Sucker Bet (Vegas Vampires #4)(5)
Author: Erin McCarthy

"Thanks for coming by, Gwenna. I appreciate it." Brittany gave her a look, a shared understanding.

Brittany knew how Gwenna had worried about her daughter, could sympathize with the fear, because now she was living it, too. They both had given birth to daughters with more vampire blood than mortal running through their veins, and a mother’s fear was a powerful thing. Gwenna only hoped Ava would come to a better end than Isabel had.

Feeling tears unexpectedly pricking her eyes, the baby’s crying and the ringing of her mobile in her handbag shrill and harsh on her raw nerves, Gwenna just squeezed Brittany’s hand and followed Alexis out of the room.

Her brother was frowning at her the minute she stepped out. "What’s the matter? Who’s calling you?"

"I don’t know," she snapped at him. "I can read minds, but I’m not bloody omniscient."

Ethan held up his hand. "No need to get your knickers in a knot. I was just asking."

"Is it any of your business?" she asked, knowing she sounded defensive. But hell, she felt on the verge of tears, and she despised that feeling. It meant she hadn’t made any progress at all, that she was still vulnerable and emotional. And it seemed she was going to pay for her standoff with her ex. Roberto was going to harass her mercilessly, another charming tactic of his.

It was the worst thing she could say, though, because Ethan had been about let it go until she spoke. But he was a naturally suspicious person and her words made his eyes narrow. "What does that mean? Give me your cell phone." He held out his hand.

"No." Gwenna clutched her purse tighter to her chest.

"Who would call you, Gwenna?"

Her sister-in-law made a sound of impatience. "Leave it alone, Ethan. Gwenna’s right, it’s none of your business."

When Gwenna had traveled to Vegas for Ethan’s wedding, she had been surprised at her brother’s choice of a wife, because Alexis was very twenty-first century with her attitude. But the more Gwenna got to know her, the more she liked Alexis, and the more she realized that Alexis was actually strong in the way women of their eleventh-century mortal youth had been. Alexis did what she needed to do and got the job done without needing or expecting help from a man, and Gwenna suspected that was what appealed to Ethan about her.

"It is most certainly my business." Those blue eyes pierced her, studying her, calculating, accusing. "You’re talking to Donatelli again, aren’t you?"

Her brother knew just how to get to her, how to make her feel small and naughty, childish.

But she wasn’t going to let him intimidate her. "So what if I am?" She wasn’t, not technically in the way he meant, but even if she was, it wasn’t Ethan’s right to criticize.

Ethan didn’t like her nonanswer. He took it as confirmation and exploded. "Christ, Gwenna! You haven’t learned one goddamn thing in the last three hundred years, have you?"

That hurt. But it infuriated her more. She had learned more than Ethan would ever know. She had learned her lesson the hard way, over and over again, and had continued to have to swallow the lecture long after she had memorized it. "Go to hell, Ethan."

She spun on her heel, and started down the hall.

He grabbed her arm and jerked her to a stop. "Gwenna… wait. You know I’m just worried about you."

"Give me a little credit for having some sense. I’m not some unruly teenager who’s letting the town cad up her skirts."

"But that’s exactly what you did! Twice. Why do you think I worry about you?"

For the first time in her life, Gwenna wanted to knock her brother unconscious.

Alexis made a sound of shock. "Uh, Ethan… not a cool thing to say, babe."

Gwenna vowed to be mature. "My relationship with Roberto is none of your business. It never has been. And I would appreciate it if you would respect my decisions." Gwenna straightened her back, and took a deep breath, controlling her anger. "I know what I’m doing."

Ethan snorted. "Obviously not if you’re sheet diving with Donatelli."

So much for maturity. She clenched her fists and gave a sound of exasperation. "Bugger off."

Her brother’s jaw dropped. "Gwenna!" He turned to his wife. "Did you hear what my sister just said to me?"

"Yeah, and you really deserved it," Alexis said. "I would have said it to you years ago, but Gwenna’s much nicer than me."

Gwenna was actually not feeling nice at all. It had been rather easy to blurt out that rude command to her brother. Ignoring Ethan’s protests, she yanked her arm out of his grip and headed toward the elevator.

Apparently deciding she wasn’t worth pursuing, Ethan still yelled after her, "You’ll just be sorry all over again for getting involved with Donatelli. You know I’m right."

Rolling her eyes, Gwenna waited for the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently. Just to annoy Ethan, she pulled out her phone and checked the missed calls. It was Roberto’s number. Of course. She had changed the rules on him and he didn’t like it. Despite what she led Ethan to believe, she wasn’t planning to take any of Roberto’s calls, and she’d rather die of starvation in the burning desert sun after a failed decapitation attempt than have sex with her ex.

She knew where his penis had been in the three hundred years since their divorce. Everywhere. Around the block several dozen times. Stopping at every strip club and brothel along the way.

If she were going to have sex ever again, which was doubtful, it wouldn’t be with Roberto.

The elevator opened.

Gwenna stepped on.

Her eyes landed on a ruggedly handsome man leaning against the back wall, his eyes red and his expression stricken. Smashing. Just when she’d almost forgotten for a whole two minutes that instead of meeting Slash she’d found a murder victim, the cop who had so clearly thought she was an idiot popped up to remind her. "Detective Thomas?"

The phone in her hand rang again.

Damn it. Roberto again.

"Gwenna Carrick." Detective Thomas made a sound of exasperation, his voice angry and raw.

He had been impatient with her at the crime scene, she had been aware of that, but this tone was harder, different. Gwenna saw unshed tears in his eyes, saw his face was a mask of shock and pain, his shoulders tense.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Her phone rang incessantly, loud and obnoxious in the quiet elevator.

Despite the fact that he looked like he was going to crack, he just shrugged. "I’ve been better. How about you? Find any more dead bodies since we last met?"

Gwenna frowned. So he didn’t want her compassion. He was on the emotional edge, obviously, and maybe embarrassed by that. Instinct told her to squelch the maternal urge to touch him.