Page 121 of Bite Marks

“Insurance should replace it,” Dana called after them as the girls left her, Danny, and me alone in the main living area.

“This is fucked,” Danny muttered, their eyes curious on Dana’s back as she continued to catalog the damage. “Thanks for coming. Kayls freezes up in a crisis.”

“No problem,” she said, deep brown shoulders shrugging, one visible where her cropped sports top slid off it. “I was on the way to the gym when Ren called.”

“Be good to my sister, or I’ll tell Riley to beat you up for real,” Danny blurted, slightly red. Their eyes flicked up to mine. “That goes for you too. Keep her safe.”

Dana chuckled. “Noted. I’ll treat her nice, Danny, don’t worry. You won’t have to sic Riley on me yet.”

“You know each other?” I asked, Dana’s joking tone making my ears prick.

“Danny works at the gym I go to. They’ve been helping me with my right hook for a couple of months.”

The human in question broke into a round of shadow boxing, bouncing from foot to foot and throwing punches they had no intention of landing.

“Meaning, if you mess with my baby sister, I’ll take you out. Garlic bread, holy water, and fists of fury!”

Dana and I laughed.

It was ludicrous; a human wouldn’t stand a chance against a vampire. Plus, the whole garlic and holy water thing was a myth—even though, if you tossed a water bottle at Juniper, she’d act like she was dying. That wasn’t why we were laughing, though. It was the idea that we’d willingly do anything but spend our time worshipping Vi.

Adding to our coven wasn’t a priority outside the needy thrum of my instincts, but given a little more time… Yeah, I could see it. Vi with bright ruby eyes, freshly turned and never-changing as she lounged in bed, getting used to controlling her thirst. Hours spent enjoying each other's company while she learned her new strength.

Yeah, there was absolutely something there.

Knowing it was too soon to share my private hopes with my covenmates, much less with Vi or her sibling, I touched my knuckles to Danny’s. “Heard. I’ll treat her right, don’t worry.”

“I’ll take care of things here. Maybe you can head to ours and get Vi settled?” Dana winced, nodding at Vi’s suitcase in the hall. “I’m not sure how dry that is; maybe Els can lend her some clothes?”

“Oh no, she’llhatethat,” I teased.

If Elsie got to turn Vi into her very own life-sized Barbie, I’d never see either of them again.

The girls came out of the bedroom, a hot pink duffle bag hanging over Kaylee’s shoulder by its rhinestone strap.

“Not much was dry.” Vi sighed. “So you’ll have to let her hang some stuff up at yours.”

“No worries,” Danny said. “C’mon, Kayl. Dana has this under control. We’ll stop for ice cream or something.”

“Okay, okay, fine. Dana, are you su—” Babydoll started to ask again.

“Yes, I’m sure,” she assured, waving her phone at her as if to illustrate that she was on top of things. “I’ll call you when I have this sorted out, okay? If you remember anything else in particular you want me to pull out, just text.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” she said, blonde hair bobbing in her ponytail as she stopped to wrap the vampire in a hug. “Thank you.”

Dana patted her back awkwardly until Babydoll released her.

“I’ll see you at work?” Babydoll asked.

“For sure, and I’ll call you later?” Vi offered.

Babydoll nodded, letting Danny lead her out, leaving Vi to turn to us with a heavy sigh.

“God, this is fucked. You’re sure I can stay with you?”

“Absolutely,” Dana chirped. “It’ll be our pleasure, right, Ren?”

“Dana is just happy to have a problem she can fix,” I explained to Vi’s anxious expression. “She’s not actually a U-Haul lesbian.”

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