condemnation.
The Redstone brothers had always been close. Even more so since the murder of their mother. Then, after catching the culprits who had killed her, Mag had gone off on his own without giving any details to his siblings. He knew he had some explaining to do.
“Bob, this is Miranda.” He decided to be polite. It also bought him a few more seconds to figure out what to say to his brother.
“Ma’am,” Bob nodded in Miranda’s direction, for once being a man of few words. That was out of character for the usually loquacious Bob. “Glad to see you looking better.”
That was something at least. Bob always did have a big heart. He’d seen how badly Miranda had been treated and even though he was probably pissed at Mag right now, he was still Bob enough to notice that Miranda was doing well.
“Thanks,” Miranda replied quietly. She seemed shy. She had to know his brothers had been there that night they’d rescued her. Maybe subjecting her to one of them so soon after she’d finally been strong enough to venture out of the house was a mistake. “I can’t thank you and your family enough for coming to my rescue,” she surprised him by adding, thanking Bob outright for his part in the events of that night. “I owe you all a life debt.”
Bob’s head quirked. He’d been taken by surprise as well, it seemed, and he smiled a suitably humble smile.
“It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time, ma’am.” Bob backpedaled and Mag figured his younger brother didn’t know what to do with a friendly vamp. Especially not one that claimed to owe him such an important thing as a life debt. Miranda seemed to want to argue but Mag looked over at her, knowing he couldn’t put off the explanation to his brother any longer.
“I’m sorry to drag you out tonight but Raintree bugged my car. I asked Steve to have one of his guys retrieve it and give it the once-over,” Mag started his tale. All the brothers knew who the major players in the local vamp community were, so there was no need to explain who Raintree was. It was important to the Clan that the Redstones keep up peaceful relations with the Others in the area, and they had regular briefings on the various communities in the area. “I figured they’d have a harder time tracking us in the air.”
“ It can still be done,” Miranda put in from the back seat. “All it takes is one old one who can shapeshift into something that flies to follow us.”
“We’ve taken that in to consideration,” Bob told her. “Steve sent along some of the raptors. They’re going to shadow our path, and hopefully they’ll spot anything else in the sky with us. I also have orders—I think it’s only fair to warn you—to take you directly to the company headquarters. Some of the Clan is waiting there to talk to you both.”
“Shit,” Mag cursed. He’d hoped to put off the family confrontation until Miranda was a little stronger. “Grif?” he asked, pretty sure his eldest brother was at the core of this interception of his plans.
“Yeah, and the rest. Plus Slade and the priestess. They both want to talk to Miranda.”
“Oh, no. Slade is the guy I clawed, isn’t he?” Miranda cringed.
“Don’t worry. Only his pride was hurt,” Bob replied with a grin.
“Nevertheless, I owe him an apology.” Miranda seemed to steel herself.
“All right then, let’s get this over with,” Mag gave in to the inevitable. When the Clan united behind something, they usually got what they wanted. It wouldn’t be wise to fight this tonight.
The flight to Redstone Construction’s headquarters building on the outskirts of town was uneventful. Bob was a competent pilot and he set them down gently, taking care of the big machine while Mag escorted Miranda into the building and the reception committee that was waiting for them.
Sure enough, everyone was gathered in the large conference room just off the lobby. The doors were propped open and it
The Redstone brothers had always been close. Even more so since the murder of their mother. Then, after catching the culprits who had killed her, Mag had gone off on his own without giving any details to his siblings. He knew he had some explaining to do.
“Bob, this is Miranda.” He decided to be polite. It also bought him a few more seconds to figure out what to say to his brother.
“Ma’am,” Bob nodded in Miranda’s direction, for once being a man of few words. That was out of character for the usually loquacious Bob. “Glad to see you looking better.”
That was something at least. Bob always did have a big heart. He’d seen how badly Miranda had been treated and even though he was probably pissed at Mag right now, he was still Bob enough to notice that Miranda was doing well.
“Thanks,” Miranda replied quietly. She seemed shy. She had to know his brothers had been there that night they’d rescued her. Maybe subjecting her to one of them so soon after she’d finally been strong enough to venture out of the house was a mistake. “I can’t thank you and your family enough for coming to my rescue,” she surprised him by adding, thanking Bob outright for his part in the events of that night. “I owe you all a life debt.”
Bob’s head quirked. He’d been taken by surprise as well, it seemed, and he smiled a suitably humble smile.
“It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time, ma’am.” Bob backpedaled and Mag figured his younger brother didn’t know what to do with a friendly vamp. Especially not one that claimed to owe him such an important thing as a life debt. Miranda seemed to want to argue but Mag looked over at her, knowing he couldn’t put off the explanation to his brother any longer.
“I’m sorry to drag you out tonight but Raintree bugged my car. I asked Steve to have one of his guys retrieve it and give it the once-over,” Mag started his tale. All the brothers knew who the major players in the local vamp community were, so there was no need to explain who Raintree was. It was important to the Clan that the Redstones keep up peaceful relations with the Others in the area, and they had regular briefings on the various communities in the area. “I figured they’d have a harder time tracking us in the air.”
“ It can still be done,” Miranda put in from the back seat. “All it takes is one old one who can shapeshift into something that flies to follow us.”
“We’ve taken that in to consideration,” Bob told her. “Steve sent along some of the raptors. They’re going to shadow our path, and hopefully they’ll spot anything else in the sky with us. I also have orders—I think it’s only fair to warn you—to take you directly to the company headquarters. Some of the Clan is waiting there to talk to you both.”
“Shit,” Mag cursed. He’d hoped to put off the family confrontation until Miranda was a little stronger. “Grif?” he asked, pretty sure his eldest brother was at the core of this interception of his plans.
“Yeah, and the rest. Plus Slade and the priestess. They both want to talk to Miranda.”
“Oh, no. Slade is the guy I clawed, isn’t he?” Miranda cringed.
“Don’t worry. Only his pride was hurt,” Bob replied with a grin.
“Nevertheless, I owe him an apology.” Miranda seemed to steel herself.
“All right then, let’s get this over with,” Mag gave in to the inevitable. When the Clan united behind something, they usually got what they wanted. It wouldn’t be wise to fight this tonight.
The flight to Redstone Construction’s headquarters building on the outskirts of town was uneventful. Bob was a competent pilot and he set them down gently, taking care of the big machine while Mag escorted Miranda into the building and the reception committee that was waiting for them.
Sure enough, everyone was gathered in the large conference room just off the lobby. The doors were propped open and it
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