wasn’t insane.” She couldn’t say why she felt so strongly about that fact, except for maybe because she’d lived with someone not quite sane. Jane’s father hadn’t been certifiable, but he had been a little strange.
“He saved your life?”
“Yes, I didn’t use very good judgment and trusted a man I shouldn’t have. Fortunately Rhys realized this guy was not a nice person. He followed us and…” She took a deep breath. Again, she was so t hank ful that Rhys had been there. “He stopped the guy from doing something awful. Then he walked me back to the hotel where I am staying, and he left.”
“But he must have come back? Or you went to find him?”
She shook her head. “That’s the thing. I don’t remember seeing him again. I did leave the hotel and head back toward the bar. But I never encountered Rhys. At least not that I can recall.” She frowned, confused. “But I suppose I must have.”
“Yes you
were
with him again. I mean, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here now.”
His words were obviously true, but there was something about the way he said them that struck her as strange. A certainty that almost implied he knew more than he was saying.
But then he smiled at her, a nice, encouraging smile, and she decided she was reading too much into his simple agreement to her own ponderings.
“Okay, well, let me show you to the kitchen,” he said, leading her through the dining room to another door. “I think we have tea and sugar. There might even be bread and butter or jam or something.”
Jane nodded, thinking that it was odd that he seemed so unsure of what was in his own kitchen. But then maybe he just didn’t cook. Or eat at home.
“Help yourself to anything. I’ll go talk to Rhys, and hopefully, I can get some answers out of him. Or at least figure out why he’s acting so strange.”
Jane nodded, but she didn’t move. She just looked around the kitchen, suddenly overwhelmed by the weirdness of the situation—of the past two days.
“It will be okay, Jane.”
She offered him a forced smile as he left the kitchen. She did appreciate his comforting words. It had to be pretty odd for him, too. He must be really shaken up about Rhys.
Sebastian grinned as soon as the kitchen door swung shut behind him.
Wasn’t this turning into another interesting evening.
Rhys, his detached, surly and annoyingly gloomy brother,
had
saved a mortal life. Unbelievable!
Rhys adhered to one cardinal rule:
never get involved with mortals
. At least no mortals outside of the ones he used as his food source. And they were always the dregs of society.
Sebastian shuddered, just thinking about it. They didn’t use the word
dregs
for no reason. Lowlifes tasted like the residue at the bottom of the barrel—vile and stale as if their life forces were decaying with each evil act they’d done.
But Jane had done no evil acts. Not a one. That fact was clear in her very scent—she was wholesome. The last type of mortal with whom Rhys would entangle himself. But he most definitely had. They had somehow gotten entangled with each other. Sebastian could smell that, too. Both of them reeked of unbridled lust.
Sebastian grinned again with amusement. Who knew his brother grim even had a sex drive. Sebastian had always believed Rhys’s thoughts of sex had been cast aside to make more room for all his languishing. Apparently not. Rhys had just required the right lady.
But who was Jane? Sebastian’s steps slowed, and his smile slipped. Great. Rhys had a romantic interest, but Jane’s story certainly hadn’t clarified what had happened in the alley last night.
He could deduce that the male mortal in the alley was the guy who had attacked Jane, which was why Rhys had gone dental on the guy. But he still didn’t know who had attacked Rhys or why. And he had no idea why Rhys was acting so weird earlier. He thought Jane was his betrothed. And he’d even smiled a couple times. Rhys never smiled.
So much was still
“He saved your life?”
“Yes, I didn’t use very good judgment and trusted a man I shouldn’t have. Fortunately Rhys realized this guy was not a nice person. He followed us and…” She took a deep breath. Again, she was so t hank ful that Rhys had been there. “He stopped the guy from doing something awful. Then he walked me back to the hotel where I am staying, and he left.”
“But he must have come back? Or you went to find him?”
She shook her head. “That’s the thing. I don’t remember seeing him again. I did leave the hotel and head back toward the bar. But I never encountered Rhys. At least not that I can recall.” She frowned, confused. “But I suppose I must have.”
“Yes you
were
with him again. I mean, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here now.”
His words were obviously true, but there was something about the way he said them that struck her as strange. A certainty that almost implied he knew more than he was saying.
But then he smiled at her, a nice, encouraging smile, and she decided she was reading too much into his simple agreement to her own ponderings.
“Okay, well, let me show you to the kitchen,” he said, leading her through the dining room to another door. “I think we have tea and sugar. There might even be bread and butter or jam or something.”
Jane nodded, thinking that it was odd that he seemed so unsure of what was in his own kitchen. But then maybe he just didn’t cook. Or eat at home.
“Help yourself to anything. I’ll go talk to Rhys, and hopefully, I can get some answers out of him. Or at least figure out why he’s acting so strange.”
Jane nodded, but she didn’t move. She just looked around the kitchen, suddenly overwhelmed by the weirdness of the situation—of the past two days.
“It will be okay, Jane.”
She offered him a forced smile as he left the kitchen. She did appreciate his comforting words. It had to be pretty odd for him, too. He must be really shaken up about Rhys.
Sebastian grinned as soon as the kitchen door swung shut behind him.
Wasn’t this turning into another interesting evening.
Rhys, his detached, surly and annoyingly gloomy brother,
had
saved a mortal life. Unbelievable!
Rhys adhered to one cardinal rule:
never get involved with mortals
. At least no mortals outside of the ones he used as his food source. And they were always the dregs of society.
Sebastian shuddered, just thinking about it. They didn’t use the word
dregs
for no reason. Lowlifes tasted like the residue at the bottom of the barrel—vile and stale as if their life forces were decaying with each evil act they’d done.
But Jane had done no evil acts. Not a one. That fact was clear in her very scent—she was wholesome. The last type of mortal with whom Rhys would entangle himself. But he most definitely had. They had somehow gotten entangled with each other. Sebastian could smell that, too. Both of them reeked of unbridled lust.
Sebastian grinned again with amusement. Who knew his brother grim even had a sex drive. Sebastian had always believed Rhys’s thoughts of sex had been cast aside to make more room for all his languishing. Apparently not. Rhys had just required the right lady.
But who was Jane? Sebastian’s steps slowed, and his smile slipped. Great. Rhys had a romantic interest, but Jane’s story certainly hadn’t clarified what had happened in the alley last night.
He could deduce that the male mortal in the alley was the guy who had attacked Jane, which was why Rhys had gone dental on the guy. But he still didn’t know who had attacked Rhys or why. And he had no idea why Rhys was acting so weird earlier. He thought Jane was his betrothed. And he’d even smiled a couple times. Rhys never smiled.
So much was still
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