Page 62 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

She can hear my thoughts.

What?

It makes sense—

Before I could finish that thought, Thea whipped around, planting her hands on her hips. “Are you reading his mind?”

Kelly didn’t look up from her work. She lit a match and carefully set a bundle of kindling on fire under a stack of logs. “I can only hear what he thinks of me.” She stood and brushed her hands on her pants. “The siren’s curse.”

I think I’m going to vomit.

Thea did look rather green, in fact. I pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her both to warm her in the still-cold house and protect her.

“I assume you can hear them.” Kelly cast a pointed look at her daughter.

Thea nodded, fumbling a little as she clarified, “We can hear each other now. At first, I could only hear his thoughts.”

“It must be the mating bond.” Kelly was moving again. We tracked behind her, finding ourselves in the kitchen.

Thea didn’t speak up. She didn’t correct her. She didn’t tell her what had happened to allow this change.

I caught Kelly watching me as she filled a kettle with water and placed it on the stovetop to heat as she returned to gleefully ignoring me. She’d heard that thought. She could probably hear everything I was thinking regardless of what she said. I slammed my mental shields into place. I should have done it the moment we met her on the street, but I hated being cut off from Thea.

“Good idea, vampire,” Kelly muttered as she took a box of tea down.

“What do you want to talk about?” Thea demanded. “We didn’t come over for a tea party.”

“You’re cold,” Kelly said, her emerald eyes glittered with annoyance. “And I’m still your mother.”

Now that she was healed, the two of them looked so much alike that it was physically uncomfortable. Kelly pointed to a rickety table surrounded by stools.

“You’ve been here the whole time?” Thea studied the place, her eyes lingering on the peeling paint and cracking tiles.

“Mostly.” Kelly placed a steaming mug in front of her.

Thea’s eyes darted to mine and then to the stool beside her. I sat, angling myself between her and the rest of the room. and tracked Kelly’s movements. Her icy demeanor didn’t thaw, even as she picked up a jar and began to measure tea leaves into another small bag.

I took Thea’s hand and stroked my thumb along the back of her hand in small, reassuring circles. “What is this place?”

“A safe house.” She looked at her daughter as she answered. “I’m afraid it’s not what you’ve grown accustomed to.”

I felt the sting of her words through our bond. Every ounce of me wanted to roar at Kelly Melbourne for this: for lying to Thea, for hiding from her, but, most of all, for treating Thea like she was the one who had changed for the worse.

Thea squeezed my hand as if she knew what I was thinking past the stone shield I’d erected in my mind.

“How did you find this place?” I asked, doing my best to keep my tone civil. I had no idea sirens had a sanctuary in Venice.

“That’s a secret.”

So far, she was a well of information.

“Where is everyone?” Thea lifted the tea, eyeing her mother over the cup’s rim but not drinking. “I assume there are others.”

Kelly took a seat on the opposite side of the worn table, her hands laced around a chipped mug. “They’re out. I can’t keep you here long. No one will return home if he’s here.”

I bristled at her disgust.

“I guess I don’t want to meet them anyway.” Thea stood, abandoning her mug. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Then she turned in the direction we’d come from.

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