Page 9 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Four

“I like him the same way I like a can opener. He performs a function that I happen to need.”

“As if you’ve ever opened a can in your life.”

“That is entirely beside the point. Now move so I can leave.”

She doesn’t budge.

“Jimmy, I swear to fucking god—”

“She’s safe. Take a breath and give her a minute to catch hers.”

I scowl at her. “Absolutely not. Running off puts us all at risk and she needs to obey me if—”

“Obey you?” She laughs out loud and the hoop earrings hanging from her ears swing beneath her curls. “Are you that oblivious?”

I let my eyes close as I summon a deep, disgruntled breath. “I don’t have time for this, Jimmy.”

“You can take two seconds to talk to me and reorient yourself now that literally everything has changed. Because I know inside you’re losing your fucking mind and it terrifies you. I know that, because I know you better than anyone and I would not be a very good friend if I didn’t help you when you needed it the most.”

Before I can argue, she takes my hand. Hers is warm. She’s always run a little hotter than I do, despite us all being undead vampires.

I’ve always taken that to mean her heart isn’t as cold as mine.

Despite the undeniable tug to get to Jessie, I let Jimmy pull me away from the car and out into the night.

“Sit.”

I look between my best friend and the fallen log that rests on the shore of the large pond on the back of the Duval property. Even when Damien and I were living in 18th century France, I would never lower myself to sitting on logs.

Jimmy is the kind of girl who can find comfort and light in anything, even me.

I sit. She sits next to me and threads her arm through mine.

The pond ripples as the wind shifts direction. There is barely a sliver of moon left. Once it’s gone, Rita will unbind Jessie and then there will be no turning back.

It’s what I want for her. More than anything, I want her to be who she is and to hold the power that she was born with.

But I would be lying if I said it didn’t change things.

Jimmy is right—everything is different and I don’t like it.

“Let’s talk about Anna,” Jimmy says and I immediately tense up beside her. “Do you remember when she asked for your and Damien’s permission to marry the shipbuilder and you both denied her?”

A duck swims out of the cattails along the eastern shore of the pond. I watch it coast along the surface.

I do not love women often. All of the women I’ve ever loved are dead.

Except for Jimmy. I think the only reason I allowed her in is because she is a vampire.

Now I have to add Jessie to that list.

There is a thread of anxiety at seeing the list grow.

“Bran,” she says.

I look away from the duck and to her. “I can’t do this right now.”

“You and Damien both held on to Anna with too firm of a grip and she ran away because of it. Don’t make the same mistake with Jessie.”

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