the words," she said, "right out of my mouth." And without so much as a "See ya later, gator," she hung up.
Chapter 21
He is not dead.
He is not dead.
He is not dead, because if he was? I'd kill him.
But I had to face facts. Sinclair wasn't sulking. For one thing, it wasn't his style. He liked
to engage, not withdraw. For another, as silly as he thought the wedding stuff was? He'd
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) never stick me with all of the prep less than two weeks before the big day.
Well, he might stick me with it, but he wouldn't out-and-out disappear on me. Even when
I thought I hated him, he'd been impossible to get rid of Now, when we loved each other,
he'd made himself scarce? Not likely.
Tina was half right: someone had snatched him. 1 Id who? And how come? And where the
heck was he?
I glanced over and saw Babyjon had tired of playing with his soft blocks and toppled over
on his side, one thumb corking his mouth shut. He watched me with sleepy blue eyes as I
paced, as I grumbled and thought and chewed my nails and prowled back and forth.
Finally I sat down at the kitchen table, folded my hands, looked at my folded hands, and
thought:this is not a coincidence.
I thought:Sinclair and Marc and Antonia and Garrett and Cathie and Tina and Jessica and
Nick and a double funeral and Laura and my mom? All those people either missing or
deliberately absenting themselves from my life? And now, of all times? The week my dad
and the Ant died? Two weeks before I married the King of the Vampires? Granted, I
remember wishing everyone would leave me alone for a few days, but this was ridiculous.
I thought:Who killed my father and my stepmother? Because this was all just a little too
neat, you know? Too neat by a damn shot.
Didn't they know they were fucking with the queen of the vampires? (Whoever "they"
were?) Didn't (hey know what I—we—could do to them?
Sure they did. They just didn't care. They didn't think I was a threat; no vampire had ever
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) thought I was a threat. They only believed me as I was killing them. And even then, the
rumor spread that Sinclair had really done it. Even the European faction had taken a damn
year to pay their respects.
And who was I kidding, calling myself a vampire queen? If I didn't believe the Book of the
Dead said Sinclair and I were married, how could I believe it about anything else?Can't
have it both ways, Bets , as Jessica might have said.
So who had seen my weakness, and acted?
And what the blue hell was I going to do about it?
This was, of course, assuming it was all about me.
I almost laughed. Of course this was all about me! Just not in a good way.
I picked up the phone, dialed my mom's number, and waited for her to answer. "Mom?
Listen, I need a favor. The shit's hitting the fan over here, and I don't think it's safe for
Babyjon. Can you take him for a couple of days?
"Mom?
"Hello?"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) Chapter 22
“Just what do you think you're doing, young lady?"
I stared at my mom, whose white curls were straggly in her wrath. She'd roared right over
to the mansion in her Honda to kick my ass. I was just having trouble figuring out . . .
"You want to know why I'm so angry?"
"Not really."
"I'll tell you why. You are responsible for this infant." She pointed a nonmanicured index
finger at Babyjon, who yawned. "You. Not me. Not your sister."
"Did Laura talk to—"
"You. And at the first sign of trouble—"
"The first?" I yelped.
"—you come running to me to kiss your boo-boos and make everything all better. Well, I
can't, Betsy. You're a grown woman, and it's about time you started acting like one."
I looked at my mother, Dr. "Suburbs" Taylor, with real irritation. I
Chapter 21
He is not dead.
He is not dead.
He is not dead, because if he was? I'd kill him.
But I had to face facts. Sinclair wasn't sulking. For one thing, it wasn't his style. He liked
to engage, not withdraw. For another, as silly as he thought the wedding stuff was? He'd
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) never stick me with all of the prep less than two weeks before the big day.
Well, he might stick me with it, but he wouldn't out-and-out disappear on me. Even when
I thought I hated him, he'd been impossible to get rid of Now, when we loved each other,
he'd made himself scarce? Not likely.
Tina was half right: someone had snatched him. 1 Id who? And how come? And where the
heck was he?
I glanced over and saw Babyjon had tired of playing with his soft blocks and toppled over
on his side, one thumb corking his mouth shut. He watched me with sleepy blue eyes as I
paced, as I grumbled and thought and chewed my nails and prowled back and forth.
Finally I sat down at the kitchen table, folded my hands, looked at my folded hands, and
thought:this is not a coincidence.
I thought:Sinclair and Marc and Antonia and Garrett and Cathie and Tina and Jessica and
Nick and a double funeral and Laura and my mom? All those people either missing or
deliberately absenting themselves from my life? And now, of all times? The week my dad
and the Ant died? Two weeks before I married the King of the Vampires? Granted, I
remember wishing everyone would leave me alone for a few days, but this was ridiculous.
I thought:Who killed my father and my stepmother? Because this was all just a little too
neat, you know? Too neat by a damn shot.
Didn't they know they were fucking with the queen of the vampires? (Whoever "they"
were?) Didn't (hey know what I—we—could do to them?
Sure they did. They just didn't care. They didn't think I was a threat; no vampire had ever
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) thought I was a threat. They only believed me as I was killing them. And even then, the
rumor spread that Sinclair had really done it. Even the European faction had taken a damn
year to pay their respects.
And who was I kidding, calling myself a vampire queen? If I didn't believe the Book of the
Dead said Sinclair and I were married, how could I believe it about anything else?Can't
have it both ways, Bets , as Jessica might have said.
So who had seen my weakness, and acted?
And what the blue hell was I going to do about it?
This was, of course, assuming it was all about me.
I almost laughed. Of course this was all about me! Just not in a good way.
I picked up the phone, dialed my mom's number, and waited for her to answer. "Mom?
Listen, I need a favor. The shit's hitting the fan over here, and I don't think it's safe for
Babyjon. Can you take him for a couple of days?
"Mom?
"Hello?"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) Chapter 22
“Just what do you think you're doing, young lady?"
I stared at my mom, whose white curls were straggly in her wrath. She'd roared right over
to the mansion in her Honda to kick my ass. I was just having trouble figuring out . . .
"You want to know why I'm so angry?"
"Not really."
"I'll tell you why. You are responsible for this infant." She pointed a nonmanicured index
finger at Babyjon, who yawned. "You. Not me. Not your sister."
"Did Laura talk to—"
"You. And at the first sign of trouble—"
"The first?" I yelped.
"—you come running to me to kiss your boo-boos and make everything all better. Well, I
can't, Betsy. You're a grown woman, and it's about time you started acting like one."
I looked at my mother, Dr. "Suburbs" Taylor, with real irritation. I
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