The Accidental Vampire(27)

wondered why DJ would willingly put himself in the woman's company.

"All right, the rest of you are with me, then." Brunswick ushered them to the back of

the restaurant.

"What about our car?" DJ asked as they stepped out into the parking lot.

"The house isn't far from here. We're just driving you there so you know where it is.

You can come back for your cars later," Mabel answered promptly. She paused beside

a red Toyota and opened the driver's door. When DJ started to open the front

passenger door, she eyed him narrowly and ordered, "Back seat."

Victor bit his lip to keep from laughing as DJ scowled and got in the back.

"My car's over here," Brunswick announced as he led the way to the only other car in

the small lot, a police car parked in the back right corner. Spotting the grill between

the front seat and back, Victor moved to the front passenger side door before anyone

else could lay claim to it. There was no damned way he was sitting in the caged

backseat, squished between two other men.

Mabel hadn't been kidding about the house being close. It was a bare couple of

minutes before Brunswick was steering the car into a driveway that curved up behind a

large brick Victorian house.

"There are only six bedrooms," Mabel announced as she led them into the front entry.

"Elvi's, mine, and four guest bedrooms. That means two of you will have to bunk

together." She paused at the foot of a curving staircase to glare at Victor and DJ. "And

since you are the one who chose to bring an uninvited friend along, Argeneau, the two

of you can be the ones to share."

Victor's mouth tightened, but he didn't comment as she started up the stairs.

"What delightful trim," Edward praised, his gaze slipping over the woodwork above the

doors before he turned to follow Mabel. "Victorian?"

"Yes." She actually smiled at Edward, something Victor had almost decided she was

incapable of. "The house was built in the 1890s."

"Such fine workmanship." Edward ran his hand lovingly along the curving stair rail.

"The Victorians understood the beauty of fine craftsmanship."

"I couldn't agree more." Mabel beamed and slowed so that they were side by side as

they continued on.

Victor managed not to gag at the brownie points Edward was racking up. The man was

obviously sucking up, somewhat surprising from the pompous Brit.

Once they were on the second floor, Mabel led them around a corner to the right and

along a short hall to a door. "Victor and DJ will sleep here."

She opened the door to show them a large room with a king‐sized bed, a sitting area

with a couch, chair and table, and a small refrigerator.

Stepping inside, Victor glanced to the right and saw two doors, one leading to a walk‐in

closet, the other to an en suite bathroom.

"The couch pulls out into a second bed," Brunswick announced, reminding them of his

presence. He then shifted and said, "Though, I suppose you won't be needing it.

Fortunately, all the rooms are plenty big enough for your coffins."

Victor thought the joke was in poor taste. The fact that none of the other immortals

laughed, suggested they agreed. They were all silent as they followed Mabel out of the

room and into the hall again.

She led them to the opposite end of the hall and up another curving staircase to the

third floor of the house. This level had obviously been recently renovated. The fine

woodwork was missing here and everything appeared new. Each room was outfitted

with a king‐sized bed, a sitting area, its own small refrigerator, and an en suite

bathroom.

"I don't know whether you made alternate arrangements, but we stocked up on blood

for you," Brunswick announced as Edward stepped over to the refrigerator and opened

the door to reveal several bags of blood inside.

"We'd rather you didn't bite the locals," the officer added firmly.

"That won't be a concern," Harper informed him quietly, avoiding Victor's gaze. "It is

against our laws to bite mortals unless in case of an emergency."

"It is?" Brunswick frowned, obviously considering that their Elvi was biting mortals.

Then he straightened his shoulders and said, "Well, I'm glad to hear it, but I'm the law

here in Port Henry. If you have a problem, come see me. If you are a problem, you can

expect I'll come find you."

As a threat it was effective, Victor thought, or would have been if the man weren't

mortal. It seemed obvious that they'd lived so long with their tame Elvi that they now

assumed all immortals were as agreeable. The man had a lot to learn. Fortunately for

him, Victor had no interest in teaching him.

"I'm going for the car," he growled, turning to head back down.