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He looked sheepish. “I’m sorry. It took a while to get all of the details wrapped up.”
“And obviously, you were in a remote location where phone signals could not reach.”
“Until recently, I wasn’t sure that you would be willing to see me,” he said. “I thought you’d moved on.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I came to the hospital the night you woke up,” he said. “I had finally managed to satisfy Ophelia’s demands for basic information about Waco’s killing. During her debriefing, the only thing that kept me sane was that she was receiving regular updates on your condition from Jane. I came to your room and found Paul there. He was touching you, and you were smiling. You told him you loved him.”
“I thought it was you!” I exclaimed. “I was drugged out of my mind and woke up to someone stroking my face. I assumed it was you.”
“I’m sorry it wasn’t. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. And when I heard you say those words to someone else, even if it was a mistake, it broke my heart. I didn’t know it could break. I don’t want to be away from you ever again. I don’t want to be anywhere without you. Or Gigi. If she’ll have me.”
I sat up, leaning against the cabinets. My lips twitched, but I bit back the smile while he continued.
“I panicked. I put you in danger. I put Gigi in danger. I was so sure you were going to decide that being with me wasn’t worth it that I ran at the first sign of rejection. I should have talked to you instead of running away. If Gigi hadn’t tracked me down to knock some sense into me—”
“Gigi? Really?”
“Well, Gigi and her sweetheart. Did you know Ben can track cell-phone signals from up to ten miles away? Gigi came to see me at my new Council housing and told me that I was, quote, ‘a total dumbass’ if I didn’t see how much we loved each other.”
I loved my sister. I really did.
“And you didn’t call me after my baby sister kicked your butt because?”
“I couldn’t call,” he said. “The Council can be very persuasive when they’re trying to convince you not to retire. You see, I’ve learned a lot about my vampire brethren over the years, things that would make life uncomfortable for the vampire hierarchy if released to the general public. I had to make arrangements for certain packets of information to be left in key locations so that if I or anyone I cared about came to harm, that information would be distributed.”
“How does your local Council supervisor feel about this?” I asked, thinking of the bloody revenge Ophelia could be planning at this very minute.
“Who do you think helped me set it up?” he asked. “She likes the idea of having her own freelance consultant in her backyard. And she likes you. She wants you to help plan the wedding when Jane finally gives her permission to marry Jamie. Jane says hello, by the way, and that you’re still on for Girls’ Night at River Oaks next week. I believe Gabriel, Dick, Jamie, and I are expected to do some sort of manly bonding activity involving gaming equipment.”
That seemed awfully settled. For someone who spent so much of his time fighting attachments, Cal was practically drawing up a potluck rotation with my friends.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You’re staying nearby?”
He grinned, pulling me into his lap. “I was thinking very close by. It’s a very convenient location. Beautiful gardens, spacious underground accommodations, and it’s Iris-adjacent.”
I snorted. “Surely you don’t think I would bring a vampire into my home. Do I look particularly stupid to you?”
He chuckled, recalling our very first conversation. “No, I make a habit of only loving brilliant women. Besides, I already know where you live.”
“Don’t you threaten me! There are a lot of handy, breakable wooden objects in this room. As I have mentioned before, I’m not above living out one of my fonder Buffy fantasies.”>I scoffed. “Mr. Crown has loyal humans?”
“Some people like cranky, anal-retentive men.” Ophelia shrugged. “Crown called Dodd, knowing that he was following you, and the pair of them attempted to contact you at the theater.”
“I think we need to clarify the definition of ‘contact,’ because Mr. Dodd seems to think it means ‘chase the subject and her minor sibling into a darkened parking lot.’ ”
Mr. Dodd’s mouth opened to protest, and I cut him off with a raised hand. “If you give me another half-assed apology, I will smack you with this IV pole.”
Mr. Dodd cleared his throat. “I was going to say that Mr. Crown believed that he was being framed by Mr. Marchand. He thought that if he delivered you and your sister safely to the Council for questioning, it would go a long way toward clearing his name.”
“Because calling you and explaining himself was the less reasonable option?” I asked.
“Vampire logic is difficult to explain. However, Mr. Crown does send his regards and promises to come by for a visit later.”
“Oh, good,” I muttered.
Ophelia seemed to close the business portion of our visit with an overbright smile. “I’m told that puzzles and board games are a typical way for humans to pass their time in a hospital,” Ophelia said. “Do you prefer Scrabble or chess?”
