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Vann turned on his heel to grab the next load from the truck. “Hey,” he called as he laid eyes on Eryn. Immediately tongue-tied, he realized he didn’t have anything to follow the greeting.
“Hi.” She looked up at him and rested her hands on her hips. The paltry stack of boxes waited behind her. “You, uh, are going to need some more stuff to fill this place.”
“I know.” He jumped into the back of the truck to join her.
If she noticed he didn’t use the step, she didn’t say.
“There’s a great furniture store on the main drag in town. The price tags are steep, but they try to highlight local…” She trailed off and bit her lips together.
With the price tag on the house? She had to realize he wasn’t sparing any expense on his new digs.
“I’ll check it out.” He grabbed a side of the large wooden chest.
“Here, I’ll get the other side.”
Coffee table, weapons storage, and an antique. No way a human could lift this thing. At least they’d cushioned the steel from shifting and clanking inside, so his new neighbors didn’t wonder what the fuck he kept stored in his coffee table, and why it weighed a few hundred pounds.
Archer dashed ahead, looking heroic with a wicked grin and a wink. “No, I got it. I mean, no shade, but we just met, and I’d hate for you to throw out your back on this heavy thing. Me? I’ll crash on the couch and drink all of Vann’s liquor for the next couple of weeks if I throw mine out.”
Eryn laughed and released the handle. “I appreciate the thought. I would look pitiful, hobbling around the ER and looking as miserable as my patients.”
Vann’s ears pricked up. “ER?”
“That’s right. I work at Lost Beach Hospital. Fresh out of residency, so I haven’t been there long.”
“Emergency physician?”
“That’s me,” she said.
Archer nodded appreciatively as he took the other end of the chest. “Pretty stressful job, I’d imagine.”
“Always something interesting.” Eryn hoisted a box and nodded for them to head in first.
Bennett was coming out of the house and slowed to ask, “Did I hear you say you are an ER physician? You must treat a lot of… injured people.”
“Of course.” Of course, she wouldn’t know why they were suddenly very interested. Maybe she thought they were big fans of hospital dramas.
“Busy around here?” Vann asked as he backed through the doorway.
Eryn followed behind them with a humanly acceptable box. Good thing he hadn’t piled all his books in one big box. “This area seems like it would be so peaceful, but it’s a busy ER. From what I hear, it’s mostly poorly maintained trails, wild animals, and landslides.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but Vann quickly masked it. Didn’t want to look creepy. Until he figured out what sort of demons were haunting the area, he’d have to make friends. “What does Lexi do?”
Lexi backed out of the way as they walked past with the crate. She cleared her throat. “Forensic pathologist.”
Fuck. He’d scored. Good thing he hadn’t tried to cancel the lease. Easy access to information.
“You guys must have some fascinating stories.” Lana flipped her hair out of her face and waited for the caravan of boxes to pass. “I don’t want to sound morbid or anything, but I’d love to hear a few.”
“We only just got here. We don’t have any stories yet.” Something was up with Lexi. Eryn was friendly, but her sister was quiet and stared at Bennett, giving him a wide berth every time they passed—
Vann bit his cheek to keep from laughing out loud. Forensic pathologist.
He adjusted his grip and nodded toward the open space in front of the sofa. The chest had served as his coffee table for the last twenty years. Until he furnished this place properly, the chest was it. He needed a damn gym to store it, to have a training setup like Lana and Archer were building at their place in Sitka.
Vann jogged to catch up with Lexi. Friendly, like he was going for another box. He slowed his pace to seem nonchalant. “Coroner’s office?”
Unlikely that she would associate a vampire as being friends with hunters. No chance in hell she would know Bennett was both, as he was the only one of his kind.
