Page 41 of Feeding Frenzy (Crimson Coven #3)

FORTY-ONE

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I stepped on the back of Peter’s shoe. He whirled in the middle of the foyer and pierced me with a glare. I ducked my head sheepishly and took a step back.

“Oops.”

“Space, Cat. Space!”

“No need to shout,” I mumbled with a huff.

Peter sighed and shoved his fingers through his hair.

“I know you’re worried, but I’m fine. Bastien explained everything. What we are, how we’re different,” he continued rambling away.

I couldn’t stop looking away from that tuft of hair sticking up. Getting on my tiptoes, I smoothed the strands down, rubbing until it stuck.

He’d gone silent at some point. I dropped my eyes to his. Here I was, with my arm extended to reach the side of his head, while he glared at me.

I dropped back to the flat of my feet, lips pursed. He sighed and ran his hand over his face. I was just glad he was here and could give me attitude.

“Look, I know you’re worried, but you’re driving me crazy.” He gripped the sides of my arms. “I’m not going anywhere, plus I’m harder to kill now.”

My lips twisted. He shouldn’t have been dragged into all of this?—

“Stop,” he said, exasperated. “I’m serious, Catty. Go away.” He squeezed my arm and dropped his hands. He focused on the hallway we’d just exited. The one leading to the stairs.

“You too, Sydney. Stop following me around.” His tone softened the slightest bit but was no less demanding. He turned and continued toward the kitchen. “I’m going to call your lawyer about my inheritance.”

“Okay,” I called back, grinning.

A small sigh dragged my attention over to Sydney peeking around the corner.

“He has a temper,” Sydney muttered, focused on the direction he’d disappeared.

“It’s a new development,” I mumbled. Sydney shuffled forward. She wasn’t giving up on following him.

“Let me know if he’s getting into trouble,” I whispered. Her eyes brightened and she nodded. I backed up in the opposite direction of the kitchen. Crossing the foyer, I entered the wide entrance. To the left was another little dining room and a little further down the hall opened to a huge living room with couches set up around a coffee table. Asher reclined next to Jax who had his boots perched on the edge of the coffee table.

“Let’s go handle this now. It’s obvious she wants to draw us out. If we go, it can be our chance to finish this,” Tobias said, leaning forward on the couch across from the twins, while Bastien stood to the side. And on the other side of Bastien, closest to me, was Ren in a love seat. Their discussion cut off.

I jumped onto Ren’s lap, curling against his chest. His palm rested on my spine.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he murmured, nuzzling his nose into my neck.

I shrugged.

“For being so good,” I responded.

“I’ve never been accused of being good.” He chuckled and slid his hand onto my thigh. I placed mine on top of his and turned to look at the rest of them.

“What’s happening?” I asked, almost cautiously. Would they be truthful?

Tobias exchanged a look with Bastien and then looked at the twins sitting across from him. He must be reading their minds.

Finally, he faced me.

“One of our Progeny requested a meeting.”

“Oh.” I sat up. “Why?”

“He said multiple of the vampires he Nested with have been murdered.” Nested? He must have read the confusion on my face. “Nests are vampires that have chosen to live together.”

“So, like you guys?”

Vampire politics and organization was an interesting thing.

“Yes, but the difference is a Coven always has a Sire. For the lack of a better phrase, we are a Nest of Sires.”

And that was what made them so powerful.

“And you are going to check it out?”

“That was what we were discussing.”

I pursed my lips, nodding.

“Well, if your vampires are being killed, she obviously wants your attention. Maybe you should give it to her—and take me with you.” I cleared my throat, feeling on the spot with five pairs of eyes on me. “Think about it. She saw me. She’s pissed and lashing out. She’ll probably think you’re all going to become uber protective. But if she sees me outside, it could drive her to outing herself—to being rash.”

“I don’t like how logical this is sounding,” Asher mumbled.

“ I don’t want to live forever always looking over my shoulder,” I whispered.

Tobias pinched the bridge of his nose.

“She is good at hiding.”

“Our Little One is making sense,” Bastien said gruffly.

“Weren’t you busy following your brother around?” Jax asked me.

“He got mad at me,” I pouted. “And ordered me to stop.”

Asher laughed.

“You can follow me around whenever you want, Pet.”

Jax glared at him.

“Now, to decide which of us will go visit Corbin and what’s left of his Nest.” Ren curled his arms under my back and legs to tuck me closer to him.

