you?”
“Sebastian just called here. I had no choice. He needs to be here with us.”
Vincent growled, a low rumbling in his chest. “He’s the reason you were all in danger last time. He’s the reason my mother is dead! Yet you ask him back here?”
“He’s still Elizabeth’s father.”
“He left to keep her safe.”
“And now he needs to come home to save her from herself. He’s the only one who can really understand her.”
“I can help, Serenity. I don’t know how yet, but I’ll do anything in my power to make sure you both stay safe. Tell your vampire to stay away.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Vincent, but he’d already on his way. Elizabeth and I are his family. It’s his job to keep us safe.”
“Then where’s he been these last few years?”
“Doing exactly that.”
An uncomfortable silence fell between them. She didn’t want Vincent to be angry. Aside from the fact that the huge, brooding vampire was a terrifying sight when he was angry, she also didn’t want to make him feel bad. Outside the window, a sudden rain tore from the sky, lashing with ferocious strokes against the pane of glass. The building storm must have broken. Something tumbled and crashed against the side of the house. She guessed one of the box bushes in a tub—two of which framed the front door—had been caught by the wind and knocked over.
A scuffing on the stairs caught both their attention and they rose to their feet at the sound. Elizabeth walked into the room, her arms folded across her chest.
She stared sullenly at Vincent. “What’s he doing here?”
“Hey, honey,” Serenity said. “How are you feeling?”
Elizabeth ignored her question. “What’s he doing here?” she repeated, staring at Vincent with open hostility.
“He felt something was wrong. He wanted to help.”
“Well, I don’t need his help. I don’t want any goddamned vampires anywhere near me.”
“Elizabeth!” The venom in her daughter’s voice shocked her.
“Vampires did this to me. What do you think I’m going to do? Embrace him with open arms?”
“Vincent isn’t responsible for what happened today. And no one did this to you. You are who you are.”
“I’m half-fucking-vampire, that’s what I am! I wish I’d never been born.”
Serenity gasped. “Don’t say that.”
“This is your fault,” she spat at Serenity. “What sort of freak gets into bed with a vampire anyway?”
Serenity felt like she’d been slapped.
Vincent stepped in. “Elizabeth, don’t talk to your mother like that.”
She rounded on him, her eyes fierce. The effect was almost comical, the girl taking on the massive vampire. “You shouldn’t even be here. You’re not my father!” She turned back to Serenity. “Does Sebastian know about his visits? What’s Dad going to say if he finds him here?”
It wasn’t often Serenity found herself mad at Elizabeth, but anger flared inside of her, hot and consuming. Perhaps an element of truth in Elizabeth’s accusations caused her reaction.
“I’ve not hidden anything from your father, Elizabeth. He’s never asked and I’ve had no reason to tell him.”
Elizabeth cocked her hip and her lower lip pouted. “Sounds like you’ve been hiding things to me. I’d like to see your reaction if I gave you that excuse about not telling you something.”
Serenity sighed, her anger melting. “You’re right. Not telling him is as good as lying, but sometimes we hide things from the people we love in order to not cause them pain, especially when there isn’t any reason for that pain.”
“Yeah, well, he’d be pretty mad if he found out.”
“He’s going to find out.” She took a deep breath, unsure of how her daughter was going to react, considering the mood she was in. “Elizabeth, your father is coming home.”
She watched a whole spectrum of emotions cross Elizabeth’s face, each passing like the briefest flicker of light, only to be replaced
“Sebastian just called here. I had no choice. He needs to be here with us.”
Vincent growled, a low rumbling in his chest. “He’s the reason you were all in danger last time. He’s the reason my mother is dead! Yet you ask him back here?”
“He’s still Elizabeth’s father.”
“He left to keep her safe.”
“And now he needs to come home to save her from herself. He’s the only one who can really understand her.”
“I can help, Serenity. I don’t know how yet, but I’ll do anything in my power to make sure you both stay safe. Tell your vampire to stay away.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Vincent, but he’d already on his way. Elizabeth and I are his family. It’s his job to keep us safe.”
“Then where’s he been these last few years?”
“Doing exactly that.”
An uncomfortable silence fell between them. She didn’t want Vincent to be angry. Aside from the fact that the huge, brooding vampire was a terrifying sight when he was angry, she also didn’t want to make him feel bad. Outside the window, a sudden rain tore from the sky, lashing with ferocious strokes against the pane of glass. The building storm must have broken. Something tumbled and crashed against the side of the house. She guessed one of the box bushes in a tub—two of which framed the front door—had been caught by the wind and knocked over.
A scuffing on the stairs caught both their attention and they rose to their feet at the sound. Elizabeth walked into the room, her arms folded across her chest.
She stared sullenly at Vincent. “What’s he doing here?”
“Hey, honey,” Serenity said. “How are you feeling?”
Elizabeth ignored her question. “What’s he doing here?” she repeated, staring at Vincent with open hostility.
“He felt something was wrong. He wanted to help.”
“Well, I don’t need his help. I don’t want any goddamned vampires anywhere near me.”
“Elizabeth!” The venom in her daughter’s voice shocked her.
“Vampires did this to me. What do you think I’m going to do? Embrace him with open arms?”
“Vincent isn’t responsible for what happened today. And no one did this to you. You are who you are.”
“I’m half-fucking-vampire, that’s what I am! I wish I’d never been born.”
Serenity gasped. “Don’t say that.”
“This is your fault,” she spat at Serenity. “What sort of freak gets into bed with a vampire anyway?”
Serenity felt like she’d been slapped.
Vincent stepped in. “Elizabeth, don’t talk to your mother like that.”
She rounded on him, her eyes fierce. The effect was almost comical, the girl taking on the massive vampire. “You shouldn’t even be here. You’re not my father!” She turned back to Serenity. “Does Sebastian know about his visits? What’s Dad going to say if he finds him here?”
It wasn’t often Serenity found herself mad at Elizabeth, but anger flared inside of her, hot and consuming. Perhaps an element of truth in Elizabeth’s accusations caused her reaction.
“I’ve not hidden anything from your father, Elizabeth. He’s never asked and I’ve had no reason to tell him.”
Elizabeth cocked her hip and her lower lip pouted. “Sounds like you’ve been hiding things to me. I’d like to see your reaction if I gave you that excuse about not telling you something.”
Serenity sighed, her anger melting. “You’re right. Not telling him is as good as lying, but sometimes we hide things from the people we love in order to not cause them pain, especially when there isn’t any reason for that pain.”
“Yeah, well, he’d be pretty mad if he found out.”
“He’s going to find out.” She took a deep breath, unsure of how her daughter was going to react, considering the mood she was in. “Elizabeth, your father is coming home.”
She watched a whole spectrum of emotions cross Elizabeth’s face, each passing like the briefest flicker of light, only to be replaced
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