Mitch by Kathi S. Barton Page B

head. This was
something that she’d spoken to her grandmother about as well. “What do you
mean, no? I’m just...well, basically a human.”
    “No, you’re only half right on that. You’re
human, yes, but you’re not going to die. Not so long as I live. Hugo either. When
I took you into my heart you became a part of me. My blood will give you the
ability to heal much faster; you’re going to be able to move quicker too. Not
like I can, but fast. Your body will be able to take more as well. A bullet to
the body, so long as it’s not to the heart, will not kill you. A shot to the
head will kill you, if it’s in the right place. Otherwise, you are like this
superhuman. Broken bones will only take hours to heal rather than weeks, and
you’ll never get sick again, not from the flu or even any kind of diseases,
including cancer.”
    He didn’t move when she took his hand off the
reader, but she knew he was thinking. Vinnie wasn’t sure if he was upset or not…he
had the most unreadable face she’d ever seen. But the longer he stood there,
the more nervous she got, until he pulled her to him and kissed her like he
meant it. Breathless when he lifted his head, all she could do was smile at him
before she trusted herself to speak again.
    “What was that for?” Instead of answering
her, he kissed her again, taking his time as he tasted her, her body craving
what he was giving her. “Mitch, I have to rest, but if you keep that up, you’re
not leaving here.”
    “I wanted to tell you that...while I’m not
sure if I love you yet, I do care for you a great deal. And this gift that you’ve
given me, I will not abuse it.” He kissed her again, and using the reader, left
the room, closing the door softly behind him. She stood there, frustrated and
happy at the same time. She was going to make him pay for this.
    Going to her bed, she stripped down and lay on
the covers. She had a mate. She also had a father who was coming for her, a
mother that was in on it, and an aunt that hated her almost as much as she did
her. But for so many reasons, Vinnie didn’t care about all that. She had a
mate. And that was all she could focus on.
    “Child, I must have a word with you.” Vinnie
sat up on the bed when her grandmother appeared. She wasn’t really there, but
her image was just as clear as if she was. “Your mother is in with Horatio. And
Millicent is there as well, but I’m not finding her in on any of the things
that they’re about.”
    “How did you find out?” As far as Vinnie was concerned,
if her grandmother said it, it was a fact. “And what are their plans?”
    “I don’t know what they think they’re going
to do, but they want this house and all that’s in it. Not you, of course. That
would just be too good. No, this house. What does it have that you can think
of?” She told her of the tunnels behind the wall that Luther had shown them. “I
would...that would be a way to get around the city if they opened up there. Do
you suppose they can? And once they have it...what do you suppose they want
this house for at this time?”
    “I have no idea. Really, I don’t. We looked,
but there are so many tunnels that we had to back track a great deal.” She
suggested that she send down Hugo. “That’s a wonderful idea. He could do it.
Sniff his way around better than we could. I’ll send him now.”
    “Good. And while you’re at it, have that
young man of yours move in with you.” She told her that he’d moved in today.
“You’re wonderfully smart, my dear. How did your parents never see that
before?”
    “They’re too wrapped up in whatever Father was
doing to care, I guess.” Her grandmother agreed with her. “But this is my house
and I’m not giving it up without a fight. But what I don’t understand is, when
Luther put it up for sale, they were offered it first. And when they told him
that they weren’t interested, I got it. Is it because I own it that it bothers
them so much?”
    “I think,