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“He ran away from home,” she said, giving Percy a fond smile. “He came home for holidays, so I couldn’t be too irritated, but he didn’t want the burden and interference of a great legacy. So, running away from that, he ran straight into Bellham’s heir.” She snickered and then resumed her polite smile. “How did you meet our darling Vincent?” she directed at my mother, who was trying to keep her squirrel, Peter, from eating the pins holding the tablecloth around her waist. She definitely wasn’t wearing a bra.
“Vincent? Oh, you mean Gabby’s dad. I don’t remember exactly how that went down, but he’s so handsome.”
Mrs. Mackenzie nodded agreeably. “He was always far too handsome for his own good. And how happy that the two of you had a daughter together!”
“How many children do you have?” my mom asked, which is something I should have asked at some point. He’d mentioned a sibling.
“We have the three children, Jack, Viola, and Simon. They keep me busy, but I find some time to make it to the office now and then.”
“Oh. I thought you were coming to Singsong for an internship,” I said before Percy squeezed my hand in a warning that was too late, also no idea of what.
Her polite smile veered into mystified territory. “Was I? I don’t recall signing up as an intern in Singsong. Don’t you have musical maintenance professionals? That is so interesting.”
I cleared my throat, ignoring the warning look Percy was throwing at me. “No, not you interning, me interning with you. I was going to help with a case against Mr. Good, where he’s framing an innocent vampire who only murdered one person instead of the fifty-two she’s credited with, so?—”
“You said, ‘Mr. Good?’” Her brows were as sharp as her voice, and there was nothing polite about her smile. Nope. Those were shark teeth right there.
“Yes. He’s not as good as his name implies. Percy, would you stop squeezing my hand so tight? It’s going numb.”
He rolled his eyes, shook his head, and then collapsed next to me.
His mother leaned over him and patted my knee, polite smile mixed with a dreadful excitement that made me very nervous. Good thing I had the Grand Sorcerer at my back. Unless she forgot that I was her daughter and ripped out my heart in a moment of distraction.
“Jackson knows how deeply interested I am in Mr. Good’s well-being. You see, he attempted to assassinate my husband, and while I have no proof, I would very much like to see him hanged. Your father is aware of these matters. Singsong City is rife with the criminal element, so I don’t suppose it’s strange that my dear son found himself comfortable here. I will certainly take the case of the unfortunate vampire with you as my excellent intern, precisely as your father promised.” She patted my knee again and then sat back, satisfaction mixed with resolve that only a fool would take for complacency. Someone would die very thoroughly.
“Jackson?” my mother said, looking curiously at Percy. “Is that your last name? I thought it was Cupcake. That’s what we’ve been calling you.”
I squeezed my eyes tightly closed. “Why do you remember that and not pants?”
“Cupcake is my code name,” Percy said, and kissed my hair. “It’s because she thinks I’m so sweet.”
“Apples,” I corrected absently. It was so distracting to be pressed against someone who belonged to me heart and soul, who I wanted to neck, but definitely not between our mothers.
“Apples? Now I’m confused,” he said.
I elbowed him. “Never mind.” I was going to keep blushing until I died.
“Okay, now I’m genuinely intrigued. I have a pet name, and it’s apples? How edible, and juicy, and—” He oomphed as his mother elbowed him.
“Pardon my son. He’s never dated. He should have practiced, but no one could put up with him. You must be very special.”
He snorted. “And you say I ran away, but we all know that you choreographed everything to get me away from the respectable family.”
“That’s probably true, but as you know, there is no proof,” she said equably. “Mrs. Doe, what do you do? Other than raise much better behaved children than my own dear ones.”
“I’m not Mrs. Doe. I’ve never been married. I’m a healer.”
“She’s the supervisor of the healery that’s under reconstruction after the demon attack,” I said.
Mrs. Mackenzie nodded with pursed lips. “Perhaps I should return you home so that you can rest more comfortably after your ordeal.”
“Oh, no,” my mother said happily, leaning her cheek against mine. “My daughter got married today, and that needs sushi, also music. I hope you climb on the piano. Do you sing, Cupcake?” she asked Percy. Was I supposed to think of him as Jackson now? Naw, although Jack had some possibilities. Jacked up, for one.
“I’ll call the band and we can have a good jam session,” he said, pulling out his phone. He texted in a foreign language while I watched.
“What language is that?” I asked.
He stiffened up while his mother laughed elegantly. “Only French, my sweet. Our Jackson was always so quick at languages.”
