her soul had found song. Her fingers danced along the keys, filling the room with the rhythm from her twenties. Verity took a deep breath before calling back to the legend, Ella Fitzgerald, and letting her voice sing a standard she chose in jest.
Julian raised an eyebrow at her and smiled but strummed along anyway. Beside her Deane moved closer, nearly brushing against her back. Verity continued to sing and got to the part she anticipated, “They call her hard-hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah. The meanest gal in town…”
Her lips parted into a smirk, and she looked at Riley sitting on the settee. His eyes creased, and the corner of his mouth pulled up ever so slightly. She was startled by Deane’s sudden movement. Verity tilted her head to watch him go to the bar, yet she kept on singing. The Irishman held something shiny in his hands as he settled on one of the padded seats. Then metallic tapping filled the room.
Verity frowned at her brother, who waggled his brows at Deane. She paused only momentarily at the keys and kept on playing while she realized what he was doing. Deane dragged the spoons across his fingers and slapped them against his thigh to create a cutting percussion that took her back in time. Stunned, she finished the song, then looked back at him. “Where’d you learn to do that?”
Deane raked the spoons, held back to back, along his fingers and thigh again and again to make an impressively fast rhythm. He held them in his hand and shrugged. “Learned when I was a lad. Was that song written about ye?”
Julian started snickering. She shot him a warning glare before answering, “I’m not so lucky to have had a song written about me.”
Verity hadn’t expected any musical ability from Deane. He didn’t look like the sort of man who knew how to cut loose or even knew what it felt like making music from the heart. She smiled at him and faced the piano to start
another song, wanting to see if he could keep up. He missed a few rhythm changes, but not enough to kick the percussionist to the curb.
She would have been happy going late into the night, but Deane stood up, resting the spoons in his palm. “Well, I’d better get Riley back.”
Verity closed the fallboard and got up from the bench. While she’d been absorbed in her own world, the boy had been left behind. Boredom didn’t quite encapsulate his expression. He was slouched on the settee with narrowly opened eyes. Beside him Emery, who also appeared ready to leave, was cradling her stomach, glowering at Deane.
She realized it was going on seven o’clock and a plate of fruit wasn’t enough for a couple of food-eating shifters. Deane showed no sign of annoyance or agitation when he walked downstairs to the door. She couldn’t read his steady expression. If he was hungry or bothered about being held so long while she’d banged on like a songbird at sunrise, she didn’t know it. Things had appeared to be going so well with Riley—Verity hoped she hadn’t ruined it.
In passing Emery said to Julian, “You should listen to Hamilton. I mean, unless you’re afraid I’m right.”
“Please.” Julian crossed his arms and shook his head. “I wrestle gators for a living.”
Riley crossed the front porch and seemed to hesitate to say to his aunt and uncle, “It was nice meeting you.”
Verity fought the urge to wrap the teen in her arms and give him a big hug. He probably wasn’t ready for that, at least based on his body language. She did, however, take a few steps forward and said, “If you don’t have plans, you could come over for Christmas. We do something special for the animals around here. It might be different than what you’re used to, but…”
He looked at Deane, who said nothing and only made a subtle nod. Riley’s eyes lowered, and he paused in answering, “Yeah, sure.”
“You’re all invited.” Verity turned to include Deane’s partner.
“But will you have food?” Emery tilted her head and pressed her red lips together.
“Oh.” Verity noticed a man standing on her lawn. One of their guards from the Society, she presumed. Even if she wanted to go out to get food, they weren’t allowed.
Having picked up on her conundrum, Deane pulled out his phone. “Give me a call and let me know what I need to pick up for ye.”
He gave her his number before going down the steps to catch up with Riley and Emery, who’d already started for the car. As she watched him dissolve into the dark, she thought about how he continued to surprise her the more she got to know him. Still, she didn’t know if there was room in this world for a shifter and two vampires to care for a kid together.
It had been a strange day. One beyond description. There were such normal moments between indescribable scenes, like Riley sipping his glass of blood before they were given a tour of the house. Deane rested his elbow against the car window and blinked at the taillights ahead of him on the road.
“I’m starving!” Emery groaned beside him. “Can you hit a fast food joint? I’m dying over here.”
His stomach gurgled in emptiness, mirroring her sentiment, but he lifted his brows at her. “I don’t think ye’re about to die.”
She rested her head against the seat and said into the roof of the car, “You don’t know what it’s like being a bear trapped in a woman’s body. Speaking of which, I’m going to need to shift soon. Feeling the buildup.”
He ignored her complaints as best he could and pulled into the drive-thru of a fast food Mexican restaurant. Riley had been sitting quietly in the backseat since they got in the car. Deane looked at him through the rearview mirror. “How ye doing back there?”
“Fine,” was all he got in response.
He’d been watching the boy closely the whole day, and he was pretty sure Riley had enjoyed himself, despite his passivity and blank stares. Deane tried again. “What about Julian and those gators? I think he’d keep them in the house if he could.”
