it.
“Just talking? Then who cares?” Olivia peered through the snow-filled windows. “Maybe we shouldn’t drive in this.”
Ronni continued down the long driveway. “I care. I mean, they have every right to talk, and it could’ve been innocent, but even so. He was in love with her centuries ago and never found anybody else. I don’t think he even knows what he wants.”
“You should ask him,” Olivia said. “Help him figure it out.”
“I know.” Ronni blew out air. “Give me a break, Olly. Six days ago, I was next to death. Then I mate a vampire…which is the craziest thing ever. Somebody is trying to kill me, and I think I’ve fallen for said vampire. You can understand my not thinking all that clearly quite yet.”
“I do understand.” Olly nodded vigorously. “It all makes sense.”
Ronni slowed by the gate as the trees swayed wildly around them. “We should probably stay here, right?” Sticking it to Jared with her show of independence didn’t seem worth having a tree land on the car or a bullet hit her head. “This is reckless.” She wasn’t a stupid woman.
“Yeah. Maybe we can have the others come to us?” Olivia brushed snow off her jeans. “We could work the case from here. The coffee is excellent.”
Ronni shuddered. “I’ve been trying to prove my worth for so long, to my dad, that I have taken stupid chances.” Or avoided risks. She was a shrink, for goodness’ sake. “I understand my motivations.”
“Sometimes hearing them out loud helps. You have nothing to prove to your father,” Olivia said softly. “It’s nice to see you finally realize that. Has Jared helped?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure. He treats me as something fragile but worthwhile at the same time.” It was different than her father, that was for sure. As she let go of the past, her chest felt lighter.
“Good. I think that’s good.”
Ronni turned and grinned at her best friend. “You jumped in the car with me.”
“Of course.” Olivia smiled back. “I’m Thelma to your Louise. Monica to your Rachel. Tina Fey to your Amy Poehler.” She turned to look out the back window. “You know, if you flip a quick U-turn, they’ll never know we even left.”
“Good plan.” Ronni inched forward just as a massive vampire jumped over the car and landed in the road. She pushed the car into park. Jared stood there in the snow, legs braced, leather jacket over his bare chest. Boots covered his feet, and fury blanketed his rugged face. “Oh, crap.”
He stomped forward and yanked open her door. He moved to sit down. “Scoot.”
She scrambled to the center, pressing against Olivia. “Um…”
He turned, his eyes glittering black coal as he slammed the door. The spit dried up in her mouth. Then he jerked the gearshift into reverse.
Olivia leaned around Ronni, her blue eyes twinkling. “Jared, how kind of you to drive us back to the house. Ronni was just turning the car around.”
Jared hit the gas pedal, and the car careened backward up the icy driveway.
Olivia cleared her throat. “I don’t suppose we can keep Chalton out of this little adventure? What do you say, Jared?”
Jared turned and flashed her a smile that held absolutely no amusement. “I won’t say a word.”
Olivia breathed out, the sound relieved. “Good. That’s good.” She patted Ronni’s leg as if in reassurance. Then she stiffened, craned her neck to look out the back window, and groaned. “He’s at the back door.”
Jared slid the vehicle under the carport and shut off the car.
Quiet ticked for the tiniest of seconds. Olivia’s door was wrenched open.
Jared grabbed Ronni’s arm and pulled her from the vehicle, rushing them both through the snowstorm and into the side entry.
She jerked free. “Enough.”
He turned on her and slowly, way too deliberately, removed his leather jacket. “Where’s your coat?”
She blinked. Her coat? “I forgot it.”
“You forgot it. Again.” He glowered over her, making her
“Just talking? Then who cares?” Olivia peered through the snow-filled windows. “Maybe we shouldn’t drive in this.”
Ronni continued down the long driveway. “I care. I mean, they have every right to talk, and it could’ve been innocent, but even so. He was in love with her centuries ago and never found anybody else. I don’t think he even knows what he wants.”
“You should ask him,” Olivia said. “Help him figure it out.”
“I know.” Ronni blew out air. “Give me a break, Olly. Six days ago, I was next to death. Then I mate a vampire…which is the craziest thing ever. Somebody is trying to kill me, and I think I’ve fallen for said vampire. You can understand my not thinking all that clearly quite yet.”
“I do understand.” Olly nodded vigorously. “It all makes sense.”
Ronni slowed by the gate as the trees swayed wildly around them. “We should probably stay here, right?” Sticking it to Jared with her show of independence didn’t seem worth having a tree land on the car or a bullet hit her head. “This is reckless.” She wasn’t a stupid woman.
“Yeah. Maybe we can have the others come to us?” Olivia brushed snow off her jeans. “We could work the case from here. The coffee is excellent.”
Ronni shuddered. “I’ve been trying to prove my worth for so long, to my dad, that I have taken stupid chances.” Or avoided risks. She was a shrink, for goodness’ sake. “I understand my motivations.”
“Sometimes hearing them out loud helps. You have nothing to prove to your father,” Olivia said softly. “It’s nice to see you finally realize that. Has Jared helped?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure. He treats me as something fragile but worthwhile at the same time.” It was different than her father, that was for sure. As she let go of the past, her chest felt lighter.
“Good. I think that’s good.”
Ronni turned and grinned at her best friend. “You jumped in the car with me.”
“Of course.” Olivia smiled back. “I’m Thelma to your Louise. Monica to your Rachel. Tina Fey to your Amy Poehler.” She turned to look out the back window. “You know, if you flip a quick U-turn, they’ll never know we even left.”
“Good plan.” Ronni inched forward just as a massive vampire jumped over the car and landed in the road. She pushed the car into park. Jared stood there in the snow, legs braced, leather jacket over his bare chest. Boots covered his feet, and fury blanketed his rugged face. “Oh, crap.”
He stomped forward and yanked open her door. He moved to sit down. “Scoot.”
She scrambled to the center, pressing against Olivia. “Um…”
He turned, his eyes glittering black coal as he slammed the door. The spit dried up in her mouth. Then he jerked the gearshift into reverse.
Olivia leaned around Ronni, her blue eyes twinkling. “Jared, how kind of you to drive us back to the house. Ronni was just turning the car around.”
Jared hit the gas pedal, and the car careened backward up the icy driveway.
Olivia cleared her throat. “I don’t suppose we can keep Chalton out of this little adventure? What do you say, Jared?”
Jared turned and flashed her a smile that held absolutely no amusement. “I won’t say a word.”
Olivia breathed out, the sound relieved. “Good. That’s good.” She patted Ronni’s leg as if in reassurance. Then she stiffened, craned her neck to look out the back window, and groaned. “He’s at the back door.”
Jared slid the vehicle under the carport and shut off the car.
Quiet ticked for the tiniest of seconds. Olivia’s door was wrenched open.
Jared grabbed Ronni’s arm and pulled her from the vehicle, rushing them both through the snowstorm and into the side entry.
She jerked free. “Enough.”
He turned on her and slowly, way too deliberately, removed his leather jacket. “Where’s your coat?”
She blinked. Her coat? “I forgot it.”
“You forgot it. Again.” He glowered over her, making her
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