“What did your parents say?” Kylie asked.
“What didn’t they say?” she said, unsure she could talk about this without crying again.
Kylie continued. “I went there, but I heard your parents arguing. I texted Holiday. She said you two had spoken and you were … hanging in there.”
“By a thin thread.” Miranda listened to her soda fizzing. She looked up at her two friends. “Do you two know anything about what’s happening that I don’t?”
“What did Burnett tell you?” Della asked.
Miranda repeated everything she knew. About them suspecting that Anthony and her sister had participated in the attack. About how they now suspected Anthony was somehow involved with a robbery.
Both Della and Kylie said that’s all they had. But then Della glanced briefly at Kylie, almost as if they knew something they couldn’t share.
“What?” Miranda asked.
“Nothing,” Kylie insisted.
Della spoke up this time. “Burnett is putting a shadow on the girl who worked at the jewelry store and the wife of the owner. I did an earlier shift and I’ve got to be there at four in the morning.”
Miranda thought they were still holding back, but maybe she was just being paranoid. She took a big sip of Diet Coke, finding solace in the bubbly tingle sliding down her throat. “When did everything in my life go bat-shit crazy?”
“Probably when the drug house exploded.” Della snickered.
When the fizzy soda hit Miranda’s empty stomach she remembered she hadn’t eaten. “I’m starved.”
“I’ve got some blood I’ll share,” Della said.
Miranda frowned.
“Just joking. Why don’t you zap us some pizza?” Della asked.
Miranda collapsed back in her chair. “Too tired to zap.” And after uncontrollably zapping her parents and Mary Esther mute, Miranda worried something might go wonky if she wasn’t in tip-top shape.
The vamp jumped up at super speed and opened the fridge. She looked over her shoulder. “Cheese and semi-stale cold Oreos. What’s your poison?”
“Both.” Miranda stood.
“No,” Kylie said. “You just relax.”
In a few minutes, they set a plate of cold cookies and cubes of cheddar cheese down in front of her.
Miranda went for the cheese first.
They watched her eat. “So?” Della finally asked.
Miranda reached for a cold cookie. “Who put the cookies in the fridge?”
“Forget the cookies,” Della said. “I need details on the rest of the bat shit.”
“You know everything about the case.”
“But not about Perry,” Kylie said.
“And about the tattoo,” Della said.
Miranda looked at her arm where the cast ended to see if it had appeared again. It hadn’t. “I hope it’s gone.”
“Perry came to see you, right?” Kylie asked.
“Yeah.” Propping her cast on the table, she grabbed ahold of a cookie and twisted it with her good hand until the two chocolate wafers came apart, then she looked up. “What am I going to do?”
“What do you want to do?” Kylie asked.
“If I knew I wouldn’t be asking you,” Miranda said.
“Okay, let’s make this easy,” Della said. “Look at your cookie. It has two sides. One of them is Shawn, one is Perry. You’re the white stuff in the middle. Which one are you stuck to?”
“That’s a stupid analogy.” Miranda suddenly didn’t want to eat either one of the cookies.
“She’s right,” Kylie said. “That’s stupid.”
Miranda put the cookie pieces back on the plate.
“Not really,” Della said. “I’ve been the white stuff. There was Steve and then there was Chase. It wasn’t easy, and it took me a while to see it, I finally realized it came down to where I wanted to be.”
Miranda looked at the broken cookie.
“You can’t compare them against the other.” Della grabbed a cookie herself. “Each side of the cookie is good. But when under pressure”—she twisted the cookie—“you always stick to one side.” She dropped the two pieces of cookie, one with icing and one without.
“What if half of you sticks to one, and half of you to the other,” Miranda asked.
“Good question,” Kylie said.
“That doesn’t happen,” Della said.
“Yes it does.” Miranda grabbed another cookie, twisted without care, hoping to prove her point. Again, all the white stuff ended up on one side.
“I’m with Miranda.” Kylie snatched one up and twisted it. Hers all ended up on one side, too.
Della pumped her hands up in the air. “My cookie analogy stands proven.”
They all laughed.
