turned on the Brit with fury. "What the hell are you laughing at?"
"You," he said easily, and added. "And this whole situation. I don't envy you having to
deal with this town. It will make for an interesting—but no doubt exasperating and
exhausting—life."
Victor just grimaced, he suspected the man was right.
"I'm sorry I called you a vamp like that," Karen was saying now.
"Don't be silly, I am one," Elvi assured her.
"Yes, but it's not your fault. Besides I made it sound like a bad thing and it isn't really.
You're a lovely vampire," the blonde assured her. "And we really do love having you as
a neighbor. We were just so upset about Owen being a vampire and didn't know what
to do. I'm sorry I made Mike try to kill you. I hope this doesn't ruin our friendship?"
"Of course not," Elvi gave her a hug. "If I'd been you I would have done the same
thing."
Victor shook his head with bewilderment at how women's minds functioned… if they
functioned at all.
"Well," Mabel said mildly, drawing his attention, "I guess that resolves everything."
Victor gave a snort of disbelief. They may have solved the mystery of who was trying to
kill her and brought an end to it, but there was still a long way to go before everything
was resolved. They needed to talk, and then there was still the town and the council to
worry about.
"Oh, oh," DJ muttered, drawing Victor's questioning gaze. The younger immortal
nodded to the side and Victor glanced over to see his brother, Lucian Argeneau, head
of the council, standing at the edge of the crowd around the booth. It seemed those
other issues were going to be dealt with now, Victor thought with a curse under his
breath.
Chapter Twenty‐one
"Shit," Victor muttered, wondering how long Lucian had been there. "Elvi, come here."
"What is it, Victor?" she asked, returning to his side, concern marring her face. No
doubt a response to the panic in his voice. "Is something wrong?"
"My brother is here," he said grimly, his gaze locking with the blond immortal's eyes.
"Oh," Elvi said. "How nice, I'll get to meet your brother."
"Yes," Victor groaned. He could have waited a long time for this meeting. At least until
he figured out how to present the situation here in Port Henry in the least damaging
light.
"You say that like it's a bad thing for me to meet him," Elvi said with concern. "Is
something wrong?"
"No, no," Victor assured her dryly. "Other than the fact that we're dead once he finds
out what's been going on here, everything's fine."
"Oh, you." She chuckled and gave his arm a slap, obviously thinking he was joking or
exaggerating, then turned to glance out at the crowd milling around the booth. "He
must be the blond who looks so like you."
Victor wasn't surprised she knew which one was Lucian. He was the only stranger to
her in the crowd.
"Who is the pretty brunette with him?"
Victor turned his gaze to the petite woman in white pants and a red silk top.
"I don't know," he admitted slowly.
"How do I look, Mabel?"
Victor glanced down to see Elvi peering down at the dress she wore with alarm.
"Damn," she said unhappily. "I wish we hadn't worn these stupid Elvira dresses. Do you
think I should run home and change?"
"You're always lovely," Karen assured her. "Both of you could wear potato sacks and
look lovely."
"I don't know," Elvi muttered, her gaze returning to the couple now moving toward the
booth. She stared at the woman's elegant clothes and then back to herself, bit her lip,
and then threw her hands in the air. "I need to change!"
"If you are, I am too," Mabel announced.
"I'll drive!" Karen offered.
Victor's mouth tightened. "Elvi."
She paused and glanced back. "What?"
"You don't have time to change," he said quietly. "Besides, I want you at my side for
this."
Her eyes widened slightly, and Victor took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.
"It will be all right," she assured him soothingly, squeezing him back, and he glanced at
her sharply to find her giving him a reassuring look. Sweet Jesus. She thought he was
the one who needed comfort when it was her he was worried about, and he wasn't at
all sure it would be all right at all.
"Just how bad is this?" Brunswick asked, a frown of concern wrinkling his forehead as
his gaze slid from Victor's stiffening form to DJ's grim expression.
"Bad," DJ assured him.
"It will be fine," Elvi assured him, scowling at DJ.