save her fuzzy butt from being scorched by lightning.”
“Yeah, but she’s smarter than us.”
Thena laughed, but her cell phone sounded Jimmy’s ringtone before she could answer the farm manager. Ed nodded and walked off as she snatched up the phone.
“Meanwhile, back at vampires,” James said before Thena could even manage a greeting. “There’s so much more I need to tell you.”
“I’m fine. How are you? How was your day, besides the fire? I’m starting to see and feel things—psychically—and somehow I’m blaming you. Can you explain that?”
“Um—” was his inarticulate reply. “Uh. I know you aren’t crazy, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m fine,” he added. “Restless. In need of some female company.”
“You can have any woman in the world,” she pointed out. She hated that her entire being clenched with jealousy as she stated this simple truth. “Do vampires have claws?” she changed the subject as quickly as she could.
“Yes. Retractable.”
“Can they fly?”
“If they have a pilot’s license, or at least an airline ticket, and a passport if they need—”
“Damn,” Thena said as she caught sight of a truck towing a horse trailer coming up the long drive from the county road. She knew that truck. “Damn, damn, damn.”
“What’s the matter? What’s wrong? How can I help?” James asked. She heard his desperation in far-off California.
“Hold on,” she said.
Thena left the phone on the table and went into the house. She was standing on the porch steps when the truck came to a halt in front of the house. The driver’s door opened.
“Don’t bother getting out,” she called. “Turn around and go home, Mike.”
Mike Finn didn’t listen. He never did.
Ed and Carol came up to the truck. Dogs barked. Sheep Mother spat from her side of the pasture fence. One of the part-time helpers climbed over the fence and trotted to the far side of the truck. James could be heard faintly questioning the situation from the phone’s spot on the table.
Mike stood with his hands on his hips, but he wove drunkenly from side to side. “I want my horse.”
“It’s Angie’s horse. Your wife bought it for her.”
“Bitch!” Mike shouted.
Thena didn’t know if he was talking about his ex-wife, her, or the mare. She certainly hoped he wasn’t referring to his daughter.
“You’re trespassing, Finn. You are outnumbered.”
Ed held up his cell phone and nodded.
“And the sheriff has been called,” Thena said.
###
James’s hearing was far better than any mortal’s. He had no trouble discerning the confrontation being played out at Athena’s home. It was something about someone wanting a horse. Thena didn’t want that person on her property.
“Bitch!”
“Mind your mouth! I’ll rip your heart out!” James shouted back.
No one spoke to his mate like that. No one threatened Athena.
He would kill for her. Protect her. Keep her safe. Forever.
James stared at phone screen. He’d jump through it to get to her if he could!
“Gennie!” he shouted for his assistant. “Get me the plane!”
“Flight plan?” she called back, totally unruffled by his demand.
“Missouri!”
An explosion roared from the other end of the connection.
Had that been a gunshot?
That had been a shot!
“I’m going to the airport right now!”
###
“What the hell’d you do that for?” Finn demanded after Thena shot out the front tire of the truck.
“To keep you from getting anybody killed,” she said. “I want you gone, but I’m not letting you drive drunk.” She held her shotgun up again. “Walk home.”
“You tried to kill me. I’m calling the sheriff!” Finn shouted.
Ed came up to Finn. “A deputy’s already on the way.” He turned Finn toward the drive and gave him a little shove. “I’m sure you’ll meet up with the cop car on your way.”
Finn turned and wove his way down the drive. Ed watched him go.
Thena decided that
“Yeah, but she’s smarter than us.”
Thena laughed, but her cell phone sounded Jimmy’s ringtone before she could answer the farm manager. Ed nodded and walked off as she snatched up the phone.
“Meanwhile, back at vampires,” James said before Thena could even manage a greeting. “There’s so much more I need to tell you.”
“I’m fine. How are you? How was your day, besides the fire? I’m starting to see and feel things—psychically—and somehow I’m blaming you. Can you explain that?”
“Um—” was his inarticulate reply. “Uh. I know you aren’t crazy, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m fine,” he added. “Restless. In need of some female company.”
“You can have any woman in the world,” she pointed out. She hated that her entire being clenched with jealousy as she stated this simple truth. “Do vampires have claws?” she changed the subject as quickly as she could.
“Yes. Retractable.”
“Can they fly?”
“If they have a pilot’s license, or at least an airline ticket, and a passport if they need—”
“Damn,” Thena said as she caught sight of a truck towing a horse trailer coming up the long drive from the county road. She knew that truck. “Damn, damn, damn.”
“What’s the matter? What’s wrong? How can I help?” James asked. She heard his desperation in far-off California.
“Hold on,” she said.
Thena left the phone on the table and went into the house. She was standing on the porch steps when the truck came to a halt in front of the house. The driver’s door opened.
“Don’t bother getting out,” she called. “Turn around and go home, Mike.”
Mike Finn didn’t listen. He never did.
Ed and Carol came up to the truck. Dogs barked. Sheep Mother spat from her side of the pasture fence. One of the part-time helpers climbed over the fence and trotted to the far side of the truck. James could be heard faintly questioning the situation from the phone’s spot on the table.
Mike stood with his hands on his hips, but he wove drunkenly from side to side. “I want my horse.”
“It’s Angie’s horse. Your wife bought it for her.”
“Bitch!” Mike shouted.
Thena didn’t know if he was talking about his ex-wife, her, or the mare. She certainly hoped he wasn’t referring to his daughter.
“You’re trespassing, Finn. You are outnumbered.”
Ed held up his cell phone and nodded.
“And the sheriff has been called,” Thena said.
###
James’s hearing was far better than any mortal’s. He had no trouble discerning the confrontation being played out at Athena’s home. It was something about someone wanting a horse. Thena didn’t want that person on her property.
“Bitch!”
“Mind your mouth! I’ll rip your heart out!” James shouted back.
No one spoke to his mate like that. No one threatened Athena.
He would kill for her. Protect her. Keep her safe. Forever.
James stared at phone screen. He’d jump through it to get to her if he could!
“Gennie!” he shouted for his assistant. “Get me the plane!”
“Flight plan?” she called back, totally unruffled by his demand.
“Missouri!”
An explosion roared from the other end of the connection.
Had that been a gunshot?
That had been a shot!
“I’m going to the airport right now!”
###
“What the hell’d you do that for?” Finn demanded after Thena shot out the front tire of the truck.
“To keep you from getting anybody killed,” she said. “I want you gone, but I’m not letting you drive drunk.” She held her shotgun up again. “Walk home.”
“You tried to kill me. I’m calling the sheriff!” Finn shouted.
Ed came up to Finn. “A deputy’s already on the way.” He turned Finn toward the drive and gave him a little shove. “I’m sure you’ll meet up with the cop car on your way.”
Finn turned and wove his way down the drive. Ed watched him go.
Thena decided that
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