watching would assume I was an ordinary visitor. I took a deep breath and waited for my spidey senses to kick in. Sure enough, there was that gripping tingle at the back of my skull. There were vamps inside.
Chapter Eleven
"We should wait until full dark." Kabita shot a scowl at the pink door. "Less likely to be spotted by neighbors."
"And more likely to have escaped vamps on our hands." I shot her down. "Nope. We need to get in there now."
"And how do you suggest doing that? It's a thick door. Pretty sure people will notice a giant Viking kicking it down." Kabita refused to give up.
"I've got other ways," I said.
"Oh, right. Miss Fire Happy. Let's burn the door down. It's not like anyone will see and call the fire department."
I sighed. "They might. But it'll give us time to get in there and hopefully dust the nest before anyone arrives to check out the fire." If my Fire was even working again.
"Because that's worked so well for us in the past."
We stood there glaring at each other, arms crossed like a couple of kids. This was getting us nowhere.
"Fine," I said. "We need a diversion. Something that will get the neighbors out of their houses and paying attention to something else."
"That makes sense," Kabita agreed. "Got any ideas?"
"Not exactly," I admitted.
"I've got an idea," Haakon said.
We both stared at him. "What?"
"Better I show you." He stood up and whipped off his shirt, revealing acres and acres of taut, rippling muscles covered in golden brown skin. Kabita and I sucked in our breath. Good gods, he was a fine specimen of manhood. His hands went to his jeans zipper. Down it came and off went the jeans, leaving Haakon standing there in nothing but a pair of indecently snug heather-gray boxer briefs and scuffed black combat boots. I closed my eyes, reminding myself I had a boyfriend I loved like crazy.
"This plan involves you getting naked?" Kabita finally choked out. I opened my eyes. She was staring at him like she wanted to eat him alive. Couldn't say I blamed her.
"Indeed." He shot us a wide, white smile. "Be ready." And with that he strolled out from behind the bush and down the hill like he owned the place.
"Sweet baby Jesus," Kabita breathed.
"You're not kidding."
Haakon sauntered casually between the pink house and its blue neighbor. As he moved out onto the street, he began to stagger and weave like a drunk. Then in a thick Norwegian accent he began belting out, "My baby takes the morning train."
"Oh good lord," I gasped. "The man can't hold a tune in a bucket."
"You got that right." Kabita was barely holding back a laugh as doors and windows opened and people began appearing on the street, pointing and laughing at the nearly naked "drunk" tourist. "Guess that's our cue. My bet is we're going to have to stage a jail break after this. You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
It was my turn to stride down the hill toward the pink house, Kabita close on my heels. I laid my palm flat on the sun-warmed wood and reached down inside me for the Fire. I guess it had recovered, because it came in a rush, spreading down my arm and onto my hand. I concentrated on pouring the fire into the wood. Within seconds the door began smoking and charring, and then the Fire caught. Kabita and I stepped back and watched as the door began to burn in earnest. We still heard Haakon belting out songs down the street, a show tune this time.
"That boy had better not quit his day job," Kabita muttered. "Unless he plans to take up stripping."
I snorted. "Okay, ready?" The fire was beginning to sputter, and the door was thoroughly charred, even burned through in some places.
"As I'll ever be," Kabita echoed my words.
One swift kick, and the door crumbled into so much ash and rubble. Kabita and I stepped inside.
# # #
Light spilled through the open doorway, lighting up a narrow vestibule with a white tiled floor and a narrow staircase leading to the floor above. On the left side of the hall directly across from us were
Chapter Eleven
"We should wait until full dark." Kabita shot a scowl at the pink door. "Less likely to be spotted by neighbors."
"And more likely to have escaped vamps on our hands." I shot her down. "Nope. We need to get in there now."
"And how do you suggest doing that? It's a thick door. Pretty sure people will notice a giant Viking kicking it down." Kabita refused to give up.
"I've got other ways," I said.
"Oh, right. Miss Fire Happy. Let's burn the door down. It's not like anyone will see and call the fire department."
I sighed. "They might. But it'll give us time to get in there and hopefully dust the nest before anyone arrives to check out the fire." If my Fire was even working again.
"Because that's worked so well for us in the past."
We stood there glaring at each other, arms crossed like a couple of kids. This was getting us nowhere.
"Fine," I said. "We need a diversion. Something that will get the neighbors out of their houses and paying attention to something else."
"That makes sense," Kabita agreed. "Got any ideas?"
"Not exactly," I admitted.
"I've got an idea," Haakon said.
We both stared at him. "What?"
"Better I show you." He stood up and whipped off his shirt, revealing acres and acres of taut, rippling muscles covered in golden brown skin. Kabita and I sucked in our breath. Good gods, he was a fine specimen of manhood. His hands went to his jeans zipper. Down it came and off went the jeans, leaving Haakon standing there in nothing but a pair of indecently snug heather-gray boxer briefs and scuffed black combat boots. I closed my eyes, reminding myself I had a boyfriend I loved like crazy.
"This plan involves you getting naked?" Kabita finally choked out. I opened my eyes. She was staring at him like she wanted to eat him alive. Couldn't say I blamed her.
"Indeed." He shot us a wide, white smile. "Be ready." And with that he strolled out from behind the bush and down the hill like he owned the place.
"Sweet baby Jesus," Kabita breathed.
"You're not kidding."
Haakon sauntered casually between the pink house and its blue neighbor. As he moved out onto the street, he began to stagger and weave like a drunk. Then in a thick Norwegian accent he began belting out, "My baby takes the morning train."
"Oh good lord," I gasped. "The man can't hold a tune in a bucket."
"You got that right." Kabita was barely holding back a laugh as doors and windows opened and people began appearing on the street, pointing and laughing at the nearly naked "drunk" tourist. "Guess that's our cue. My bet is we're going to have to stage a jail break after this. You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
It was my turn to stride down the hill toward the pink house, Kabita close on my heels. I laid my palm flat on the sun-warmed wood and reached down inside me for the Fire. I guess it had recovered, because it came in a rush, spreading down my arm and onto my hand. I concentrated on pouring the fire into the wood. Within seconds the door began smoking and charring, and then the Fire caught. Kabita and I stepped back and watched as the door began to burn in earnest. We still heard Haakon belting out songs down the street, a show tune this time.
"That boy had better not quit his day job," Kabita muttered. "Unless he plans to take up stripping."
I snorted. "Okay, ready?" The fire was beginning to sputter, and the door was thoroughly charred, even burned through in some places.
"As I'll ever be," Kabita echoed my words.
One swift kick, and the door crumbled into so much ash and rubble. Kabita and I stepped inside.
# # #
Light spilled through the open doorway, lighting up a narrow vestibule with a white tiled floor and a narrow staircase leading to the floor above. On the left side of the hall directly across from us were
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