musician. Diana said she needs help on the night shift and Dylan’s looking for work.”
Hugo nodded and glanced over the application. “You don’t have to ask, Remi. He’s hired.”
I reserved any excitement I might’ve felt at landing my brother a job. “Do you think it’s wise?” I asked. “He doesn’t know about the Amasai.”
“Neither do es Diana.”
I pursed my lips. “True.”
“If you will accept a piece of advice . . . I think you should come clean with him.”
“Our mom has tried our entire lives to protect us from our father’s legacy. It would devastate her if Dylan found out, too,” I said.
Worried though I was about Dylan getting even more curious now that he was back in town, I wasn’t sure my worries were justified. I hated keeping the truth from him. More than likely, I was suffering more from a guilty conscience than a curious brother.
“I understand. But think it over.” Hugo stood. “Dylan can start right away. Be sure to let Diana know.”
I nodded. “I will. Thanks, Hugo. For checking on me, too.”
I finished off the last half hour of my shift by calling my brother to give him the news and writing Diana a note. The late shift took over, and I went home to shower and get ready before I was due at headquarters.
When I got to the farm house, it didn’t smell like a place where people rallied before going out to protect people from vampires every night. It smelled like a home.
“Hey, Remi. Come help yourself. There’s enough here for an army,” Meredith invited. I went through the living room and made a beeline for the kitchen. She had made dinner – spaghetti with homemade meatballs. I was glad I’d arrived early.
“Is Gabe here yet?” I asked before plucking a ripe cherry tomato from the salad bowl and popping it into my mouth.
“No. Just Aric and Garrett so far,” she said. Meredith reached into the oven for the garlic bread, and my mouth watered when the scent wafted toward me. “Speaking of those two . . .”
“Probably in the armory,” I guessed. “I’ll call over.”
I got Aric on the comm system and relayed the call to dinner. He and Garrett appeared as fast as their feet would allow them to, and even then they all but ran over each other to get to the kitchen. Their adolescent display evoked a round of laugher from Meredith and me.
The four of us sat around the table and began to fill our plates. We made an odd sort of fa mily, but that’s what we were: A family that went beyond blood. We paused long enough with our chit-chat to say grace, then we each dug into our steaming plates of spaghetti.
“So, Remi,” Meredith said between bites. “I hear that your brother is going to be working here at the Dove Creek shop.”
I nodded and finished chewing. “Word travels fast.”
“Is he going to be joining us?” Garrett asked.
“No,” I answered a little too sharply. The question scratched the surface of what was weighing on my mind. I gave Garrett an apologetic look across the table. “No,” I tried again, my tone more even. “He doesn’t know about the Amasai.”
Garrett and Aric both looked as though they had a spate of questions to ask about what would or wouldn’t happen with Dylan, but they were interrupted by Gabriel’s arrival.
“Smells good. Started without me, I see,” he said as he strolled into the kitchen. He tugged on the end of my ponytail as he passed.
The taught thread of tension snapped as Gabe settled in next to me, and the twins didn’t push their luck.
“Ready for tonight?” He asked me as he twirled spaghetti onto his fork.
“As always.” After pausing for a drink, I added, “Rearing to go after a couple nights off.”
“Good. We could have our work cut out for us.”
“Aric and I will both be here if you two run into trouble,” Meredith said.
The lengthy summer evening allowed us to linger over dinner before dusk settled in and called us to our duty. Gabriel and I bid each other Godspeed and
Hugo nodded and glanced over the application. “You don’t have to ask, Remi. He’s hired.”
I reserved any excitement I might’ve felt at landing my brother a job. “Do you think it’s wise?” I asked. “He doesn’t know about the Amasai.”
“Neither do es Diana.”
I pursed my lips. “True.”
“If you will accept a piece of advice . . . I think you should come clean with him.”
“Our mom has tried our entire lives to protect us from our father’s legacy. It would devastate her if Dylan found out, too,” I said.
Worried though I was about Dylan getting even more curious now that he was back in town, I wasn’t sure my worries were justified. I hated keeping the truth from him. More than likely, I was suffering more from a guilty conscience than a curious brother.
“I understand. But think it over.” Hugo stood. “Dylan can start right away. Be sure to let Diana know.”
I nodded. “I will. Thanks, Hugo. For checking on me, too.”
I finished off the last half hour of my shift by calling my brother to give him the news and writing Diana a note. The late shift took over, and I went home to shower and get ready before I was due at headquarters.
When I got to the farm house, it didn’t smell like a place where people rallied before going out to protect people from vampires every night. It smelled like a home.
“Hey, Remi. Come help yourself. There’s enough here for an army,” Meredith invited. I went through the living room and made a beeline for the kitchen. She had made dinner – spaghetti with homemade meatballs. I was glad I’d arrived early.
“Is Gabe here yet?” I asked before plucking a ripe cherry tomato from the salad bowl and popping it into my mouth.
“No. Just Aric and Garrett so far,” she said. Meredith reached into the oven for the garlic bread, and my mouth watered when the scent wafted toward me. “Speaking of those two . . .”
“Probably in the armory,” I guessed. “I’ll call over.”
I got Aric on the comm system and relayed the call to dinner. He and Garrett appeared as fast as their feet would allow them to, and even then they all but ran over each other to get to the kitchen. Their adolescent display evoked a round of laugher from Meredith and me.
The four of us sat around the table and began to fill our plates. We made an odd sort of fa mily, but that’s what we were: A family that went beyond blood. We paused long enough with our chit-chat to say grace, then we each dug into our steaming plates of spaghetti.
“So, Remi,” Meredith said between bites. “I hear that your brother is going to be working here at the Dove Creek shop.”
I nodded and finished chewing. “Word travels fast.”
“Is he going to be joining us?” Garrett asked.
“No,” I answered a little too sharply. The question scratched the surface of what was weighing on my mind. I gave Garrett an apologetic look across the table. “No,” I tried again, my tone more even. “He doesn’t know about the Amasai.”
Garrett and Aric both looked as though they had a spate of questions to ask about what would or wouldn’t happen with Dylan, but they were interrupted by Gabriel’s arrival.
“Smells good. Started without me, I see,” he said as he strolled into the kitchen. He tugged on the end of my ponytail as he passed.
The taught thread of tension snapped as Gabe settled in next to me, and the twins didn’t push their luck.
“Ready for tonight?” He asked me as he twirled spaghetti onto his fork.
“As always.” After pausing for a drink, I added, “Rearing to go after a couple nights off.”
“Good. We could have our work cut out for us.”
“Aric and I will both be here if you two run into trouble,” Meredith said.
The lengthy summer evening allowed us to linger over dinner before dusk settled in and called us to our duty. Gabriel and I bid each other Godspeed and
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