Della swiped a half-of-cookie with icing from the plate.
“I used to love these.” The vampire took a bite.
“You’re chewing on my ass.” Miranda chuckled.
“Yuck,” Della said. “But the question is, who else’s ass am I tasting?” Her tongue dipped out to catch a crumb on the corner of her mouth. “Is that shifter, or warlock? I think it tastes like a shape-shifter.”
Miranda laughed, but was Della right? Was she still stuck on Perry?
Suddenly the specific, nauseating, scratchy sound of a cat hacking up a hairball filled the air.
“Oh, that’s disgusting,” Della said.
“What? The sound? Or the taste of shape-shifter?” Kylie giggled.
“Both.” Della bolted up and spit the cookie in the sink. Swinging around, her gaze went to Kylie. “I’m not cleaning that hairball up. This morning, I picked up two the size of a small cat.”
“You know the rule.” Laughter shook Kylie’s words. “You see it, you clean it.”
Della slapped a palm over her eyes. “I swear I’m blind.”
They laughed. Laughed hard. Laughed like good friends do over silly things.
Somewhere with that release something else in Miranda broke free. Her lungs shook. Her heart broke. Her vision became a watery mess. Not just silent tears, but loud ones.
“What’s wrong?” Kylie asked.
Miranda couldn’t talk. She stood, brushed the tears from her cheeks, and tried to pull up her big-girl panties. She couldn’t find them.
Kylie and Della shot around the table.
“It can’t be that bad,” the chameleon said.
“It is,” Miranda said. “One minute I’m sure I’m the white icing stuck to Perry, but then I think about Shawn and I remember how sweet he is. How he’s never done anything to hurt me, and Perry has.” Her voice trembled. “I’m not even sure Perry isn’t just going to hurt me again. But forget boy problems. My sister has run away. I still might go to jail for drugs, and my dad and mom are probably going to divorce. Or they would if they were married. I don’t know if I’m going to get to go to college with you, and … and I called my mom a bitch and a slut.”
“Ouch!” Kylie said.
Della set a hand on her hip, striking her sassy pose. “It’s about time.”
Miranda’s next breath trembled all the way down. “Honestly, I didn’t … really call her a slut, I insinuated it.”
“There, see,” Kylie said. “It’s not as bad as you thought it was.”
Della stepped back. “On second thought.”
The vamp’s oh-shit expression accompanied with Kylie’s empathic stare told Miranda what was up.
“My tattoo’s back, right?”
They nodded, making “sorry” eyes.
“It’s a … little bigger than before,” Kylie said.
“A little,” Della snapped. “Don’t sugarcoat it. She needs to know.” Della glanced back at Miranda. “You’re covered in swirly crap.”
Kylie glared at Della. “But we love you anyway. Group hug.” The chameleon put one arm around Miranda’s shoulder and held out her other to Della.
Della studied Miranda. “It’s not contagious, is it?”
“Don’t be silly,
” Kylie said to the vampire.
They wrapped their arms around Miranda, tattoos and all.
Miranda drew comfort from her two best friends, then she felt bad. “It could be?”
“What?” Kylie asked.
“It could be contagious.”
“Mo fo!” Della shot back so fast she fell on her butt. No sooner had she landed did she let go of a gagging sound. Closing her eyes, she lifted her hand out. On her left palm clung something dark, hairy, and gooey.
“Tell me it’s not a hair ball! And if it is, I didn’t see it.” Della gagged again.
Kylie and Miranda fell on the sofa from laughing so hard.
“Yuck. Yuck. Yuck!” Della jumped up and ran to the garbage.
* * *
His dad bought Perry another whiskey. Perry knew better than to drink it. Already he felt a crack in his resolve.
He didn’t want to be here. Didn’t want to see his mom flirt, the men ogle her like a piece of meat. Didn’t want to see his dad’s eyes grow brighter, his pride smaller.
Reminding himself why he was here, Perry tried to bring up the new job. Caleb slapped a lid on that conversation.
Music, not as loud as the band, piped into the room through speakers. Men moved about the room, on the hunt, preying on women, hoping not to go home alone.
