Page 121 of Blood and Bonbons

“Keep it casual,” I warned.

A moment later, Sierra cracked open the door. “What are you doing here?”

Her face, while in its normal bitchy scrunch, was also a little pale. The blue tint under her eyes made me suspect she was either sleep-deprived or possibly sick.

“We’re just here to check on you for Shepard,” Vena said. “Can we come in?”

“If I barely tolerate you at work, why would I want you at my home?” She didn’t wait for a response. “Tell Shepard I’m not fine, and he’ll have to cough up more than a lousy day off of work.”

Sierra went to close the door in our faces, and Vena stuck her booted foot into the opening to block her.

“What the hell is your problem?” Sierra demanded.

Vena added her weight to the door as Sierra stomped on her foot.

“All we want to do is ask you a few questions,” Vena said.

“I’m not talking to you, or Shepard, or anyone. Get the hell off my property.”

“My brother’s fairy neighbor told us about a woman with a fairy tattoo, and I know you have one. I have questions.”

Sierra’s expression changed to one of panic a second before she kicked Vena in the shin. Vena hopped back in pain, and Sierra lunged to close the door.

I charged at it. I might not have been a fighter, but with my slightly more voluptuous frame, I managed to keep Sierra from closing it. Vena shoved at the door, too.

Sierra’s footing slid on the floor, and she toppled back. The door flew wide open, and Vena and I fell to the floor next to Sierra.

I groaned and pushed at Vena, who’d landed on top of me.

“You okay, Ev?” she asked, carefully getting off.

Sierra swore under her breath, and I heard her scramble away from us.

“Fine,” I said, accepting Vena’s assistance.

“Get out!” Sierra yelled as I stood.

I looked at her right as she threw a vase.

Vena batted it aside.

“This would be a lot easier if you cooperated,” she said angrily.

With a battle cry, she ran at Sierra.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

I hurriedto close the door so the neighbors wouldn’t witness anything. Vena only used the battle cry if she was intent on serious ass-kicking, and the last thing we needed was for someone to call the cops.

When I turned around, Vena had Sierra pinned to the ground face first with an arm twisted up between her shoulder blades. It was a move she’d tried teaching me over and over when we’d been sixteen, even though we both knew I wasn’t a fighter. I could never manage the level of aggression Vena could.

“What do you know about my brother?” Vena demanded. “A woman with your tattoo was at his house when he disappeared.”

“Do you know how many people have tattoos, you psycho?” Sierra panted, wincing at Vena’s hold.

“Of a rat with wings?” I scoffed. “No one wants a fairy tattoo these days, Sierra.”

“Maybe not a Miss Perfect like you.”

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