“What about him, Gypsy?”
“He threatened to take Tamera’s head if I so much as touched her.”
One of Kane’s brows arched up. “You did a lot more than touch her.”
Grayson’s face heated.
Kane sighed. “I’ll take care of my grandfather’s threat where Tamera is concerned. You worry about what you’re going to say to convince him she’s better off with you.”
Grayson believed if he were honest and opened his heart, then Vlad would see the truth. Maybe then he could get on with more important things in life such as being on top of, beneath of, beside of, or any other way he could get Tamera.
* * *
Tamera placed the rest of her bags into the trunk of her car. Fat raindrops began to fall as she closed the lid. She had to admit her disappointment in not finding Anton home or a clue as to where he might have gone. He had been a good friend to her. So the fact he had taken off, without so much as a word, bothered her more than she’d care to admit. Yes, she loved Grayson, wanted to spend her life showing him just how much, but that didn’t mean she had to give up her friendship with Anton. The big vampire had been there for her from the beginning when no one else had been, even if it meant earning the scorn of his MC brother.
The house sat quiet before her. All the windows were closed, drapes drawn. Whenever he decided to come home, she hoped Kimber would be there for him. She got the impression the pretty, dark-haired woman cared more than she let on. Tamera hoped she wasn’t wrong about her, because she had a suspicion Anton could use more than just a friend. Hopefully Kimber would be the balm to heal him, whatever might be plaguing him.
The last time she had spoken with Anton, he hadn’t let on in the least anything weighed heavy on him, or that he might be angry with her for any reason. Apparently, he was a master at keeping his feelings under wraps. The rain came down harder, soaking the large T-shirt she found hanging in the closet at the beach house. She had put on the soft cotton shirt to cover the little string bikini top she still wore, along with her faded jeans. Grayson seemed to appreciate the view, so she had decided to keep it as he suggested. Since it covered next to nothing, she’d wear it for his private viewings.
Grabbing the handle on the car, Tamera meant to open the door when she found herself dangling from Rosalee’s hand wrapped about her throat. She grabbed at the primordial’s steel-like grip, but the woman was far too strong for Tamera to do more than claw at her flesh, doing little to no damage. If Rosalee decided to snap her neck or separate her head from her shoulders, there wasn’t much Tamera could do to stop her.
Hell, this far out of town, there wasn’t a single primordial in the vicinity who could help. Tamera’s best bet was to plead to Rosalee’s sensibilities, if she indeed had any.
“Stop,” Tamera croaked.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t snap your twig-like neck.” Tamera’s reflection stared back at her within Rosalee’s obsidian gaze. Long razor-like fangs hung well below her bright red, painted lips. “I have run out of patience with you.”
“I’m moving back to the clubhouse.” Tamera’s legs dangled inches from the ground as she grew light-headed.
“When?”
“Now. What the fuck do you think I’ve been doing?”
Rosalee released her grip and Tamera fell to a heap at her feet. Her hand went to her throat. Jesus, it felt as if her windpipe had been crushed. It was amazing she could still breathe. How the hell had the woman lived this long without someone offing her dumb, egotistical ass? Better yet… How the hell had Kane ever lived with her, let alone be mated to her? Tamera much preferred Cara. Good thing he had come to his senses where the dark haired sorceress was concerned. Tamera wouldn’t have wanted to share breathing space with her whenever Kane came to the clubhouse.
“You’re still here,” Rosalee hissed.
Tamera envisioned a forked tongue slithering out between her candy apple lips. No wonder Adam had been tempted to bite the apple. Sin indeed came in pretty packages if Rosalee were any indication.
“What the hell did you expect?” Tamera brushed her bangs from her forehead. “I needed to retrieve my things.”
Rosalee eyed her carefully, then offered her hand to help Tamera up from the mud and gravel driveway.
“Great.” She brushed the tiny stones from her hands on her jeans. “Gypsy should be eager to jump this now.”
