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Chapter 29
“You kids have fun,” Laria called from the living room of the Addy Hutton Mansion.
Torr tried one last time. “I can’t believe you’re not coming.”
“Please,” Charlotte begged. “Toni and Lawrence will be so disappointed—”
“It’s the first chance we’ve had to actually celebrate.”
Laria looked up from her book. “The Vault or our new family member?”
“Not quite.” Charlotte waved her hand in the air. “No ring yet.”
Torr snagged her hand. “Haven’t we had enough excitement this week?” He wound his fingers through hers. “But if you want to add a wedding to the mix—”
“I’m teasing. And hungry.”
“You are an insatiable little vampire.”
“Oh God, you two are worse than Lawrence and Toni. At least they’ve been too preoccupied by The Vault to put on such constant displays—”
“Someone”—he squeezed Charlotte’s hand, knowing she’d disapprove of his teasing—“is jealous.”
Laria pretended to go back to her book. “Someone,” she muttered, “is an idiot. And it’s not Charlotte.”
Torr winked at his girlfriend—his very high-energy, bloodthirsty, and sexy girlfriend—unable to pass up the opportunity to instigate a little trouble.
“I wonder, who could the illustrious Laria Derrickson be referring to?” He put a finger to his chin, considering. “Possibly her younger brother. But why, pray tell, would she be so cruel to her favorite person in the world who’s saved her ass more than—”
“Bite me.”
“No, thanks.” He lifted a finger into the air as if a brilliant idea had come to him. “I have an idea.”
“Charlotte, help!”
“You should come to The Vault, ignore Drake and—”
“Drake?” Charlotte fairly shrieked. He hadn’t yet let her in on that little piece of their history. “What’s this about Laria and Drake?”
Laria tossed her book at him, hitting him square in the forehead.
“Ouch.” He laughed, picking it up. “Or not.”
Charlotte, hands on her hips, stared at his sister as if waiting for an explanation.
“Don’t ask,” Laria muttered, shooting him an angry look.
“You and . . . Drake?”
Laria growled at her brother and jumped off the couch. “There is not a ‘me and Drake.’ Never has been. Never will be. This has nothing to do with him.”
“Then come with us.” Charlotte was having none of it. She dragged Laria from the room, which couldn’t have been too difficult. If Laria didn’t want to be persuaded, she wouldn’t be. Charlotte was stronger than she’d ever been as a human, but that didn’t mean she was anywhere near as strong as his sister.
Her reaction had nothing to do with Drake. Right.
His sister’s reluctance had everything to do with the Englishman, and Torr didn’t blame her. The knowledge that the youngest Morley brother would be there was almost enough to keep him away too, but this was to be an unofficial celebration of The Vault’s success, and with the bar closed on Tuesdays, it would just be their small group.
Difficult to ignore the Morley brothers under such circumstances.