“Why can’t I dance with him?” his mom ground out to his dad.
“I’ll dance with you.” His father stared at Caleb who’d issued the invitation.
Caleb, appearing content with the trouble he’d started, laughed and moved to the table to their right, where he plopped his butt down next to a brunette.
She cut her eyes to Perry, and it wasn’t the first time, either. She looked familiar, too. He checked her forehead. Vampire.
“It’s not fun to dance with the same guy,” his mom bitched.
His dad dragged his wife to the dance floor. The wine and whiskey added a different gait to their steps.
His mom’s arguing played like background music.
It wasn’t a matter of if the shit was gonna hit the fan, it was when. And how Perry intended to handle it.
A waitress, a pretty sandy-haired vampire with a nametag that read BELL, swung by to drop off beers. She purposely didn’t get close to Chuckie or Mark. She’d shown her canines twice when they’d gotten touchy-feely.
Chuckie reached for her again. Perry started to intervene, but Bell swung around so fast she became a blur. “Touch me again and I’m going to rip your carotid artery open and offer free shots to all my vampire friends here tonight.”
Chuckie and Mark laughed. Bell didn’t. Perry couldn’t say he believed her, but he wouldn’t chance it. And supposedly neither would Chuckie or Mark.
Once again, Perry realized the favor his mom had done by abandoning him. If raised by them, he might have grown up to be an asswipe.
“Did you need anything?” The waitress moved next to Perry.
“I need something,” Mark said.
“I’m fine.” Perry ignored Mark. “Thanks.”
“You new in town?” Bell picked up a few dirty glasses.
The word “yes” almost slipped out. Then he recalled his dad believed he’d lived here. Which meant Mark and Chuckie probably thought it, too.
His brain sought a diversion. And found one. The button with a picture of her and a baby on it pinned to her apron. “That your baby?” She looked too young, but …
Pride filled her eyes. “Yeah.” Then she added, “His daddy left us.”
Not knowing how to respond, Perry offered. “He’s cute.”
Bell laughed. “And you just lied. But don’t worry, I know he’s ugly. The doctor promises me he’ll grow out of it.” She hesitated. “You should come in more often.”
“Yeah.” He was flattered, but he had his girl.
“She wants to dirty up the sheets with you.” Mark’s comment echoed and earned some laughter from neighboring tables.
The girl, rightfully offended, let out her canines again. Perry backed her up with a low growl.
“What the hell,” Chuckie said. “You’re going after this kid when you got two real men here.”
“I only see one man at this table, grandpa.” She sashayed off.
Chuckie stared after her. “Bitch. She ain’t even got big tits.”
Perry waited for the tension to defuse, for his own anger to weaken, before bringing up Jax again.
“So you two worked for Jax long?” Perry asked.
“Jax and I go way back,” Chuckie said.
Mark, eyeing the red-haired woman at a table to their right, didn’t answer.
Chuckie leaned in. “I’m shocked the boss let you in just by the word of your old man.”
“He must like my dad.” Perry brought the glass to his lips and pretended to take a sip. Even the smell burned his sinuses.
“Is it true what your dad says? That you’re stronger than you seem.”
“I surprise a few people.” Perry purposely hadn’t shown his cards. Hell, his father hadn’t seen all he could do. Burnett, who was a reborn vampire with super strength, had warned Perry against it early on. If people think you’re the best, or better than most, it makes you a target. Show them just enough to get their respect, but not enough to make them want to bring you down.
“Do you know what this new job is here in Houston?” Perry folded his drink napkin so he wouldn’t appear too interested.
“It’s not in Houston,” Chuckie said.
“So are we heading back to Dallas?” Perry looked up.
Before Chuckie answered, his phone rang. He pulled it out, turned the phone off, and staggered to his feet.
“Hey.” He nudged Mark, who now sat with the red-haired woman.
“Jax called. I’ll be back.”
Jax?
Chuckie walked toward the exit. Perry checked the room. Mark continued chatting up the woman. Caleb was lost in conversation with the brunette. His parents danced without arguing.