“Quit being so melodramatic. Save it for someone who gives a shit.”
“Well, forgive me for thinking you did.” Tamera bit back the ache in her gums. “I was under the impression you might actually be happy about the turn of events.”
“Then humor me.”
“Gypsy’s going to petition Vlad for me to be returned as his mate.”
“Why?”
“Jesus! Give me some credit, will you?”
Rosalee’s gaze raked her from head to toe, looking a bit skeptical.
“Come on. I’m wet … and dirty, thanks to you.”
“Fine.”
“What the hell do you want from me, anyway? You got your way. I’ll be living back at the clubhouse. Now what?”
Even Rosalee was starting to look a little worse for wear the longer they stood in the rain. At the moment, though, Tamera bet the woman didn’t give two shits about appearance. Hell, no. Who was she trying to impress? Not like Kane would ever take her dumb ass back.
“I want to know everything that goes on under that roof. Who comes and who goes.”
“For what purpose?”
“Knowing their whereabouts will help aid in getting them alone. I will decide if a single member of that ridiculous outfit lives.”
Her face contorted into an ugly sneer. Tamera shivered. Talk about a princess of darkness.
“Every one of them turned their back on me. Threw me out like yesterday’s garbage. Kane was mine, and regardless of what my idiot stepdaddy has to say about the matter, he still belongs to me.” A muscle ticked in her jaw. “I don’t care if every last person dies in the house, unless I get back what is rightfully mine.”
“Oh, hell to the no! I did not sign up for murder.”
Rosalee gripped her throat again, even tighter this time if that were possible. Tamera couldn’t utter a wheeze, let alone a word.
“You signed up for immortality and Grayson Gabor. I got you that, you ungrateful bitch!”
The crazy primordial wanted her thank you in the way of dead Sons of Sangue members. Talk about psychotic! Tamera needed to figure a way out of this before it was too late, even if it meant losing her own life in the process.
Tamera tried her best to catch a breath, her complexion no doubt turning a lovely shade of purple before Rosalee had the wonderful piece of mind to finally let go. Tamera gasped for air.
“Fine. I get it,” Tamera wheezed.
“Do you?” Rosalee’s raised brow told her she wasn’t completely falling for it. She needed convincing.
“You leave baby Stefan alone. You promise not to hurt him and I’ll help you. But just so you know, you are completely on your own convincing Viper you two are match made in vampire heaven.”
“Fine.”
“We have a deal?”
“Fine,” she growled a second time.
Well that certainly went well. Not. Now she needed to confess to Grayson and get his help convincing Vlad his niece was an evil bitch who needed to be ashed.
Easy peasy, right? Tamera stifled her answering groan. “How about you let me get to the clubhouse before Gypsy comes looking for me? I don’t think our plan would work very well if he catches me standing here having this conversation with you.”
“For once I agree. Don’t fuck with me, Tamera.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Rosalee eyed her carefully, then said, “I’ll be in touch,” before she turned, and just like that, was gone, her legs carrying her almost faster than her vampire vision could see. Tamera sucked in a deep breath, before blowing it out slowly. Congratulations
. She lived to see another day. Now if she could make it through the rest of the year, she’d consider it a win.
Chapter 24
Kane stood just inside the door of the Pleasant Care Nursing Home as Cara kissed her grandfather’s weathered cheek. His chest wheezed something fierce, as if he were having one hell of a time catching his breath. His aging, pale eyes watered. Cara’s gaze told Kane his mate was a half a heartbeat away from tearing up and was sick with worry. Her grandfather had been her father figure, the only real family she had left. He had been her last tie to her mortal life.
Cara had apparently received a phone call from the first shift nurse, informing her that her grandfather had a slightly elevated temperature through the night and at one point seemed a bit confused. They likely wanted Cara to make the decision to call in his primary care physician or transport him to the hospital.
“What have they been giving you for your cold, Grandpa?” Cara asked as she sat on the chair beside the older man’s bed where he reclined. She took his weathered hand in hers.
