“And you trust him to obey them?” I asked. It was true that Moonshadow Bay had a strict code of conduct for any vampires living within the city limits, and one was against non-consensual influence—a vampire legally couldn’t drink off anybody or fuck them by force, using their strength or their glamour. But there was a fine line, at times, between old-fashioned pressure and magical charm.
“I trust that he enjoys his position of power within the chamber of commerce, and he’s not likely to endanger that just for a dip in your…paintbox,” Rowan said, her eyes dancing. “Call him—talk to him firmly and set your boundaries and my guess is that he’ll fall in line.”
I wasn’t as sure as Rowan was, but it was worth a try, and if she was right, it would take care of one problem. Suddenly aware that Killian wasn’t making any noise, I frowned. I padded into the kitchen, looking for him, but all I found was my mocha on the counter, and an empty kitchen.
where did you go? I texted.
i’ll be back, i have to take care of something. why didn’t you tell me about the roses?
Oh crap. He must have overheard us talking. i was going to, but there’s been so much going on. don’t you dare go over to val’s. he’ll annihilate you.
that’s the chance i have to take. i told you, i don’t share, and i don’t appreciate other men horning in where they are neither wanted nor needed. he’s not out to be your friend, he just wants you in his bed.
i will talk to him. killian, stop this. you don’t even know where to find him! and the storm’s so bad that you’ll run off the road and hurt yourself. please be sensible and come home.
There was no answer. I waited for a moment, then, both frustrated and feeling helpless, I grabbed my mocha, took too quick of a sip of the hot liquid and burned my upper lip, and headed back to the living room.
“Complication. Killian heard me telling Rowan about Val and the roses and he’s off to save me from the big, bad vampire.” I sighed, dropping back into my seat. “What the hell do I do now?”
Rowan glanced at Teran and they both rolled their eyes. “You call Killian and talk him down off the ledge.”
“I tried. For all the good it will do. Seriously, men have the biggest egos.”
“It’s always been about penis size,” Teran said. “Always has been, always will be.”
I punched in Killian’s number and it rang five times, then went to voice mail. “Call me, you big lug.” I stared at the screen, then called him again. Once more, it went to voice mail, this time after only one ring. “Well, now I get to worry that he’s not only headed over to a vampire’s house to beat him up, but that he’s out there in a storm that’s rapidly getting worse.” I crossed to the window, staring outside. The entire world was white, and it was still snowing so hard that it made it hard to see. It was pure beauty, crystal clear and deadly.
“So, what should I do?” I asked, still staring out the window.
“Call Val and ask him to back off,” Teran said. “You know as well as I do, a man’s ego is a delicate thing. Too delicate, but sometimes we tiptoe around it because the collateral damage is too much work to wade through. Just call Val, explain to him, and ask him to send Killian packing without crushing his ego or his windpipe.”
That seemed almost worse than letting my boyfriend get beat up by a vampire, but Val might not play fair and maybe, just maybe, he’d be receptive to my request.
I shook my head, pulling out my phone. “You don’t know what it’s taking for me to make this call. I adore Killian, but sometimes he doesn’t make it easy.”
“Welcome to the challenges of a healthy relationship. While you were with Ellison, you had to give in completely. But being in a stable relationship with someone who isn’t a narcissist doesn’t mean everything is smooth sailing. It just means the bumpy parts are distributed equally rather than all of them running over your back.” Teran shrugged. “It’s your call, but if he barges in there and attacks Val, he may not come out alive.”
That shifted me into high gear. I flipped through my contacts list till I came to Val’s name.
He answered on the third ring. “Hello? January, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Nothing. No pleasure.” I paused, backing off the accusatory tone. “Hey, Val, I want to ask something of you.”
“But you told me to never bother you again,” he said, and I knew he was trying to play cat and mouse, so I ignored the bait.
“I’m calling to warn you. My boyfriend’s headed your way. He found out you were the one who left me the roses.”
“Oh, the plot thickens,” Val said. “Do tell!”
“The only thing I have to tell you is this: Killian’s angry. He’s so angry he won’t stop unless you diffuse this mess and apologize. Please, if you really do like me at all, don’t hurt him. Tell him you’re sorry, and send him back home in one piece. And please, stop bothering me.”
“One piece? You really think that I’d kill him?” Val asked. “I’m deeply wounded.”
“Um hmm. You’re about as wounded as my little finger—and trust me, there’s not a scratch on either pinkie. Will you do this for me?” I waited, trying to be patient.
After a moment, Val let out a sigh, so melodramatic that it could have won a Razzie award. I said nothing, waiting.
Finally, Val said, “You really care for him, don’t you?”
It was my turn to pause. How much did I want to open up to Val? Anything he had on me, he could later use for ammunition, and arming him even further was a bad idea. But I had to go out on a limb. There was nothing else I could do.
“Yeah, I do. Please, tell him—”
“That I promise not to bother you again and that I apologize? Oh, January, the favors are really stacking up.” He waited for another moment, then finally said, “All right. I’ll preserve your boyfriend, and your relationship. But girl, you owe me.”
I didn’t bother trying to dispute that. I just thanked him and hung up, relieved. When I told Rowan and Teran what had happened, Teran looked surprised but Rowan just nodded.
“I told you that underneath that sleazy exterior, Val’s got…well, maybe not a good heart, but he’s not always willing to play the villain. So, now that you’ve put out that fire, I will tell you that it’s unlikely Val was any more than lightly influenced. It would take more than a simple wishcraft ritual to have him beating down your doorstep. No, Val’s responsible for what he chooses to do,” Rowan said, then paused.
After a moment, she added, “I’ll also tell you something else that may help. You can tell Killian this. Val Slater’s responsible for the low-income daycare in the community center. He also established a scholarship for young writers who are looking to get into college but can’t afford the tuition. He established the no-kill Forever Home pet rescue shelter. And a dozen other organizations like that. He doesn’t take the credit because he doesn’t want his reputation to be…well, not tarnished but…”
“Haloed? Would that be the opposite of tarnished?” my aunt asked.
“Sounds good to me,” I said. “I had no clue that Val was so philanthropical.”