Page 37 of Death and Donuts

“As soon as you detangle, I’ll leave,” she pressed.

He sighed, lifted his head, and took a step back.

His eyes were wild with black veins as he stared at me. I waited until Vena left to ask, “Are you angry?”

“With you? Never. With fate for making me what I am? Always.”

“I’m glad fate made you who you are, Cross. If you weren’t who you are today, I would have never met you.”

He retreated one more step and offered me a hand down.

“Want to help me look up erotic desserts?” I asked with a small smile.

“After that kiss, I should probably stay away from anything erotic, but dessert should be fine. I’m happy to help.”

Thirty minutes later, Anchor was distracting Vena in her bedroom when Cross’ phone rang, interrupting our research. I didn’t mind the interruption, though, since I had a notebook page filled with recipe ideas to test.

“It’s Shepard,” Cross said.

“Put it on speaker.”

Cross answered the phone then placed it down on the counter between us.

“Hello, bestie,” he drawled in a pronounced accent.

A soft growl came through the speaker, but it was hardly sinister. Even so, it made Cross grin.

“Be serious for a moment,” Shepard said. “How long can a vampire live after their heart stops?”

“I thought you loved me,” Cross said with a sigh. “Are you trying to find ways to kill me again?”

“I will if you don’t answer the question.”

“Why are you asking the question?”

“We found a body that has similar markings to what your old friend, Master, made on Gunther.”

Similar markings? And he was asking how long it took a vampire to die after their heart stopped? It didn’t take a genius to figure out why. Shepard was worried Master might still be alive.

My hand clutched the pen I was holding, and Cross reached over and stroked my back in soothing motions.

“How old is the body?” Cross asked.

“The body is a few days old,” Shepard said. “Either someone is copying his methods, or Adriel is alive.”

No. Not possible.

“How could he survive?” I asked. “I saw you fight him. Your hand was in his chest. He was dead.”

Cross took the pen from my hand before it snapped in half. “While stopping a vampire’s heart usually means death, Adriel isn’t a typical vampire. According to what I’ve learned, he’s known for getting out of impossibly tight spots.”

“So it’s possible,” Shepard said.

“With Adriel, I believe it could be.”

Shepard sighed.

“What aren’t you saying?” I asked.

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