Kane swore her grandfather had lost several pounds and aged twenty years in the past couple of months. Hell, he didn’t have a whole lot of weight to be losing in the first place. Time was starting to takes its toll.
“I swear to the good Lord above I take more pills in a day than most people do in a lifetime.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, Grandpa.”
“What was it?” His brow wrinkled. “Oh, those damn pills. I have no idea what they’ve been giving me. You need to ask that woman with the little white paper cups what the hell she puts in there.”
Kane smiled. He still had his spunk, which was a good sign.
“You might have pneumonia.”
“Oh pooh.” He shook off her hold on his hand. “An old man can’t get a decent cold around here without all the fuss.”
“How about we let the doctor decide it’s nothing more than a cold?”
“I think I can—” His shallow cough momentarily halted his words.
“Grandpa?”
He waved his weathered hand. “I need a little rest is all. Them damn nurses keep coming in and taking my vitals all hours of the night. How the hell am I to get a decent night sleep?”
Cara placed her hand over his forehead. “You feel like you still have a slight fever. You’re still a bit warm.”
Grabbing the call light, Cara pushed the red button. Too bad Kaleb’s mate, Suzi, was still on leave or Cara would be able to talk to her about her grandfather’s condition. Kane was sure it would have been a comfort knowing her friend was here taking care of him.
A voice came over the intercom. “Can I help you?”
“I need to speak with a nurse,” Cara replied for him.
“One moment and a nurse will be with you.”
The intercom went silent. Cara nervously drummed her fingers on her work khakis. After receiving the call her grandfather wasn’t feeling well, she had called Kane and asked him to meet her at the nursing home. Several long moments later, the nurse still hadn’t arrived and his mate had begun pacing the tiled floor like a caged cat.
Kane gripped her hand and pulled her into his embrace. He kissed her forehead as he looked back to the man lying on the bed. Her grandfather had already drifted back to sleep.
“You keep that up and you’ll wear a path right through the tiles.”
Tears sprung to her eyes. “What’s taking them so long?”
“Unfortunately, mia bella, your grandfather is not the only person in this facility.”
“He’s the most important,” she mumbled against his chest as she hugged him around the middle.
“To you, yes.”
He knew Cara wasn’t disregarding or disrespecting the other residents. She was rightly worried for the only other man in her life.
“Is there anything we can do?”
A chuckle rumbled up from his gut, knowing what she was insinuating. “No, mia bella. It’s not an option. It’s not a reason for turning someone.”
He felt the rise of her cheeks as his comment back caused her to smile. Kane ran a comforting hand down her spine. “It could be just a cold, sweetheart. Let’s see what the nurse has to say.”
Cara went back to her pacing as they continued their wait. About ten minutes later, the on staff RN walked into the room. “Ms. Brahnam?”
She turned on her heel. “Yes. Are you the one who called?”
“I am. My name is Kelly.”
“Does he need to go to the hospital, Kelly?”
“I don’t make those calls. You can if you choose, but normally the doctor makes that call.”
“Has he been called?”
“He has.” She nodded. “Following his rounds at the hospital, he said he’d drop by to see if your grandfather is doing any better.”
“How are his vitals?”
“His blood pressure was a little low. Nothing to really worry about at this point. We’re keeping an eye on it. We have him on some antibiotics prescribed by his primary care physician. We should see some improvements in a few days.” The nurse opened up her laptop and looked at the screen. “I really don’t see anything to cause alarm yet.”
“You called me.”
“Yes, we just wanted you aware of your grandfather’s condition. We can call you when his doctor gets here and let you know what his opinion is.” She smiled warmly. “I’m sure with a little more rest, he’ll be fine.”
She looked from her grandfather sleeping in the bed to Kane. “Do you think we should stay?”
“That’s your call, mia bella.”
“How long do you think it will be before the doctor gets here?”
“It’s hard to tell. If there’s an emergency at the hospital, it could delay his arrival.”
