“It’s huge,” Donna said.
Charlie nodded as she pushed the unlock button on the key fob. “It has to be to sleep as many people as it does and still provide some living space.”
“Of course. I’m just glad Will used to drive eighteen-wheelers.” Donna smiled. “I can’t wait to see the inside.”
“Then let’s go,” Charlie said.
Everyone left their bags next to the RV, and Charlie led them in to inspect their home on the road. Donna followed with Christina, Cammie, Pierce, and Temo behind. As soon as the door opened, Donna knew this was going to be something special. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected exactly, but it wasn’t the interior she saw.
White leather upholstery and driftwood gray plank tiles set the tone for the look. More shades of gray made up the glass and marble-tiled backsplash in the kitchen area, a perfect complement to the glossy white cabinets with brushed-nickel handles.
Strips of LED lighting seemed to border everything, providing a soft glow. For more lighting, there were recessed overheads and crystal wall sconces. Huge windows provided plenty of natural light, though, so there didn’t seem to be any dark areas.
Touches of soft dusty blue and sand gave the whole place a high-end spa vibe.
“It looks like a beach house,” Christina said. “A really posh one. Like something from MTV Cribs. Okay, actually nicer than that.”
Donna smiled. Her daughter’s assessment was spot-on. “It does kind of look like a beach house.” The kind that cost millions. The space was stunning. And immaculate. That would change after they’d all been in it for five minutes, she was sure. Not that they were all a bunch of slobs. Far from it. But six people and all of their stuff would definitely make an impact on the general tidiness of the place.
“This is what’s considered the lounge, and it is very nice. Especially when the slide-out is engaged, which adds another two feet to the width in here.” Charlie then turned to point at the loft above the cockpit. “There’s a queen-size sleeping space up there, then the master bedroom in the back, but in just a minute, I’ll show you the bunks.”
Donna looked at her daughter. “Do you want that loft?”
Christina glanced at it. “That might work for me.”
Charlie smiled. “It does have a privacy curtain that you can shut, as well as its own temperature controls, entertainment center, and lighting.”
“Really?” Christina’s brows went up. “Yeah, that could definitely work. I might climb up there and have a look.”
“Go right ahead,” Donna said.
Christina grinned. “Not until I see the rest of this joint first.”
“What I see of the kitchen already looks perfect.” Donna pointed. “Namely, that the coffee maker is front and center.”
“Amen to that,” Cammie said.
“Priorities.” Grinning, Charlie gestured for them to follow her. She led them past the kitchen, which was part of the open living/dining space, and into a much narrower hall, barely wide enough for two people to pass shoulder to shoulder.
She turned to face them and gestured to a sliding door on the left. “This is the main bathroom. Full-size shower, or at least as full-size as you can hope for in a space like this. Toilet, big sink, and a decent amount of storage in the cabinetry. One nice perk—the shower doubles as a steam room.”
“I bet Lionel’s rig doesn’t have that,” Temo said.
“You never know,” Donna said.
Charlie pointed next at the long, accordion shutters next to her. There were four of them, two on top, two on the bottom. “These are the bunks.”
She unlocked one of the accordion shutters and slid it back so they could see inside.
“Wow.” Donna’s brows went up. “That’s pretty nice for a bunk.”
“Looks bigger on the inside,” Christina said.
“Like the TARDIS,” Pierce added. “That’ll do very nicely for me.”
Charlie nodded. “Me too.” Then she held up a finger. “Something to note. If you sleep in a bunk, you must always sleep with your feet toward the driver. In case of an accident or sudden braking, you do not want to go headfirst into the wall. I don’t care how supernatural we are, that wouldn’t be fun.”
Christina made a face. “I am definitely taking the loft.”
Then Charlie went all RV spokesmodel and started pointing out the amenities in the bunk. “This is the personalized temperature control. There are two main vents and a retractable fan. Each bunk has a window with an automated privacy shade. Just push a button, and the glass goes dark.”
Temo whistled. “That is slick.”
Charlie reached in and pushed a button on the control panel against the side wall. A small screen descended from the bunk’s ceiling about halfway down. “Personal HD flat-screen that’s connected to the satellite antenna and has a prestocked selection of movies.” Her finger moved slightly. “There’s also a headphone jack, or the capability to go wireless if you have your own Bluetooth headset.”
“Does the loft have all of this?” Christina asked.
Charlie nodded. “Same setup. Just more space.”
“Cool.”
Charlie smiled. “I suppose we don’t all need to see the master bedroom.”
“I don’t mind,” Donna said. “I say lead on. After all, it has the other bathroom on board. We might need to share it when we’re getting ready. Or if someone’s showering or whatever. Go ahead, show us.”
“Very good.” Charlie turned and touched a panel next to the frosted-glass door that ended the hallway.
The door slid open, revealing the master suite.
There weren’t enough words in Donna’s vocabulary to accurately describe how incredible the space was. It was in similar colors as the rest of the coach, but the soft grays and muted sea blue dominated, along with a bolder teal. The glossy white cabinetry present in the living room and kitchen existed in this room as well, but in here, it had been finished to a soft satin sheen.
