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“Let us never speak of it again. But do let us speak of dinner, because I’m starving.”
***
The barbecue was, of course, delicious. We ate like hungry kids who’d snuck forbidden candy—stuffing in the food as quickly as possible, lest someone come to take it away, and grinning the entire time.
When we were done, we leaned back against the wall, legs stretched in front of us.
“You do know how to show a girl a good time.”
“Just wait until January. You’re going to love grilling burgers outside when it’s twenty degrees below zero.”
I slid him a glance. “Is that a dare?”
“You think you can handle it?”
“Recall that I had to shovel the Cadogan House sidewalk. Until I saved enough money to pay someone to do it.”
“Always strategizing,” he said and climbed to his feet.
“It’s the vampire way.”
He checked his watch. “About two hours until dawn,” he said, then offered me a hand, pulled me up. “Now that we’ve done our penance and refueled, let’s go see the boss.”
“We already talked to Berna,” I pointed out.
“Hilarious. And maybe don’t mention that to the Apex.”
***
We found him in the lounge behind the public bar, where the Pack’s senior members handled shifter business or played cards, or both, depending on the business.
There were four shifters in the room now. Miranda, two men I didn’t recognize, and last but never least, Gabriel Keene, the Apex of the North American Central Pack.
He sat at the head of a well-worn table, booted ankles crossed on the tabletop, arms folded. He seemed to take up more space in the room than he physically occupied. Power given substance. I wondered how much of that was being Apex, and how much was justhim.
Gabriel’s gaze was on a screen on the opposite wall. And on that screen, in brilliant color, Connor and I fought side by side against the AAM.
“Well,” Gabriel said, without shifting his gaze. “You two certainly had an evening.”
“Fucking vampires,” Miranda muttered, smiling mirthlessly at me while she said it.
With a sigh, Gabriel dropped his feet to the floor, looked back at me and Connor. “I suppose we need to have a conversation.”
“All right,” Connor said, voice all smooth confidence.
“Give us the room,” Gabriel said. The two men exchanged aglance before slipping out. Miranda strode toward us with a well-practiced sneer. “Jumping into petty vampire squabbles doesn’t help us,” she said, then gave Connor a long look before following the men.
Connor closed the door, walked to the table, and touched a control that had the screen flicking to darkness. “We’ve done our chores,” he said, turning back to his father.
“Chores?” Gabriel asked.
“Berna was waiting in the lobby. Put us to work on the McAlister order.”
“Okay?”
Connor blinked. “She said you were pissed at me for making a scene and ordered us to help in the kitchens.”
Gabriel’s laugh was deep and generous. “I haven’t spoken with her all night, and I didn’t order you punished.”