Perry rose up. Following Chuckie could be risky, but it could also be worth it.
Perry hadn’t taken one step when Caleb fixed Perry with a glare.
“Gotta drain the lizard.”
He found the bathroom empty.
He yanked a bunch of paper towels from the dispenser and shoved them at the base of the door. Wasting no time, he darted into the stall and shifted into a small mouse.
Skirting out of the bathroom, he had to dodge drunken feet to make his way to the door. A man and a woman, arms wrapped around each other, walked out and he escaped with them. Staying in the shadows, Perry followed the building around to find Chuckie. The man wasn’t on the right side, so Perry headed left.
Gotcha! Chuckie leaned against the old redbrick structure, phone to his ear. Perry scurried in the shadow of the building. He needed to be in hearing distance, but not too close to be stomped on by the bozo’s fat feet.
Not that it would kill him, but it would hurt like hell.
“I was in a bar,” Chuckie argued. “I wouldn’t have been able to hear you.” He paused. “What? I shot that bitch at a drugstore. I saw her go down.”
So Chuckie not only robbed the store, he shot Lily Chambers? Damn, Perry knew he didn’t like this guy. He wished he’d broken the guy’s hand when he’d touched his mom’s ass.
“I can’t help it if she didn’t die,” Chuckie exhaled. He raked a hand over his face as if trying to wipe off the drunken haze.
Perry’s tiny brain flashed a large image of pretty Lily Chambers sitting in the interrogation room. Then he flashed an image of the girl’s blood on Shawn’s shirt. Perry’s rodent skin started to burn with the need to morph into something vicious to teach this jerk a lesson.
He couldn’t. Not in public. Not until he had enough to bring this gang down.
“Now?” Chuckie continued. “I just got here a few hours ago. And I had a few beers. It’s illegal. I could kill someone on the road.”
Seriously? The absurdity of his statement ma
de Perry’s brain roll.
“Can’t you get someone else?” Chuckie hesitated. “She’s not going to connect you to the robbery, besides it was me she recognized, not you.” He kicked at the gravel. “I know the rule, no loose ends. Fine. I’ll go! I’ll take care of her.”
Chuckie stormed into the bar.
Perry stayed hidden in the shadows forming a plan. He had to warn Burnett. Which meant Burnett would know what Perry was up against and try to pull him out. But not telling Burnett would put Lily Chambers in more danger. Perry needed to call Burnett. And when the big bad vampire, who wasn’t really all that bad, insisted Perry come in, Perry would just have to insist harder that he had to stay.
Realizing he might be missing something when Chuckie told the others, he almost morphed to go in. But nope, he needed to go in the same way he came out. He’d call Burnett later. He took off. Fast. As fast as his tiny feet would go around the building to the front door.
Almost there, he saw the dark-haired vampire, the one Caleb had been hitting on, standing in the door. She really looked familiar.
He knew her. From where? She looked around. Searching. For what?
Or who? The earlier urgency filled his chest. One mystery at a time.
He ran right between her two black pumps and through the door before it closed.
He darted under a few tables, heading to the bathroom to shift, but he spotted Mark walking out.
“He’s not in there,” Mark shouted to Caleb standing at the table with his mom and dad.
Perry needed a new plan. He eased closer to the table to find out how much trouble he was in.
“Did he follow you outside to eavesdrop?” Caleb spit out to Chuckie.
“Don’t go accusing him of anything!” his father bellowed.
“Shut the hell up!” Caleb poked his dad in the chest with his index finger.
His dad’s eyes went bright. “I’m tired of you…”
“Don’t fight.” His mom touched his dad’s arm. Wow, she could do the right thing.
Caleb looked back at Chuckie. “Did he follow you out?”
Doubt flashed in the man’s eyes. “I don’t think so.”
“Damn it, Chuckie!” Caleb’s expression hardened.
“Why would he need to eavesdrop? He works for Jax, too.”
“He doesn’t know everything. And if I have anything to say about it, he won’t.” Caleb looked at his dad. “I don’t trust your boy. He’s up to something.”