I placed my palms on my thighs. Tobias and Bastien stood behind the loveseat. Corbin, one of Ren’s Progeny sat on the couch across from me. He peeked at the intimidating vamps behind me. I sank my fingers into my thighs and cleared my throat. We were in the guy’s house, and they were treating him like he was on trial.

“I would have been happy to come to you, Sires.”

According to what Tobias was telling me on the way down, was that they usually handled any requests like this at Crimson Nights.

They actually seemed pretty irritated at having to make a house call. Ren was outside checking the area. Searching for Imogen. Asher and Jax had stayed behind to look into new locales for Crimson Nights 2.0. Ren and Bastien especially didn’t want me to go anywhere without at least one of them since they were the only two that Imogen could not order about.

“Is it true that you may have found the blood-madness cure?” he asked Bastien, staring at him with awe. Word really spread fast.

“What did you need, Corbin?” Tobias interjected.

He licked his lips.

“I believe someone is targeting Crimson Coven vampires. Two of mine have disappeared. Fernando, who leads a nest downtown has also lost a vampire.”

“Have you been threatened?” Bastien asked.

He was being purposefully vague, because to me it was clear who was doing this. Imogen was taking cheap shots.

“No.” The corner of his lips twitched down.

I peeked over at Tobias.

“He knows nothing, but he thinks it has to do with the trial and Imogen.” His eyes suddenly flared, and he whipped his arm out to grab Bastien. “Love, grab him.”

I jumped to my knees and reached back to bunch Bastien’s overcoat. His suspenders snapped under my grip. Bastien snarled at Corbin and one of his arms swept me behind him. He angled me as if protecting me from the other vampire.

I sputtered the edge of his coat from my mouth and wiggled my head out from under his arm. Corbin stood at the other end of the room, his eyes wide. Although he remained here, staring in awe, he stood near an exit.

“We will look into the situation,” Tobias murmured. “Contact Talia if you come into new information.”

“Yes, Sire.”

Bastien squeezed his eyes tight and shook his head as if shaking away cobwebs. He shuddered and squeezed me.

“Thank you, Little One.”

I reached up and brushed his hair back to cup his cheek. His golden, tan skin complemented the melanin in mine to perfection.

“Anytime.”

“I have regained my senses.” Bastien nodded to Tobias. “Has Ren contacted us?”

“Not yet,” Tobias said as we began to walk to the front door. It wasn’t a far walk since it opened into the living room we’d been in. The door snicked behind us.

“You know, you two remind me of each other sometimes,” I said, extricating myself from Bastien’s grip. They created a barrier in front of me with my back to the door. As always, protecting me.

“That’s interesting, considering the differences in our belief system.” It took me a moment to grasp what he was saying. Bastien believed in science, and Tobias in God.

“Huh, that’s true.” I turned from one to the other. “Maybe it’s because you’re both super old .” I emphasized the old.

Bastien looked over my head at Tobias.

“I believe we were just insulted.”

Tobias chuckled.

I turned to Tobias. I tossed my arms around his neck, his hands propped on my waist, immediately pulling me tight to him.

“If she’s watching, I want her livid,” I whispered in his ear. Then regretted it. “Sorry.” Inserted foot in mouth. He was her brother. It wasn’t fair to put him in this position. His arms squeezed me tighter until I could feel the outline of his cock.

“You never have to apologize to me, Love.”

“Do you think she’s sending a message?”

His arms squeezed me.

“Most definitely.” He nuzzled my ear. “There is nothing she hates more than not being the center of attention. The only time I have seen her avoid making something about herself was when the Coven took on a version of Ren’s surname.”

“‘Crimson’ is because of Ren?” I never gave thought to the origin of their names.

Tobias hummed his affirmative.

I sighed, flexing my fingers in his pull-over sweater.

“She’ll come for me.”

“We will be ready,” Tobias murmured so huskily it sent shivers down my spine.

“We need to relocate everyone. Get them away from us. She wants me dead. I don’t want to put anyone else in danger.” I stopped and took a deep breath. His sweet scent filled my nose and the warmth in my belly responded. “Can you do me a favor?”

He remained silent, his gray eyes scanning my face.

“I am worried about accepting, without knowing what it is. I will do anything for you, Catalina, except put you in danger.”

“Please, make sure Peter is safe, no matter what happens to me.” I could already see the denial forming. “It’s not like I’ll not be protected. I’ll make sure to always be around one of the others. If something happens to me?—”

“Nothing will happen to you,” he said fiercely.

“Protect Peter. Please, Tobias,” I croaked.

He stiffened and a moment later, finally exhaled.

“I will do as you ask.”

I would trust his word.