Page 23 of Vanessa’s Bravery

She let out an exasperated breath. “Not you too. First Mom, then Dad, and now you. For the umpteenth time: yes, I went into heat out of the blue, and I took care of it. End of story.”

Ethan cast her a sideways glance. “You went into heat again?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Now I do.”

“Oh. But if you didn’t know then why did you ask me how I was feeling?”

“I asked you because you had to kill a vampire tonight. I know that’s not easy for anybody. And Patrick giving you a hard time because of it wasn’t cool.”

She sighed, putting her hand on his forearm. “Thanks for shutting him up. I wasn’t in the mood to start a big argument with him.”

“I could tell. You look a little drained.”

She forced a smile. Too much was going on inside her, and the inappropriate reprimand by Patrick hadn’t helped. “What’s wrong with him anyway? Since when is he so argumentative?”

“Since he’s practically the only Woodford heir left. Since Grayson is now running New Orleans with Monique, and Isabelle is taking a leave of absence because she wants more time with the baby—and with Orlando and the club—, I think he feels that he has to step up and show some leadership qualities. Even if he doesn’t like it.”

“He doesn’t wanna lead?”

“No, of course not. He preferred it when the limelight wasn’t on him but his siblings.”

“I had no idea.”

“And why would you? You’ve got plenty of stuff to deal with on a daily basis. Trust me, I wouldn’t want your job. I’d much rather be on bodyguard assignment. Can’t wait until we’ve caught the rogues and put a stop to what they’re doing.”

“Same here. None of the sex workers and the homeless are safe while they’re on the loose. I’m worried for them.”

And not just for them. Anybody out at night was at risk of being attacked. And Scanguards couldn’t be everywhere. Even their resources weren’t unlimited.

13

This time, Cole decided to take his car, even though the meeting point wasn’t far. But given what had taken place less than two hours earlier, he thought it wise not to spend time outside in the middle of the night when it could be avoided. His wounds were still raw, though they were healing with astounding speed, but he wasn’t ready to fight a vampire yet. However, for self-defense, he’d broken a baseball bat he’d used as a kid, and fashioned it into a rudimentary stake. He hid it in the inside pocket of his jacket.

Cole was only about three blocks away from Alta Plaza Park, where he was supposed to meet Drake’s contact at the bottom of the stairs, when he had to stop at a light on Pacific Avenue. As he sat there, waiting for the light to turn green, he noticed a red Lamborghini stop outside a majestic Victorian mansion on Pacific Avenue. He was surprised to see a car like that in a city like San Francisco with its narrow streets and steep hills that weren’t suitable for a race car like that. As he admired the sleek lines of the car, the light inside it came on, revealing the driver and his passenger.

Shock coursed through him. Vanessa was the passenger in the car. She smiled at the handsome young man before hugging him. A moment later, she opened the car door and got out, while the driver remained in his car, the engine running. But he didn’t leave.

Vanessa scurried up to the entrance door of the Victorian house, but Cole couldn’t see what she was doing there, because a tree blocked his view. He barely noticed how the light turned green. He crossed the intersection, then pulled to the curb. Now he could see the door to the Victorian. A young woman walked down the steps, but it wasn’t Vanessa. She got into the Lamborghini and smiled at the driver. A moment later, the Lamborghini drove past him, and Cole turned his face away toward the sidewalk as if he was waiting for someone.

When the Lamborghini was gone, Cole stared back at the Victorian house that Vanessa had disappeared into. What was she doing there? And who the fuck was the guy in the sportscar? A client? Had she slept with him? Was he a regular?

Fuck!

Something inside him made him ball his hands into fists, ready to beat the guy to a pulp. He’d touched Vanessa. Damn it, he’d probably fucked her. The thought ate him up. He should have made it clear to her that he would pay anything to have her be with him the entire night. But he’d been too distracted by the aftereffects of the attack that he hadn’t reacted fast enough.

How could she sleep with another man after she’d been in his arms, after he’d made her come with his mouth? The intimacies they’d shared had led him to hope that there could be more between them—as stupid as that sounded. And Vanessa? She’d immediately gone back to have sex with somebody else.

Cole was fuming, his stomach turning into tight little knots. He knew what was going on inside him. He wasn’t stupid enough not to recognize the feeling that had burst to the surface so quickly that he hadn’t been able to suppress it.

He was jealous!

How the fuck had that happened? He’d frequented prostitutes for years, and known that once his hour with them was over, they would go to their next client. It had never bothered him before. In fact, he’d liked the arrangement, because it meant he didn’t have to deal with the inevitable problems of a romantic relationship. He’d gotten what he wanted—sex—, and he’d never looked for more.

Until now.

Until he’d met Vanessa.