The enormous bed came out from the left wall, and with its sumptuous white-and-gray-patterned comforter and soft blue accent pillows, it looked like a nest she might never get out of. “Is that really a king-size bed? In an RV?”
Charlie nodded as she moved around the space to let everyone in. “It is. And…” Charlie reached down, pushed a button or pulled a lever or something, and the bed lifted like it was hinged at the headboard.
Underneath was a storage area. “This is generally used as an armory, or it could just be for added storage. We do need to bring the queen’s sword back, and Temo and I have selected a few other weapons to bring along, so it won’t be completely empty.”
“Fine with me,” Donna said. She shook her head as Charlie pushed the bed down to its original position. “I never imagined there’d be a bedroom like this.” She glanced at the rest of them. “I have to admit I feel a little guilty taking all this space for myself when everyone else is in a bunk.”
“Hey,” Pierce said. “Those bunks are very well appointed. And you’re the governor. You should have a nice space. You’re the one bearing the most weight on this trip. Meeting your in-laws and representing the state of New Jersey at the funeral and dealing with the politics of it all. Chances are, you’re going to need a place to retreat to. I promise you, we all want you to have this room.”
“He’s right, boss,” Temo said. “Don’t feel bad about it.”
Charlie nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. Don’t even give it another thought.”
Donna smiled. They always had a way of making her feel better about things. She was blessed to have such a great team around her. “Thank you. All of you. Even so, this is such a nice space.” She looked at her sister. “Do you want to share this room with me?”
The side of Cammie’s mouth hitched up in an amused grin. “You want a vampire hunter to share a bed with a vampire? What if you suddenly decide I’m a tasty snack in the middle of the night? I’m good with a bunk. Which, by the way, is already nic
er than my cell was at the convent.”
Donna laughed. “I would never bite you. Not even accidentally while I was sleeping. You’d probably taste bitter anyway.” With a wink at her sister, she glanced at her daughter. “How about you? Do you want to share this room with me?”
“Thanks, but you know I’ve been sharing a dorm room for, like, forever, right? I will happily take that loft with the privacy screen.”
“All right.” That was that, Donna supposed. At least she’d offered.
Charlie put her hand flat on the wall panel behind her and gave it a push. It opened to reveal hanging closet space. She pushed on the one next to it, and it opened to show off shelves and drawers. “There’s plenty of storage in here.”
Then she gestured to the ceiling across from the bed. “There’s a large flat-screen that drops down from there if you want to watch television. There are controls by the bed for the sound system as well, so there’s music available too. Anything, really. It’s satellite radio.”
“Great.” Donna doubted she’d have time for much of that. Maybe a movie or two, but she had a tablet loaded with books that she’d wanted to read for ages. That was all the entertainment she needed.
“But the real perk of this room is the bathroom.” Next to the closet area was another frosted-glass door. Charlie slid it open and stood back.
More glass tile, gray driftwood plank flooring, and a sea-green-glass sink were visible beyond.
“Go ahead,” Charlie said. “Have a look.”
Donna peeked in. The large walk-in shower had a rainfall showerhead and a bench seat, as well as more controls than seemed standard for any shower, let alone one in an RV.
“It’s another steam-bath option,” Charlie said. “And another great thing about this RV is that it has hot water on demand, so no matter how many of us need to shower and get ready, there will be plenty of it to go around.”
“You really outdid yourself, Charlie.” Donna couldn’t believe this was actually going to be their home away from the penthouse for the next week or so. “Well done.”
Charlie beamed. “Thank you, Governor.”
Donna moved out of the way so everyone else could have a look. There were lots of oohs and aahs and superlative comments.
When they’d had their fill and started to filter back toward the front of the RV, Donna rubbed her hands together while her mind worked. She had a phone call she really needed to make. And she needed to make it soon.
“I’m going back up to the penthouse. I just realized I have something I need to take care of before we leave. Can someone just stick my suitcase in the bedroom? I’ll have plenty of time to unpack later.”
Pierce nodded. “I can do that for you.”
“Thanks. See you back up there.”
“Yep.”
She slipped out while Charlie was showing Temo how the pantry could be used to store any additional, smaller weapons they might want to bring. Christina was already in the loft, testing out the privacy screen. They all seemed happy.
Donna got on the elevator, went straight up to the penthouse, and as she headed for the door, she pulled her phone out and dialed.
“Will Ferris, at your service.”
Donna smiled as she walked into the penthouse. “Hi, Will. I need some help with something. And I’m hoping we can make it happen before we leave this evening. Again, sorry for the short notice. That seems to be my new thing.”
He laughed. “Don’t worry about it. If it’s possible, I’ll do my best to get it done. What do you need?”
Lucky had returned to the living-room sofa, where he was intently chewing on the toes of his back foot. Donna reached over to give him a scratch on the head. “I need two of your jackets. One of them sort of your standard issue, fairly petite. But the other is going to be a little more custom, but for someone bigger than me by an inch and a half in height and twenty pounds more in muscle.”
The leathers he made were unlike anything else available. Imbued with iron and fitted to perfection with magic, there was no greater protective gear for a vampire. At least not that Donna knew about.
