“Nope.”
Aida set her untouched hotdog into the bag by her feet. Mollie knew better than to push the issue; Aida could be as stubborn as a mule when she didn’t want to do something.
Aida lifted the bag and dropped her foot to the ground. “I’ll let you two lovebirds be.”
“Stay,” Mike said when she started to rise. He wanted time alone with Mollie, but he sensed Aida’s unhappiness, and she was his sister now too. “We’ll watch the news together.”
Aida hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Aida’s smile tugged at Mollie’s heart as her sister settled back into the chair and retrieved her hot dog. Maybe she wanted nothing to do with their father, but Aida still craved a family and love. They were close, they counted on each other for everything, but the two of them versus the world got lonely at times, and now they both had the opportunity to expand their family.
Mollie hugged Mike closer.“Thank you,”she whispered into his mind.
He kissed the top of her head.
Chapter Fifty
The spillof headlights flooding the room roused Mike from sleep. He glanced down at Mollie nestled securely in his arms and then over at Aida slumped in the chair in a position that would make it difficult for her to move her neck when she woke.
The headlights from multiple vehicles bounced over the walls before stopping in front of his room and illuminating the brown drapes covering the plate glass window. He’d given Liam his room number, but there was no guarantee it was his friend out there now.
Shortly after arriving here, Mike ditched the stolen car, so the only other vehicle in the lot was the clerk’s, but that didn’t mean the vampires from the island hadn’t somehow tracked them here. His fangs pricked as his killer instincts surged to the forefront. If their enemy awaited them, he’d tear every single one of them to shreds.
Carefully, he lifted Mollie’s arm and slid out from under her as the cars turned off. Walking over to the window, he pulled back the edge of one curtain to reveal four vehicles in the lot. As he watched, Liam, Stefan, and Isabelle climbed out of one car; Ian, Paige, Willow, and Julian out of another, Ethan, David, and Mia from the third, and Aiden, Maggie, Abby, and Brian from a Jeep.
A soft step alerted him to Mollie and Aida’s approach before they both stopped beside him. Ducking under his arm, Mollie positioned herself to peer outside, and Aida slid underneath her. As she stared out, Aida craned her neck back and forth to stretch it out.
“Is that your family?” Mollie whispered.
“Yes, and they’re your family now too,” he reminded her. “Yours also,” he said to Aida, making sure the girl knew she would be protected and accepted by them from here on out.
“There’s a lot of them,” Aida muttered, but she couldn’t hide her smile.
“There’s more at home, but mostly the children.”
Mike released the curtain and went to the door. Opening it, he stepped back to let everyone inside. The somber air surrounding the clan didn’t diminish their smiles as they all embraced and spoke over each other while Mike introduced them to Mollie and Aida. Mollie was a little hesitant at first, and he sensed her becoming overwhelmed, but she slowly relaxed. Aida was more outgoing and welcoming of their hugs while she spoke with everyone.
Mollie kept her smile in place as more and more vampires came forward to embrace her and welcome her to their family. Mollie had always wished they had more relatives to lean on, but she couldn’t help feeling dazed by the sheer number of vampires and their easy acceptance of her and Aida.
Mike rested his hand on Mollie’s waist when her distress beat against him. “It takes time to learn everyone’s names,” he said. “I’ve been with this clan since before most of them were born, and I often call them by the wrong names. If you forget someone just say, ‘hey you.’ It’s easier.”
“And those kind of assholey comments are why we call them The Stooges,” Isabelle said with a warm smile as she squeezed Mollie’s arm. Then her brow furrowed, tears filled her eyes, and Stefan stepped forward to rest his hand on her shoulder. “Or they were The Stooges,” she muttered before turning away.
Mike drew Mollie closer against his side when grief stabbed like a knife through his chest. Julian came forward to greet Aida and Mollie. Mike didn’t miss the double take Julian did when he saw Aida or the fact the young vampire stayed close by Aida’s side while she spoke with Ian and Paige. Mike had never heard Julian talk about a girl before, but he suspected Julian might have discovered his first crush.
When the introductions ended, and Stefan, Brian, Aiden, and Ethan left to get the keys to more rooms, Liam rested his hand on Mike’s arm. “Can we talk alone?” Liam inquired.
“Will you be okay if I go speak with Liam for a bit?” Mike whispered in Mollie’s ear.
She still seemed overwhelmed, but she smiled and rested her hand on his cheek before kissing him. “I’ll be fine.”
When Mike stepped away from her, Abby and Maggie grasped her arms and led her into the third room where Paige, Mia, Willow, Isabelle, and Ian were studying the map Doug stole from the mansion. Aida and Julian followed the others and closed the door behind them.
Mike stood facing David and Liam as, from the other room, the drone of voices continued.
“Where is Doug?” Liam asked.
