Page 77 of Bad Luck Vampire

Sophie smiled at him, relieved to have someone else back her up. Megan was her best friend in the world. She didn’t want to believe she’d done it.

“I still think it is more likely to be one of the parents,” Tybo said suddenly. “Mr. Tomlinson or even Mrs. Tomlinson. We haven’t even considered her.”

“Motive?” Inan asked.

Tybo considered the question and then shrugged helplessly. “Without knowing them, it’s hard to say.”

“That’s true,” Connor said heavily. “The truth is we’re jest indulgin’ in conjecture here. We need to read the Tomlinsons.”

Sophie stiffened. “You mean read their minds?”

“It’s the easiest way to get to the bottom o’ this, lass,” Connor said.

“What if you read their minds and it’s none of them?”

The men were silent for a minute as they exchanged glances, and then Ludan said, “Then we’ll ha’e more work to do. But I vow, we’ll stay here in Canada until we sort it out. We’ll no’ leave you and our lad here in peril.”

“Although,” Connor added, “if that turns out to be the case, I suggest ye let Alasdair turn ye at once. I wouldn’y want to risk yer accidentally bein’ injured or killed if the murderer tries to kill Alasdair again.”

“Wait. What?” Sophie asked with shock. “Turn me?”

“Give ye some o’ his nanos, lass. Make ye an immortal. As his life mate ’tis yer right.”

Sophie turned wide eyes to Alasdair, but before she could ask anything, Inan spoke again.

“In the meantime, we need their addresses. I presume Megan and Bobby do no’ still live with their parents?”

Sophie tore her gaze away from Alasdair and shook her head. “No. They both have apartments of their own too. But there’s no guarantee either of them will be home. Bobby’s often at his girlfriend’s, and Megan was going out last night. She could be anywhere.”

The men were all scowling at that. After a hesitation, she said, “But they’ll all be at Mama and Papa’s tonight. We have Sunday dinner there every weekend. It’s considered... family time.”

“Ye’re uncomfortable calling them that now,” Inan commented solemnly. “I’m sorry, lass.”

Sophie didn’t respond other than to shrug. What could she say? The suspicions these men had raised in her about one of the Tomlinsons possibly being behind the deaths of so many of her loved ones did make her uncomfortable calling them family. Not that she believed for a minute that either parent was behind the deaths in her life, but—

“It’s nearly dawn. I suggest we all get some sleep,” Ludan said, standing up abruptly.

His words made Sophie glance with confusion out the large window next to them to see that the sky was starting to lighten. The sun would be up soon. Where had the time gone?

“We’ll visit the Tomlinsons at the parents’ house at dinnertime when they’re all together,” Ludan added, moving toward her living room.

When the others immediately got up as well, she did too, thinking to walk them all to the door. Only, none of the men headed for the door. Instead, everyone but Alasdair was heading into her living room.

“We’ll need to close the blinds,” Alasdair said quietly. “To keep the sun out.”

“Keep the sun out?” she asked weakly, watching with disbelief as Tybo claimed her couch, and Colle took her reclining chair while the uncles all started unraveling their plaids and huddling into the material as they each claimed a patch of her living room floor and settled in. Eyes wide, she whispered, “They’re staying?”

“Lass, we’re no’ leavin’ yer side until we’ve solved this,” Connor said around a sleepy yawn.

“Aye,” Inan agreed. “This killer has to be mad. They’re definitely dangerous. They’ve already taken six lives that we ken o’. We’ll no’ see them add ye or Alasdair to that number.”

Sophie stared at the men, glanced at Alasdair, and then back to the men, then let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Well, there’s a guest bedroom up the hall. At least two of you could sleep there.”

“Then let the young lads take it,” Odart growled.

“Aye. Soft as they are, they’ll sleep better,” Inan commented.

That had both Tybo and Colle scowling at the older men. But it apparently didn’t annoy them enough to keep them both from getting up and heading down the hall. It was only then that Sophie realized she’d set it up so that Alasdair would be sleeping with her. Not really a good thing. She had some thinking to do, but that would be hard with him there in her bed with her. Hell, she wasn’t even sure she could keep her hands off him, even with his relatives here.

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