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"A-ha!" Howard’s eyes lit up as he removed a plastic container from the pantry It was shaped like a bear and held honey
She snorted "You would like honey"
He glanced at the bear, then at her, then back at the bear "Mmm"
She backed up "You wouldn’t dare"
He stepped toward her, hisup into a smile
She made a face "But it would be so sticky"
"I’ll lick you clean Promise"
With a squeal, she ran into the bedroom
"Oh, sweetheart," he called as he ran after her
An hour later, she had to admit he’d kept his proht, they were dressed in bathrobes and eating some warmed-up canned soup at the kitchen table when a forasped
Howard stood "Is soer set a bakery box on the coffee table "Shanna sends these with her regards" He nodded at Elsa "Delighted to meet you, lass I’m Ian MacPhie"
Elsa sidled close to Howard "He-he’s a?"
"Vampire," Howard finished
"In a kilt?"
Howard smiled "There are a few of them like that"
"Aye" Ian walked toward theetting through Phil toldthe school all day, trying to contact you I thought ye should know"
"Okay" Howard nodded "We’ll drive back in the "
"Verra well" Ian shook hands with Howard and inclined his head to Elsa "If I ht say so, lass, ye’ve found an excellent man here with Howard"
"Thank you" She couldn’t believe she was talking to a va" He vanished
"Wow" Elsa sat down at the table
Howard brought the pastry box over "There’s a note on top from Shanna It says Best Wishes"
Elsa nodded They would need that, for to to the real world "Who is Mr West?"
"Harry’s boss at the paper where he worked, Northern Lights Sound Bites He’s helping e war on the bastard who killed Harry"
"You knoho killed him?"
Howard nodded "A nasty olf named Rhett Bleddyn He’s hated ed and re story Harry believed Rhett’s father killed our fathers He was gathering information when Rhett killed hie Harry I’ to destroy Rhett"
She sed hard This neorld of vampires and shifters was a bit violent She shook herself The real world was violent, too
"You want a donut?" Howard pushed the box toward her "They’re fresh"
She gazed at the note fro, she suspected none of her wishes could come true
She wished her aunts didn’t want to kill Howard She wished the nasty olf didn’t hate Howard She wished he wouldn’t ith the olf There had already been too many casualties - the fathers and Harry
Who would be next?
Chapter Twenty-six
"Do you want osh, no" Elsa covered herwith a shootout in thelot "Just drop atehouse this afternoon," he offered
"I don’t think I’ll go to work today" She gave hihts"
"I know You’re insatiable"
"Me?" She swatted his shoulder
He grinned "I’ll see you soon" He leaned over to kiss her
"Bye" She cli lot Aunt Greta’s car was parked nearby, so hopefully her aunts were in their room She didn’t have her key, since she’d left her handbag in the gatehouse two days ago
She knocked on her aunts’ door "Aunt Greta! Ula!"
The door swung open
"Oh ht eed her, too
"I’m fine," Elsa assured theht I’d never see you again I thought I’d failed you"
"No, no" Elsa forgot all the anger she’d harbored over her aunt’s vicious bird attack Obviously, Greta had thought she was fighting for Elsa’s life "I was perfectly safe Howard’s a wonderfulin her eyes "When Greta told ht we had lost you"
"Hoould never harm me"
Greta wiped her face "I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do because you illingly with hiain "My poor child I was so afraid for you"
Elsa patted her on the back "Everything’s fine"
"He didn’t hurt you?" Greta looked her over
"Of course not He loves uardian loved her, too Then he betrayed her"
Elsa winced So the ill-fated lovers appeared in her aunts’ version, too
"He’s luring you in," Greta told her "Making you believe in him before he betrays you"
"Howard’s not like that"
Greta gave her a syone, wehere in town He showed uswell, I’ll let you see it for yourself"
Greta grabbed the key to Elsa’s room off the dresser "This way" She headed next door and unlocked Elsa’s roo on the bed "You brought atehouse Thank you"
Ula perched on the second bed while Greta sat at the desk and booted up Elsa’s laptop
Elsa flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes It was a good thing she’d run off with Howard Her aunts would see that he could be trusted, since she’d returned unharmed
"Here it is," Greta said "The newspaper article the reporter told us about It’s the Port Mishenka Post"
Port Mishenka? Wasn’t that where Howard had gone to school? Elsa yawned "What does it say?"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>