Page 42 of A Bloom in Winter

Callum stepped forward without thinking, as his brain was too fucking busy trying to figure out what he was looking at.

“I have redecorated,” the male said dryly.

“You have,” Callum blurted.

There was even a white marble and brushed steel kitchen.

The male walked over and opened the Sub-Zero refrigerator. “I was going to pan-fry some scallops and steam my asparagus. I have a fresh loaf of French bread—and for dessert . . .” That calculating stare shot over his shoulder. “I’m feeling naughty. I have Ben and Jerry’s mint chocolate chunk.”

Callum walked around, putting his hand on a chair that was slipcovered in cream and white. And the back of a sofa that was done in the same damask pattern. He touched a cashmere throw blanket. Lingered at the foot of a king-sized bed that was draped in fine white and cream cotton covers.

“Not what you expected?” the male prompted.

Callum turned around. There was something . . . different . . . about the male. But he didn’t feel threatened. “That cave you stayed in hasn’t been mine for years. I’ve just moved back to the area.”

“That makes two of us. I’ve been here for about a year.” The smile that flared offered more of that sly warmth. “I stayed in your cave a long, long time ago.”

“Me, too,” Callum whispered.

“Well, aren’t we two peas in a pod.” Blade motioned to his stove. “And you either stay for dinner or depart, it’s your choice. Either way, I need to eat.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

One hour after nightfall, Tohr traveled in a scatter of molecules to the west, to a solidly middle-class neighborhood a good ten miles away from the Wheel. When he re-formed, it was in the shadows between a little Cape Cod and a ranch. Moments later, Qhuinn joined him.

“Across the street?” the brother asked.

“Yup, that’s the house.”

“Let’s do this.”

The snow dump from the blizzard the night before had been properly plowed and shoveled from the streets and walkways, but that didn’t do much for them as they hoofed out across a lawn toward the street. Getting over the piles on either side of the road was a thing—and the first clue something was off was that the driveway and walkway they were heading for were not shoveled.

In fact, 2168 Foote Avenue was the only house on the street that hadn’t gone the snow removal route. The split-level was well-tended enough, with a solid roof, trimmed bushes and shrubs, and a fit-in-with-the-humans Christmas wreath on the front door. But the little place was totally snowed in still. Of course, as a vampire lived there, you could make the argument that getting a car in and out of the garage wasn’t necessary. Except when as Tohr measured the darkened windows? Yes, interior shutters could explain that, too, but—

“I don’t think anyone’s home,” Qhuinn said as they stopped next to the mailbox. “Or has been for a while.”

Tohr glanced around. It was a cold night, so most of the humans had their drapes pulled to keep the heat in, and this was good news. Also, no traffic coming and going on the street. Everyone was still hunkered down, in recovery from the weather drama.

“You ready to do a little breaking and entering?” he said.

Qhuinn nodded. “Yup, I think it’s come to that.”

The two of them walked down the property line on the right, heading for the back corner of the garage. Off in the distance, a dog barked, and the scent of spaghetti sauce wafted over on the breeze, like the people next door were running the hood over their stove as they heated upnonna’s gravy.

When they made the turn and got to a door, Qhuinn stepped up with a lock kit and went to work. He didn’t take long, and then they were in the garage.

There was a very faint smell of gas in the air, but no car. As Tohr triggered a penlight, some faded oil marks in the center of the one-car space soaked up the illumination.

“Looks like our friend Candice left . . .” Tohr murmured as he walked over to the entry into the home. “ . . . waaaaaay before she went to the Audience House two nights ago. If this is even her place.”

At this point, he had no idea who the hell the female was. The name she’d given when she’d registered to see Wrath? False identity—and the irony was that she’d come to get it verified and entered into the species database. Or at least that was her excuse to get in the door and drop off that package.

“If she has a security system,” he said as they went over to the interior door, “it’ll be interesting to see who shows up when the alarm goes off.”

Maybe whoever it was could answer some questions. As this was clearly a vampire house—because there were no human scents anywhere—it wasn’t going to be ADT and the Caldwell Police Department, for sure.

“Let’s try to get inside,” he said.

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