scowling, each of them practically stomped after her. Seeing that Ava, Cristiano, and Jude – who were clearly seriously pissed – hadn’t moved, Collins turned to them. “I’m sorry, are you all members of the…?” He let his sentence trail off when Salem came up behind Ava and glared down at Collins. The bloke swallowed hard and forced a smile, taking a step backwards.
Ava peered up at Salem. “Aw, it’s my hero again.” His sudden scowl didn’t seem to bother her in the least. “You really are too sweet.”
Salem growled but, again, Ava didn’t appear to be affected. “Be good,” he told her gruffly before joining the rest of the squad.
It was hilarious watching big, bad Salem turn protective and possessive of small, bubbly Ava. I would never have expected the two to match, but just maybe Ava was what Salem needed. He was too serious and work-focused. Ava’s personality wouldn’t allow for that. Oddly, though, despite that Salem behaved so protectively, he was also very distant with her and brushed off her attempts to talk more intimately with him.
Jared went to follow Collins. “I’ll come too.” He was seemingly just as worried about the squad being alone with Prick Number One and Prick Number Two as I was.
Collins’ eyes briefly glistened with anger. “Actually, I’m going to need time alone with them. They might feel pressured or intimidated if you are nearby.” His tone was pleasant, but his eyes were cold. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you, Gerald?”
I gave the bloke a sad smile that said, ‘Oh you really don’t wanna play like that with Jared’ . My mate had been raised by someone who played mind games, which meant three things. One, Jared could spot those games a mile away. Two, he had absolutely no tolerance for them. And three, he knew exactly how to handle people who played them.
“Why would it be a problem?” Jared looked sincerely confused – it was a total slap down, an implication that for Collins to be a problem, Jared would have to actually care. Translation: ‘You’re not important enough for me to give a flying fuck what you do.’ For someone who clearly thought they were extremely important, it had to have chafed. Collins’ face turned crimson with both embarrassment and anger as he marched away.
A gaping Jude approached with Ava and Cristiano. “Tell me I imagined all that.”
I sighed. “I wish I could.” As Antonio appeared beside me, I asked him, “All right, what’s the deal with these two? Please tell me it’s some kind of sick joke.” His grim expression confirmed that it wasn’t.
Cristiano, who came to my other side and shot me a brief look of concern, asked Antonio, “Seriously, is all this for real?”
“I’m afraid it is,” replied Antonio sadly.
“But you don’t believe there’s been a complaint,” Jared detected, pulling me close to him and, in effect, away from Cristiano.
“If there has, I do not believe it has come from the squad.”
“Then who?” Ava asked Antonio.
“As the Heir’s mate, Sam will always have enemies.If these people cannot harm her physically, they will hurt her in other ways.”
That would have happened in any case. I had a talent for offending people. “I’m pretty sure the answer is no, but I have to ask if there’s any chance you can put this crap to an end?”
“I am sorry, Sam, but for the Prelature to be impartial, it has to be immune to all authority. One of my predecessors once tried to challenge it, and that did not end well. If I was to interfere, it would look bad for you – as though you are not confident that their decision will clear your name. Fredrick would certainly see it as such.”
“Not to be a bitch, Antonio…but what possessed you to choose him as your first-born?”
“I Turned him centuries ago when he came to me with evidence of not only the existence of vampires, but of my being one. Back then, people were much more superstitious and they often staked
Ava peered up at Salem. “Aw, it’s my hero again.” His sudden scowl didn’t seem to bother her in the least. “You really are too sweet.”
Salem growled but, again, Ava didn’t appear to be affected. “Be good,” he told her gruffly before joining the rest of the squad.
It was hilarious watching big, bad Salem turn protective and possessive of small, bubbly Ava. I would never have expected the two to match, but just maybe Ava was what Salem needed. He was too serious and work-focused. Ava’s personality wouldn’t allow for that. Oddly, though, despite that Salem behaved so protectively, he was also very distant with her and brushed off her attempts to talk more intimately with him.
Jared went to follow Collins. “I’ll come too.” He was seemingly just as worried about the squad being alone with Prick Number One and Prick Number Two as I was.
Collins’ eyes briefly glistened with anger. “Actually, I’m going to need time alone with them. They might feel pressured or intimidated if you are nearby.” His tone was pleasant, but his eyes were cold. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you, Gerald?”
I gave the bloke a sad smile that said, ‘Oh you really don’t wanna play like that with Jared’ . My mate had been raised by someone who played mind games, which meant three things. One, Jared could spot those games a mile away. Two, he had absolutely no tolerance for them. And three, he knew exactly how to handle people who played them.
“Why would it be a problem?” Jared looked sincerely confused – it was a total slap down, an implication that for Collins to be a problem, Jared would have to actually care. Translation: ‘You’re not important enough for me to give a flying fuck what you do.’ For someone who clearly thought they were extremely important, it had to have chafed. Collins’ face turned crimson with both embarrassment and anger as he marched away.
A gaping Jude approached with Ava and Cristiano. “Tell me I imagined all that.”
I sighed. “I wish I could.” As Antonio appeared beside me, I asked him, “All right, what’s the deal with these two? Please tell me it’s some kind of sick joke.” His grim expression confirmed that it wasn’t.
Cristiano, who came to my other side and shot me a brief look of concern, asked Antonio, “Seriously, is all this for real?”
“I’m afraid it is,” replied Antonio sadly.
“But you don’t believe there’s been a complaint,” Jared detected, pulling me close to him and, in effect, away from Cristiano.
“If there has, I do not believe it has come from the squad.”
“Then who?” Ava asked Antonio.
“As the Heir’s mate, Sam will always have enemies.If these people cannot harm her physically, they will hurt her in other ways.”
That would have happened in any case. I had a talent for offending people. “I’m pretty sure the answer is no, but I have to ask if there’s any chance you can put this crap to an end?”
“I am sorry, Sam, but for the Prelature to be impartial, it has to be immune to all authority. One of my predecessors once tried to challenge it, and that did not end well. If I was to interfere, it would look bad for you – as though you are not confident that their decision will clear your name. Fredrick would certainly see it as such.”
“Not to be a bitch, Antonio…but what possessed you to choose him as your first-born?”
“I Turned him centuries ago when he came to me with evidence of not only the existence of vampires, but of my being one. Back then, people were much more superstitious and they often staked
Similar Books
