Page 53 of Newly Undead in Dark River

Yeah, I might have been reborn yesterday, but I knew a line of bullshit when I heard it. “That was a lot of power for a Poster Boy. The Axl Rose poster I had on my wall when I was thirteen, never shut down a room full of hungry vampires.”

Walker laughed. “You had a rocker with big hair on your wall as a kid? Not Bieber?” When I raised my eyes at him in surprise, he shrugged. “We’re in Canada. Not on Mars.”

Having been in Nico’s therapist office, I should have known better than to expect them to be stuck in the 1800s. But still, it was surprising to hear pop culture references from Walker.

“You can thank Tex for that. And his Dad’s record collection.”

As always, talking about home sent a barb of pain through my chest, but knowing when I’d walk through my front door, a little piece of home would still be there made tears well in my eyes.

However, when I pushed open my front door, it was to see Judge pushing Tex up against the fridge and kissing him like he wanted to eat him whole.

“Oh,” Walker said, his eyes so wide it was almost comical.

Most people, when they get busted making out in someone else’s kitchen, would leap away from each other. Maybe Tex would have, if Judge didn’t have his hands pinned above his head, and his body essentially trapping him against the fridge. But Judge made no move to shift away, despite his new audience.

Walker was looking between them and me as if I was about to go into a Jerry Springer style rage. Instead, I sauntered over there, gripped Tex’s chin and kissed him like I missed him. Which I had. Then I leaned over and kissed Judge.

I could hear Brody talking to Walker. “Apparently, this is a thing now.” He didn’t seem at all perturbed by it. “We are all mutual life partners.”

I looked over my shoulder and rolled my eyes at Brody. I held my breath and waited to see what Walker would say.

“Do you think they could be life partners a little more to the left so I can grab a beer from the fridge?” Walker asked, strolling across the living room.

And that was it. He’d accepted that Judge and Tex were both bisexual, that I intended to keep them both, and Brody too if he had anything to say about it. But that was just it. He didn’t make any indication if he was included in that or not. Was it too much for him, all this sausage in the one McMuffin?

Judge finally moved away from Tex, straightening his shirt and smoothing his hair, and watching him give those small, sweet intimacies to someone else made me appreciate him even more. And to see him do it to someone he had only just met, despite the fact we’d all been naked together, it made me look at the mysterious Drifter a little differently.

Walker pulled open the fridge door, pulled out a six-pack, handing one to both Judge and Tex, before tossing one across the room like a football at Brody. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek, handing me a bottle as well.

“We should talk about your maker. Now we have Tex sorted, I’d like you and your harem of admirers to be able to live happily ever after.”

Judge grabbed an entire tray of breakfast food from the oven and put it on the table. Pancakes, sausages, eggs, and some kind of little biscuit thing. Who knew he was so domestic?

Beer and breakfast seemed to be a very irresponsible life choice. Then I looked around at all the handsome men at my table.

Sometimes a little irresponsibility had wonderful results.

Chapter Twenty

Istood at my front door, feeling anxious. I couldn’t leave, because it was afternoon and I was still stuck in my tomb until sundown. I hugged Tex tight and breathed in the scent of him. I committed it to memory, just in case. Judge had been gone when we woke up this morning, his side of the bed cooling. Tex had looked forlorn ever since, like a kicked puppy, or someone who’d been picked last during gym class again. I squeezed his hand. “He’ll be back. It’s just what he does when things get too touchy-feely. It’s not you.”

Tex squeezed me harder. “Doesn’t matter. As long as I have you.”

I launched myself into his arms, and he grabbed me easily. I kissed him like he was leaving for a decade and not three days. I had separation anxiety now, apparently.

“Relax, Rainey. I’ll take good care of him. We’ll be back by the weekend, and you and Lover Boy can have all the crazy threesomes you want,” Brody teased.

I pulled out of Tex’s arms and walked into Brody’s open ones. “Is that an offer, Alpha?”

He let out a little growl that rumbled in his chest. “I think I could get used to those words crossing your lips.” He kissed me in that achingly soft way he had that made my toes curl. “I’d do just about anything for you, Sweetheart. I’m all about the orgies. But I draw the line at crossing swords with Lover Boy or Mr. Tall, Dark and Broody.”

I laughed. “What about Walker?” It was my turn to tease.

Brody waggled his eyebrows. “He has handcuffs. I’d be tempted to make an exception for the good Sheriff.”

We both knew it was an empty promise. Walker might be cool with whatever was happening between Judge and Tex and me, but he wasn’t about to become the caboose to our train of love. I cringed at the bad euphemism.

With one more kiss, I sent them both out the door. They’d borrowed Walker’s bike; apparently he had a Harley hiding in his garage, and that just made me wonder what else he was hiding in his cookie-cutter cottage; they were heading up to Packlands to get Tex properly sworn in. Brody was pretty tight-lipped about what that entailed, and if Tex knew, he was playing dumb. I stood at the door of my apartment until I heard the low rumble of the Harley rolling down the quiet streets of Dark River.

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