Page 2 of Fangs and Fudge

He grinned a little, which completely changed how he looked. Boyish and handsome and definitely not someone I should be looking at for too long.

Turning, I flipped back the lid on the box Doc had deposited on the bar.

“I brought some for everyone. They’re addictively good.”

When Shepard stepped close to me, I thought he would take a cupcake, but instead, he frowned as he studied my face. His gaze lingered on my forehead.

“Why do you smell like vampire?” he asked.

Since I’d been with Cross less than an hour ago, I didn’t doubt Shepard could smell him. However, I wasn’t about to admit our meeting to Shepard.

“It must be from the same vampire this morning.” Which was true since Cross had been there when we’d found Miles as well.

Shepard leaned in, his dark blonde hair wisping against mine as he softly inhaled. “You’re right. It’s the same vampire.”

Shepard placed a kiss on my forehead. “Don’t worry, Everly. We’re going to clean out the vampires. Help is already on its way.”

He straightened away from me as my heart stuttered from the kiss. It wasn’t the first time he’d done it, but I still wasn’t used to it.

Resisting the urge to clear my throat or fidget, I focused on his words.

“Help?” I asked. “What kind of help?” I couldn’t imagine anyone who would want to deal with creatures that could kill and compel.

“Nothing for you to worry about. Just expect to see new faces here soon. If you have any concerns, let me know.” He reached over, moving closer for a moment as he grabbed a cupcake. “Thank you for these.”

“No problem. What should I clean?”

Shepard glanced around the bar area and then over to the seating sections. “How about working in the VIP section? It wasn’t hit as hard as the rest of the bar, but I want attention to detail, and I trust that you’ll do it best.”

With a nod, I grabbed cleaning supplies on my way to the second floor. Other than a few overturned chairs, questionable liquid on the glass wall overlooking the main club, and a few broken liquor bottles at the VIP bar, it wasn’t too bad. I knew I’d have it back to perfection in an hour or two.

As I worked, I periodically checked my phone, making sure I didn’t miss any calls or messages from Vena or Miles. Since one of Blur’s bouncers was watching over Miles, I wasn’t too concerned about him leaving and getting into trouble. But I still feared the effects of him being fed on by vampires. And Vena…well, I was always worried about her, especially since she was supposed to be hiding the disgusting scrotum map and titleless book.

It only took an hour to restore the VIP section. Once I finished, I sat in a chair and opened the tracking app on my phone.

Vena was still at her parents’ house–a source of research information for treasure hunts. I hated it when she stayed there too long.

“Tracking Vena?” Shepard asked.

I tipped my head back, looking up at him as he peered down at my phone.

A smile played on his lips. “Worried about her?”

“Always.”

He gave a knowing nod. “I can help keep an eye on her as well.” He sat down next to me and held out his phone. “Put her on my tracking app.”

Vena would hate if Shepard was tracking her, too, but after what happened to Miles, I was afraid Vena would have the same fate or worse, especially with her treasure hunting.

I entered her ID into Shepard’s phone and sent her a text, warning her that she was going to get a notification and it was for Shepard. As I’d anticipated, she had something to say about it.

Vena: No. I do not need a watchdog.

Me: Please play nice with your boss.

Vena: You play nice enough for the both of us.

Me: Don’t make me pull the parental card.

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