Riley cracked a smile. “Yeah, he calls them his girls. He wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“And what was that?” Deane imagined he knew the answer, since he’d experienced the same surprise when he first observed Julian and Verity.
The kid leaned forward between the two front seats and said under his breath, “I imagined the picture of a vampire—bloodthirsty and violent, not a gay alligator wrestler.”
Deane glanced at Riley. “Unexpected things aren’t always so bad.”
“Your aunt’s a babe,” Emery said, crunching on a taco. “Super boring though.”
“Ye’re mad.” Deane couldn’t understand her take on Verity. “She’s probably ten times more interesting than I am, the sound of that voice?”
Deadpan, Riley muttered, “You’re both right.”
“Hey, now.” Deane jokingly shoved Riley back. “I’m not all that boring.”
The sound of Emery’s laughter filled the car. “I think your answer to that falsehood is what your plans are for tonight. If it involves pressing your pants for tomorrow and going to bed, we have our answer.”
Snickering from the backseat made Deane flush. He simply took his job seriously. It was important to get a good night’s sleep, so you were refreshed in the morning, ready for a new day. You never knew what was in store for you, so being prepared was important. And wrinkled trousers were worse than wearing jeans. What kind of man wore nice clothes but didn’t bother to keep them pressed?
When you lived long enough, consistency and regularity were natural, comforting. His twenty-year-old self had cut loose and had fun. He did what he enjoyed and had a temper that matched his passion, and that’s what led to his downfall. Or Kristie’s.
Deane shook his head. “Someone has to be responsible for ye lot.”
He was relieved to see Riley having a good time, even if it was at his expense. The rest of the ride home was filled with more teasing from Emery and Riley, something he tuned out. When they got back to the lodge, he met with Cruz for a call to Alaric, who sounded stressed.
“So when do you want to induct them into the Society?” the Denver lodge leader asked. “It’s clear they have you wrapped around their finger.”
Over the last week, Deane had noticed the change. His boss seemed displeased in general. He’d always been loyal to Alaric, but Deane wasn’t fond of his attitude toward the vampires. Ramsay had threatened Aerilyn’s life, and he’d died. Alaric was overly protective of his baby girl. This Deane knew. But he hadn’t seen him get so caught up before. The lodge leader had been selected by his members for his wisdom and foresight. Recently, it had appeared he’d lost sight of that.
“I’m not suggesting they be inducted. I am only tellin’ ye that they helped out Riley, and they’ve been open about their past. They don’t seem to be hiding anything.” Deane had filled them in about the things Verity had told her nephew about their family, but it didn’t seem to make a difference.
Alaric sighed. “However, that didn’t include the location of Lycos’s home? The Grand Consul is meeting in mere days. I want to provide them with as much information as I can.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Deane shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair.
“I’m depending on you,” Alaric answered. “Beaumont’s term is coming up, and I think it’s time for a change.”
Deane wondered what his boss meant by the comment. He considered the possibilities as Cruz wrapped up the call.
“Politics always makes things more exciting, doesn’t it?” The Miami leader sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together. “So, we’ve got a feast planned for Christmas afternoon if you want to join in on the fun. I know it can be hard being away from family during the holidays.”
Deane walked to the door, ready for bed. “Verity and Julian invited us to their home. Riley wants to go.”
“I see.” Cruz’s brow dipped as he seemed to consider the news. “If you’re going over there, would you and Emery mind covering the morning shift, so my crew
can spend it with their families?”
“No problem,” Deane said and tapped the doorframe on the way out.
The next morning, he received a series of texts from Verity regarding her shopping list, and he began to second-guess his offer to help. It took him most of the day to collect everything she’d requested, and when he got back to the lodge, he found that Emery, Riley, Georgina and Marisol were gone, doing their own shopping.
They returned, wearing smug grins and humming carols. Deane crossed his arms. “I hope ye didn’t get anything for me. I don’t need anything.”
Emery stuck her tongue out at him. “Grinch. I don’t care.”
Deane pulled Riley aside. “Ye should have told me ye were going out. I could have given ye some money.”
Riley stared at him from under his shaggy hair. “I had some. It’s okay.”
Deane nodded and watched the kid disappear upstairs with Marisol and their shopping bags. He raised a brow at Emery, who winked back. “They’re going to wrap presents.”
He left the room with an exhale when the holiday music cranked up and people started dancing. He’d had more than enough of domesticated life for the day, so he went to bed early in preparation for the early morning.
Deane had the car loaded and ready as the sun crested the ocean horizon the next day. He stopped to take in the view and to smell the sea air. The humidity wasn’t as noticeable to him now that he’d adjusted to the climate, but it was nothing like what December should feel.
There weren’t many cars on the road on the way to Cutler Bay, so they made it in good time. The TailGator’s parking lot was empty. The sounds of birds praising the day filled the air. Deane gathered the bags from the back of the car and started for the house with Emery and Riley following close behind.
Half-Blood Secrets: A Paranormal Series (Half-Bloods Book 2) Page 13