“Two jackets by this evening are a tall order. Everything we have is pretty much made to order. There are a few pieces we might be able to make work. A couple of things made as samples, a few special orders not picked up, that sort of thing. I’ll have to dig around, see what’s available. The girls would need to know exact measurements, though, in order to fine-tune the incantation that provides the final tailoring.”
“Could Harper do that when she gets here and sees the recipients in person?”
“Hmm. I think that could work, but I’ll ask her to make sure.”
“Great.”
“Can you tell me a little more about the one you said would be more custom? Because even though we specialize in protecting vampires, we’ve done gear for all kinds of supernaturals, so it might not be as custom as you think.”
She bit her lip. “Have you ever done protective gear for a vampire hunter?”
Silence met her question. “A vampire hunter? You want to protect someone whose life’s work is taking out our kind? Forgive me, Governor, but I need a little more explanation on this one.”
“I understand. She was a vampire hunter. I mean, she still is, sort of. She’s just more of a freelancer now, and she only goes after the rogue supernaturals. Of late, demons mostly. She’d never hurt me or any of my friends.”
“And you know this because?”
Donna exhaled. “She’s my sister.”
Another moment of silence. “So I’m related to a hunter? Wait. The woman at the fae battle. The Venari. That was your sister? I feel like I knew that already, but maybe it got a little lost with everything going on that day.”
Even though he couldn’t see her, Donna nodded. “Yes. She’s my sister. And she’s former Venari. She’s also coming with us to the funeral. At my request. You don’t have an issue with that, do you?”
“It’s odd, I’ll say that. But if you vouch for her, that’s all I need. And she did fight on our side during the battle. That says a lot.”
She closed her eyes in relief. “Thank you. I promise you, Cammie is not going to be a problem. She left the Venari because of me. To fight with me against the fae. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I didn’t see much of her at the fae stronghold after we split up, but what I remember of her before I was attacked was that she held her own pretty well.”
“She’s incredibly tough. But she’s going through a difficult patch at the moment. She’s just turned in her Venari sword and armor.”
“I see. And you’d like to give her some protection to take their place.”
“Yes, that’s right. I want her to feel secure. But I also want her to be protected, should the need arise. She’s not as indestructible as we are.”
“I understand completely. Let me see what I can do.”
“Thank you, Will. I owe you.”
“No, you don’t. You are still the woman who saved my life. That’s a debt that can never be repaid. See you in a few hours.”
She smiled. “In a few.”
They hung up, and Donna went to her bedroom to have one last look around to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She didn’t see anything, but like with most trips, there was always that nagging sense that she’d left something out. If that really was the case, hopefully it would come to her before they pulled out this evening.
And if she had forgotten something, well, she’d just buy it.
All they needed now was the rest of their traveling companions and Lionel’s bus.
Her stomach rumbled, so she headed back to the kitchen to fix something for lunch. She hadn’t really had any breakfast, so she went in that direction. Besides, they had things to use up in the fridge.
She had a quick glass of blood, then on the griddle, she laid out an entire package of bacon to fry. In another pan, she started some sausage patties, the remains of a pack that had been opene
d and was about half used up. Next, she got out the eggs, a quarter block of leftover cheddar cheese, and a third of an onion that had been stuck in the veggie drawer. She put all of that on the counter.
She rummaged around some more and came up with a few potatoes. In a matter of minutes, she had them washed, diced up, and frying in another pan with the onion she’d found, also diced up now.
As she was filling the four-slice toaster with whole wheat bread, Charlie, Christina, Temo, and Pierce came back in.
“Smells great in here, Mom.” Christina came over to see what she was doing.
Cammie grinned. “I hope you’re making enough for everyone.”
Donna glanced back at the food on the stove. “It could be. If I added some more.”
Charlie held her hands up. “I’m good. I had a big breakfast, and all I want for lunch is a sandwich.”
Temo planted his hands on the counter. “I could make pancakes.”
Charlie narrowed her eyes. “Okay, maybe I could eat a pancake. Especially if you throw in those blueberries we need to use up.”
“That’s what I was doing,” Donna said. “Trying to use up stuff so that it doesn’t go bad while we’re away.”
Temo laughed. “You know, Penina will have no problem using food up while she’s there house-sitting. She loves to eat as much as I do.” He put a hand on his stomach. “I come from a long line of plate-cleaners.”
Donna grinned. “And she’s welcome to whatever she wants, but this way, there will be room for her own groceries too. Speaking of, Charlie, make sure you leave Penina enough petty cash to take care of whatever she needs throughout the week.”
Charlie nodded. “Will do. We’re stocked up on Lucky’s food, too, so all good there.”
Christina got the juice out of the fridge and poured herself a glass. “I’m going to miss that cat while we’re gone. I mean, I miss him when I’m at school, but since I’ve been here hanging out with him, it’s like I’ve reconnected with him again. He’s become my little buddy.”
“He does seem to be glued to your side.” Donna started cracking eggs into a bowl. “Rixaline, the young half fae, half vampire who was staying with us, really bonded with him too. I’m sure you being here has helped him since she’s left. I hope he’s not too lonely with all of us gone.”
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