Page 7 of Death Dance

“I’m afraid she was stolen,” Ben replied, and he made a show of sighing and shaking his head. “You might never see her again. Maybe she’ll be held for ransom.”

“Ben,” Emerick growled. “Where is my car?”

I giggled and raised my hand. “I gave my copy of your keys to a sketchy individual, who left with her. I gave your keys to the same sketchy individual. You’ll get her back, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be held for ransom. If it makes you feel better, my baby daughter will also be kidnapped by the same sketchy individual. Honestly, he drove her here.”

“Your father is a sketchy individual, so I’m assuming he’s the thief, especially as he has left you with your brothers. Eugene, please tell me Pepper behaved.”

“She behaved,” my brother confirmed. “She bagged a bounty, and as she had no interest in getting into a scuffle with a rapist who was also a serial killer, she stayed up past her bedtime to take him out while he slept. She’ll sleep well tomorrow, but she’ll probably be energetic until dawn. She couldn’t handle the thought of wasting any of his blood.”

“He tasted terrible,” I complained.

My husband sighed. “All right. I understand how this situation came to be. Can I interest you in some supper? I’ve got the ingredients in to do some older recipes, and Pepper’s due to have a proper meal tonight.”

Within a few months, I held hope that my digestive system would be closer to normal for a vampire, although I kept setting myself back every time I killed and drained a miscreant. However, if I ate a proper meal after draining a miscreant dry, I had an easier time with food for a while. “What era will we be eating from today?”

My husband eyed my car, shook his head, and came to my side, kissing my cheek. “I like your car, and what irritates me is that I was considering purchasing her, but I decided that the winning bidder would make me angry and likely refuse to lose. Good job on that purchase, Pepper, but I really hope that this is not the donor car you were talking about getting.”

“I saw her, loved her, and had to have her as my daughter. So, what are we eating? You always do something fancy when you get ingredients.”

That he had enough to feed my brothers indicated he meant to do a banquet, and he’d be recruiting help from the older vampires in the brood, feeding everyone in the complex.

“Clarke arrived an hour ago with your mother, who is sleeping on our couch. I may have suggested we do a meal from his youth. When I told him what I acquired, he made arrangements to visit. I’m not sure if I’m disappointed your father already left.”

“We can call him back if needed. He’s not going far,” Benoit said. “Does Pepper’s mother want to see our father?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Emerick admitted. “According to her, your father is one of her best friends, and she wants to thank him personally.”

Alisander made a thoughtful sound, got out his phone, and sent a text. “He’ll call me once he is safely parked. This will simplify things. We come bearing a gift of news, and Master Clarke will want to know. My father can bring ingredients as well and make things from his youth. He delights in resurrecting the past.”

“Then it’s settled. We’ll invite your father, make dinner for the brood, and talk business. And we’ll save the business for last, as I would rather not sour supper with bad news.” My husband wrapped his arm around me and herded me in the direction of the elevator. “That he sent all three of you over tells me that there will be bad news aplenty.”

“I wouldn’t call it bad,” my eldest brother replied, and he shrugged. “At least not yet. But it could be bad if we fail to act. That Father is ready, willing, and able to act tells me everything I need to know. He only does so when he absolutely must. That is something I refuse to take lightly.”

“Eugene? Benoit?” Emerick asked.

My brothers exchanged a glance, and Eugene made a disgruntled noise while wrinkling his nose. “The Sleepers are awake, and they’re coming your way. An Original is also coming, and when he thinks you’re going to be a critical part of what is to come, I agree with him. Had my father been the only one to suggest we merge our broods, I would have thought about it. But when that one is making the suggestion, too? I think we need to join forces before it’s too late. The problem? Nobody knows what is coming or why. But we’re all certain something comes, and when it does, it’s going to be bad.”