Page 10 of Guarding the Doctor
“This is my first bodyguard assignment. I’ve mostly been back-up until now. But I’m fully qualified to protect you,” I rushed toadd, suddenly afraid she was going to call Lois and demand a more experienced person to protect her.
“Well, I’m not totally sure if I even need a bodyguard,” Kathryn said. “But when I saw what happened to poor Seth, I got freaked out and my father insisted.”
She needed a bodyguard. I’d seen the calculation in Dr. Xi’s eyes. She’d take my mate out if she got the chance, especially now that she knew Kathryn had been inside the lab, but I didn’t want to freak her out by telling her that.
“Were you close to him?” I asked. “Seth?”
She nodded, her expression sad. “Yeah. He was one of my best friends.”
I couldn’t help the little jealous growl that came next, and I knew that both of my dinner companions heard it too. It didn’t stop me from demanding, “Did you date him?”
Kathryn’s head tilted to the side, studying me. “No, he’s like a brother to me. Was like a brother to me. And I was like a sister to him,” she added.
“Good.”
She gave me another one of those puzzled looks.
“Even if he had liked me that way, it wouldn’t have worked out. I’m a lesbian.”
“Good,” I said again.
Martha shook her head, trying not to laugh. “You know what, I’ll let you two clean up since I cooked.”
She got up, taking her plate to the kitchen. She grabbed a fistful of cookies and a bottle of water, strolling out of the room. “We’re wheels up tomorrow morning at seven thirty. Call me if you need me. Good night you two.”
“Why do I have the feeling something’s going on here that I don’t understand?” Kathryn asked.
“Tell her,” Martha called from the hallway. All of us supes had very good hearing.
“Tell me what?” Kathryn asked.
Damn Martha. I wasn’t ready yet. The mate thing was new to me. I was hoping to talk to my sister first, get her advice on how to handle it. But with Kathryn staring at me, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I knew instinctively that my mate would be angry if she found out I was keeping information away from her.
“Maybe we should get more comfortable for this conversation,” I suggested. “Let’s leave the dishes for now and go talk in the living room.”
“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” Kathryn asked.
She wasn’t alone there. I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake pouring my heart out so soon.
Kathryn
I’d known Darla for less than a day and I already knew that uncertain expression on her face wasn’t typical for her. We’d done a ten hour shift at the hospital together and nothing had thrown her. This seemed… big.
“What does Martha want you to tell me?” I finally asked as the silence stretched on.
“I wish I could talk to my sister first,” she mumbled.
“Your sister?”
“Bella. You met her today in the conference room.”
Now that I thought about it, I could see the resemblance between them. Then something struck me.
“Your sister’s name is Bella? And your name is Darla?” I giggled.
Darla frowned. “Yeah, why?”
“You both have vampire names, and you’re vampires. That’s funny. Did your parents do that on purpose?”
