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“I flew in this morning. Aunt Bernadette would only spring for the red-eye. And I was hoping I could stay with you.”
“Oh, I don’t––”
“Of course, you can,” Jesse interjects before I can drum up and excuse to turn her away.
I stare at him for a moment, pumping all my anxiety and fear into my expression, but he only gives me an encouraging nod. I look back at Steph and force another smile to my lips.
“I guess you’re staying with us.”
I don’t know how this is going to work. Steph has no idea who Jesse really is. She also doesn’t know she’s a witch, a fact that is going to cause problems at the Belloy Manor. None of the vampires there are going to want a witch in their midst, especially since one is effectively, albeit slowly, assassinating their king.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself,” Jesse says, pulling me into his side and offering his free hand to Steph. “Jesse Lee.”
“Stephanie Brummett,” she says, shaking his hand. “You can call me Steph.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Steph,” Jesse says. “Are you hungry? We can find a nice private place to get some food…and talk.”
“I’m starved,” she exclaims. “I’ve had nothing but airplane pretzels and stale coffee since yesterday.”
Keeping his arm over my shoulder, Jesse leads us down the sidewalk. My nerves are twitching beneath my skin as I try to make small talk with Steph. I know what Jesse meant by “talk.” We have to tell her who he really is.
And she’s not going to be happy I kept that little tidbit from her.
“So, I’ve been walking all over Hollywood looking for you,” she says, pulling me from my thoughts.
“That was your big plan?” I ask, arching my brow at her. “To walk around L.A. until you spotted me?”
“Hey, it worked, didn’t it?”
I shake my head. It was a foolish plan, at best. The only reason she found me was because I was looking for her. Well, not her, specifically, but her lookalike. Who I happened to see yesterday in this very area.
“I would’ve called if I didn’t find you by this afternoon,” she assures me as Jesse leads us into a small, hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant.
Once we’re seated in a booth and have given the waitress our order, Jesse props his forearms on the table and leans low to speak directly to Steph.
“If you’re going to stay with us, there are a few things you should know.”
“Okay, that doesn’t sound ominous, at all,” she deadpans, and when Jesse just stares at her without cracking a smile, she straightens. “Okay. I’m listening.”
“Eden and I are staying in my family home. It is filled with vampires, including my father…Franklin Belloy.”
Her shocked expression is a bit delayed, like it took a moment for her brain to process what he just said. Her eyes flit to me, take in my apologetic expression, then return to Jesse.
“You’re Franklin Belloy’s son? The vampire king?”
“Not in the traditional sense,” Jesse says quietly, “but yes. For all intents and purposes, he is my father.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but Jesse asked me not to,” I offer when she falls silent.
“I understand,” she says, waving off my apology. “This is just…a lot.”
“There are some things going on that I can’t really get into,” Jesse continues, “but I need you to know the dangers associated with staying with us. I’ll inform the household you are my guest, but we can’t take any chances. You won’t be able to roam the house by yourself. You’ll have to stay in my room with Eden when I’m not around to watch over you. If it’s too much, I’d be more than happy to reserve a suite at a hotel for you while you’re here.”
As much as I love Steph, I’m hoping she’ll accept the out and stay in the damn hotel. It’s dangerous enough for her being a human––one who’s not Jesse’s mate––in that place. Being a witch only multiplies the danger. But I can’t tell her that. She doesn’t know what she is.
“Will I be safe alone in my room at night?” she asks, her words slow and measured.
“There is a suite attached to mine with locks that are unbreakable,” he says cryptically.
