How to Elude a Vampire (VRC Vampire Related Crimes #2) - Alice Winters Page 0,4
“Oh my god, my arm!”
He jerks back, allowing me to snatch up the phone. I snicker as I sink into my seat with his phone.
“Oh my god, he’s such a sucker,” I say to Marcus, who is also laughing.
“That’s not funny, moj zanuda,” Karsyn growls. “Give me my phone back. Dammit. I thought I hurt you, you asshole!”
Karsyn has enjoyed calling me Russian names since I met him. He started off calling me zanuda, which I learned you would call someone who annoys you or you dislike. But he’s since started calling me moj zanuda. And while he never spits out what it means, my friend Google told me moj meant mine or my.
I’ll be his annoying person all he wants.
I prove it by unbuttoning my shirt and pulling it to the side until my nipple is showing, then snap a few selfies of me looking absolutely ridiculous while trying to lick my nipple. Once I have the perfect one, I set it as Karsyn’s lock screen and as the picture that’ll show up when I call. Then I turn in my seat to face DeGray.
“Come on, DeGray, give me a nip slip. Show off those abs.”
DeGray starts laughing, but he shakes his head. “Sorry, these abs are closed.”
I scrutinize him for a moment, wondering what that means, before tossing the phone back to Karsyn. I immediately send him a text.
Me: Try not to get too turned on when you look at the picture of me.
Karsyn: I already deleted it.
Me: Bullshit. You love it.
Karsyn: It already haunts me.
My phone beeps again and I look down at the text from my sister Aria.
Aria: Nick is a little concerned about tonight. I’m not sure why. Is it too much?
Me: It’s never too much to introduce your next meal to your ancient father.
Aria: Ha. Ha. You’re so funny.
We pull into the driveway of Orin’s house just as Aria and her boyfriend get out of their car.
“I’ll be right there,” Marcus says. “Don’t go in without me, but I have to send a quick text.”
“This better be as exciting as you’re leading me to believe,” I threaten him before hopping out. I walk over to my sister who’s smiling at me. She’s my half-sister, since we have different fathers, but I generally refer to her as my sister. My real father is probably some lowlife deadbeat asshole who was probably borderline four feet tall and her father is an amazing ancient vampire who raised me for more than half my life. Regular vampires can’t have children but true vampires can, although it’s extremely rare, making her a dhampir, a half-human, half-vampire.
She’s standing next to a human with short auburn hair and freckles. He has a trimmed red beard and a wide smile. He’s also dressed nice, which tells me he was looking forward to this or hoping to at least make a good impression.
“Nick, this is my brother Finn. Finn, this is Nick,” Aria says with a smile. She really seems to like this guy, and it shows. She rarely brings anyone around since she doesn’t date a whole lot.
“It’s great to get to meet you,” Nick says as he holds a hand out to me, which I shake.
“Nice to meet you too. I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with you to want to hang out with Aria. Is she paying you?”
He snickers. “No, I wasn’t aware that was an option.”
And then he draws extremely still. “Is that menacing-looking man your father?” he whispers.
I turn to look at Marcus who is doing his signature brooding look as he walks over to us.
“Oh no, no, no. That’s Finn’s partner; my father’s not that scary,” Aria assures him.
I lift an eyebrow, confused about what they’re referring to. “Marcus isn’t scary. He’s not even mad at anyone right now. That’s just how his face looks,” I say. “Handsome. Gorgeous. Delightful.”
“Sweetheart… your brain is broken, he’s always scary,” Aria says as she turns me to face him as if I haven’t looked at the man enough to know exactly what he looks like.
I watch Marcus as he sexily struts over to us and scans Nick. “Huh,” he says. And that’s it.
Nick’s eyes get wide and his terror seems to escalate from that one simple word.
“What?” I ask curiously.
“Ah, I just forgot Brooks was out until Monday and dropped him an email when I should have sent it to Karsyn.”
“Oh. I thought you were commenting on the human,” I say.