Page 76 of For Love and Blood and Fury

“You can wear this,” she declared, holding out the mid-length, short-sleeved dress.

“I got that for a funeral,” Marisol protested. “And where are we even going? Aren’t you supposed to be lying low?” She scanned Elena’s body. “This isn’t exactly?—”

“New plan, babe.” Elena continued toward her and handed her the dress. “Change or I’ll take you out exactly like that.”

Marisol looked down at herself again like magical mice might have turned her laundry-day outfit into a dress while she was distracted. Nope, still in her baggy comfort clothes. “Out where?”

“You’ll see,” Elena replied with a little grin. “Don’t make me throw you over my shoulder and carry you out. It’s not my favorite look, but I’m not above it.”

“She’s not kidding,” Zuri said from where she was looking at more photos on the window ledge. “Better hurry.”

Marisol knew she shouldn’t be giddy about being told what to do. That part she could honestly do without, but the prospect of being back in their orbit was revitalizing.

“I’m not wearing the funeral dress,” Marisol said when she snatched it out of Elena’s hands.

Glad that she’d already showered, she darted to the bedroom and closed the door behind her. There was no way she was goingto match their gloss with what she had in her closet, but she knew how to throw a little something together.

After ironing her hair straight and then slicking it back like she’d seen Kate Winslet do once, she painted on dark eyeshadow that brought out the green in her hazel eyes. From the back of a drawer she hadn’t opened in forever, she pulled an emerald green jumpsuit. She’d bought it on a whim when she was feeling fashionable, but never had the confidence to wear it. Still not sure she could pull it off, she decided a big swing was better than a boring black dress.

Slipping into disappointingly functional black heels because she only owned the one pair, she checked herself out in the mirror. It wasn’t terrible, she had to admit. At least she didn’t look like Elena and Zuri’s assistant.

Arming herself with the confidence she so desperately wanted to feel, she did her best to saunter into the living room. Elena looked up from her phone from where she was leaning against the kitchen counter and Zuri stopped inspecting her fridge.

“You’re stunning,” Elena said without hesitation, phone disappearing into the pocket of her white trousers. “Much better than the dead guy dress,” she conceded.

“Fucking hell, Bambi.” Zuri smiled, letting the fridge door slip from her fingers and close with a muffled thud.

“Anyone going to tell me where we’re going now?” Marisol rested her hands on her hips where the material of her pants was loose. The bottom was a nice contrast to the tight material of the strapless top. She wished she had bigger boobs, but her cleavage was propped up nicely. It was the best she could do without a strapless pushup bra. She’d be ordering one of those immediately.

“You’ll see in a few minutes,” Elena said before offering her arm like a gentleman, even though her hungry gaze was anything but chivalrous.

Satisfied that she’d accomplished her goal, Marisol slipped her arm in Elena’s. Outside Marisol’s boring little apartment building a few miles from the hospital was a sea of black SUVs surrounding a gunmetal Bentley.

As they approached, a tall, terrifying brunette with eyes too close to maroon to be human pulled open the back passenger door. A small blonde who looked barely old enough to drive stood near the trunk, her gaze sweeping the surroundings like she was searching for snipers.

“Jesus,” Marisol breathed. It took all of her willpower to keep her legs moving. To get closer to the two women waiting at the car when her instincts screamed at her to get back inside and barricade the door. Even though they weren’t looking at her, Marisol got the impression they were sizing her up. Debating whether she was a threat.

Despite knowing that Elena was a vampire, she’d never really been afraid of her. Never felt like she was in danger. Elena was a sheathed dagger. These two gave her a blade-to-her-throat vibe. It made her question whether she was as delusional as the guy who thought living with grizzly bears was a fantastic idea.

“Be glad I convinced her to bring this ridiculous car, or you would have had to curl up on the floor of her tiny-dick-mobile,” Zuri joked, walking toward the car that cost several years of Marisol’s salary. She didn’t seem at all bothered by the terrifying women they were getting in a car with.

“She could have sat in your lap,” Elena shot back with an eyebrow wiggle.

Zuri moistened her lips before her warm gaze ignited Marisol’s body where it landed, making her forget the vampiresgetting into the front seats. Making her reweigh the scenario and decide to risk her life for another night with them.

“If only you’d suggested it earlier,” Zuri said in a tone that made Marisol wonder if she was joking—made her hope she wasn’t. The thought was exhilarating. She imagined some exotic convertible, picturing Elena driving too fast and Zuri’s arms around her waist while she sat in her lap.

Without discussing it, Marisol slipped into the long, white leather bench seat in the back first. Elena took the seat to her right and Zuri her left. It was strange how right it felt to be nestled between them. To know that she could curl her wings around them if she needed to—even if she couldn’t call on them at will. But she was sure her instinct would respond if they were threatened. That she’d protect them.

The drive to a man made island floating in Biscayne Bay between the mainland and Miami Beach was a blur. Marisol had driven by the exclusive islands only the ultra-rich could afford a thousand times while heading to the beach, but she’d never imagined crossing the imposing gates.

Following the only street that must have made a loop around the small island, they stopped at another set of gates. The massive solid metal structure reminded Marisol of a modern castle. The SUVs traveled ahead and behind them like their own calvary.

Behind the high walls, Marisol was almost expecting a gator-filled moat. Instead, it was a cleanly landscaped estate. On one side, people worked under massive flood lights in the dark to build a huge greenhouse. For Zuri, Marisol was sure.

“You’re so extra,” Zuri said with a sigh. “I’m not moving in here.”

“Okay,” Elena said with a shrug. “I bought a condo downtown if you like that better.”

---