Cara nodded. Kane knew she wrestled with needing to get back to the office. Finally she said, “You’ll call?”
“First thing, Ms. Brahnam.”
Walking back over to her grandfather, she kissed his forehead. “I’ll be back after work, Grandpa.”
His snore was her reply. She walked back over to the nurse and laid her hand on her forearm. “Please keep a close eye on him. He’s the last of my family.”
“We won’t let anything happen to him. He’s in good hands here.”
The nurse smiled, closed the laptop on the cart, then wheeled it out of the room in front of her as she walked down the hall to the next red-blinking call light.
“You going to be all right?” Kane asked, truly worried about his mate.
She swiped a finger under one of her eyes. “He’ll be fine. I’m sure. Grandpa is made of tougher stuff than a little cold can tackle.”
“You want me to stay?”
“No need. You get back to K&K. You have your own business to take care of.”
He leaned down and kissed her lips. “I’ll see you later at home. If you want me to meet you here, you call.”
“I love you.”
He winked at her. “I love you too, mia bella. Now let me walk you back to your car where I can give you a proper kiss good-bye.”
* * *
The sound of Tamera’s Saab caught Grayson’s attention. Tamera had finally made her way to the clubhouse. Several times he had come close to calling, wondering why it was taking her half a day to gather her things. They had parted ways from the beach house hours ago. He couldn’t help but wonder if she had run into Anton, and if his MC brother had tried to convince her he was the better choice.
Of course, he was just being paranoid.
Anton had already given them his blessing, even if it was seasoned with a few pretty choice words. He couldn’t say that he blamed the vampire. Had the shoe been on the other foot, he probably would have reacted much in the same way, if not worse. So why the hell was he more nervous than a horse at a glue factory?
Because Tamera had become as important to him as his next communion.
To survive, he suddenly realized, he needed both.
The door to the clubhouse opened and Tamera walked through. She carried one large suitcase in her left hand and a duffle bag slung over her right shoulder. Grayson couldn’t help the warmth spreading through his chest at the appearance of her smile when their gazes met. Yeah, he could spend a lifetime loving this woman.
Too bad his stubborn hide had taken nine months to realize it.
Spurred into action, Grayson walked across the wooden flooring and relieved her of her bags. He placed a quick kiss upon her lips, which to his pleasure, she leaned into. If it wasn’t for the fact Vlad Tepes was due to stop by the house at any moment, he’d carry Tamera to his room and deposit her in the center of his king sized bed.
Kane had called his grandfather and requested his presence, just before he and the rest of the crew headed for K&K Motorcycles. Grayson had promised to arrive after getting Tamera settled, but Kaleb had told him to take the day off. They could do without him at the shop. This thing with his mate, though, needed to be handled pronto. Kaleb didn’t want it causing any more problems within the club.
Grayson hoped Vlad would make this easy. If he were a betting man, though, he’d bet a lot of groveling was in order.
“I take it you didn’t run into Blondy.”
She shook her head. Grayson noted her damp hair and clothes. He couldn’t help wondering why she had gotten caught outside in the short rain shower that had blown in quickly from the ocean. If she hadn’t run into Anton, then who kept her from getting out of the rain?
“No one was home. No sign of where he had gone either. He didn’t give you an inkling?”
“No. I’m sure he took off, needing some time to cool off.” Transferring both bags to one hand, he fingered a wet lock of her hair. “Get caught in the rain?”
She shrugged and looked to the floor, before returning her gaze. “I went to see Kimber.”
Gypsy frowned. “Who?”
“Blondy’s neighbor. I met her briefly.” She grimaced. “I’m afraid I was pretty rude to her … I owed her an apology.”
“What is she to Blondy?”
“I don’t know. Blondy doesn’t talk about her and Kimber put them in the friends zone.” Tamera ran a hand through her hair, pulling it back from her face. “Although I did hear Blondy say they had fucked once.”
Gypsy: Sons of Sangue Page 26