On the Hunt (Sentinel Wars #3.5)(68)
Author: Gena Showalter

"I have no problem with Mason. In fact, I’d say we’re friends now," Kate said. "It’s his stupidly arrogant and prejudiced brother I can’t stand."

Sunny gave Kate a look in the rearview mirror. "Jamie doesn’t like black people?"

If that was the case, then this brunch shindig wasn’t going to be very enjoyable—at least not for Sunny.

Kate shook her head. "Far as I know, he only has issues with my kind. Thinks he’s some big-deal hunter. Smells of too much cologne. Reeks of sexist ladies’ man. And as we all know"—Kate glanced sideways at Dillon, who appeared slightly amused—"he despises vampires."

Dillon reached for her hand, staring ahead, eyes unfocused. "Aww, Jamie’s not that bad. He’s just a little misinformed, especially about the woman I love. I’m gonna straighten him out today, baby.

"But tell me, really," he said, rapping the window with his knuckles. "What does it look like here?

Mace was always so embarrassed about his family’s money. Really played it down when we were in the corps. I never even realized he was loaded for the first few years I served with him."

Sunny gazed up at the expansive live oaks, their branches gnarled like an old woman’s hands, Spanish moss dripping downward like heavy lace. "Beautiful," she murmured appreciatively. "A little eerie. Magical. The whole place feels like something from a fairy tale."

And she’d seen plenty of magical, beautiful, amazing places over the centuries. But this particular property felt as if it were under a heavenly spell.

"You haven’t even seen the house yet!" Kate laughed. "Sunny Renfroe, you better be strong when we face off with Jamie Angel. If you’re this starstruck by his family home, you might drool all over him when I introduce you."

Although she’d lived in Savannah for most of her human life, Sunny never had met Jamie. Her own circle didn’t intersect with his high-society one, and even though Kate was old money, their friendship was unique. Beyond that, the Rabineaus were old guard, but kept their distance from most of Savannah society because of their vampire heritage.

Then a thought occurred to her. Although she’d not met Jamie, his brother, Mason, was certainly easy on the eyes, not to mention smart and thoughtful. Maybe Jamie had at least some of Mason’s tough-yet-sensitive appeal.

Sunny perked up. "So, tell me, Katie, girl. Is Jamie handsome?"

"Yes, he’s hotness," Kate muttered. "And it sucks. It’s why he’s so full of himself. He’s got these big green eyes, dimples . . . He’s like six foot three, I think? Six-four maybe? Broad shoulders, rock-hard physique. He looks sorta like Mace, but taller and . . . prettier. Know what I mean? Mace has that rough edge to him, whereas Jamie’s smoother. A little preppy."

Dillon laughed. "I don’t think I’d ever call Jamie Angel pretty. Then again, I’ve never seen him.

But I’ve heard him with a semiautomatic taking on a legion of demons, and smelled their blood all over him. And all the while he’s using that smooth Southern charm on the bastards. If I were a girl, I’d say that’s smokin’ hot . . . not pretty."

For some reason, Sunny flushed at the thought of meeting Jamie. Dating and boyfriends did not fall under her job description. The implications of forming a romantic relationship for someone like Sunny were, well, just too complicated. So she avoided those kinds of entanglements, but lately she’d been feeling restless. Maybe it was because Kate had fallen in love, and her friend’s happiness highlighted the differences in her own life and those of the people she cared about.

She was so alone, and even though her bosses forbade love relationships with humans . . . the longer she lived as one, the harder that mandate became. And the truth was, it hadn’t been easy to begin with. Just as Kate had done for all those years before meeting Dillon, Sunny longed to feel normal.

The fact was, Sunny ached to have a man’s strong arms about her, yearned to feel more human than she did on most days. And she desired something that could never happen, not for her. She dreamed. . . of falling in love.

Chapter Two

"James Dixon, get your butt on down here!" Shay called up the stairs, then offered Sunny and Kate an extremely apologetic look. "I am so sorry. He knows better than this."

"Coward," Mason muttered. He bent down and gave Sunny and Kate each a brief kiss on the cheek, welcoming them warmly, then clapped a hand on Dillon’s shoulder. "Come on, Foxy. Got a new Glock I wanna show off." The two of them, led by Dillon’s guide dog, headed down the hall.

"Jamie!" Shay called out again. "You’re not getting out of this one."

Sunny’s face flushed hot with shame. She hated feeling like some odious obligation, a pariah for Jamie Angel to avoid. And even though rationally she realized his issues were with Kate, not her, it didn’t take the sting out of being so blatantly dissed.

She pasted a smile on her face and tugged on Shay’s sweater sleeve. "Forget it, girl. Let’s go eat some of your famous grits casserole."

One look at Kate, and Sunny could see her friend wasn’t feeling even that generous. She was glancing all about the entry hall as if looking for an escape route. "I’m telling you . . . this is a mistake," Kate said. "You’re rock awesome, Shay, but Jamie’s always been a jerk to me. Let’s just, I don’t know, let’s forget the plan. Heck, we can have New Year’s out at my family’s beach house on Tybee!" she said brightly. "I mean, why not?"

"Because, Katie, you’re not going to let this guy intimidate you or snub you." Sunny sniffed at the air, feeling her dander rise. As an African-American woman who’d spent her whole earthly life in the Deep South, she had some experience with prejudice and being socially overlooked; she wasn’t about to stand by and let that happen to Kate. Besides that, even when it came to fairly harmless insults, Sunny remained highly protective of Kate.

Shay clearly shared that emotion, and began trotting up the stairs in a huff. "I’m gonna find my brother’s sorry ass. Don’t you two worry. James Dixon! " she bellowed at the top of the steps. She kept calling for him upstairs, sounding completely put out with her brother.

Sunny shook her head in disbelief. "Talk about rude. Where’s that boy hiding?"

"I’m not hiding anywhere," a deep, highly masculine voice drawled from behind her. "Ready or not, here I come."

Slowly Sunny pivoted on her booted feet, and found herself face-to-face with the closest thing to a human angel that she’d ever seen. Maybe his name was downright prophetic. With his bright, luminous green eyes, beautiful face, and broad shoulders, she’d have sworn he was hiding a pair of wings on him somewhere.