Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells Read Free Book Online

the skin of its hands. Everyone in the room tensed.
    “Well don’t just stand there,” a muffled female voice yelled. “Close the blinds!”
    I jerked in surprise. “Georgia?”
    “Not for long if you don’t make it dark in here!”
    I nodded at the others. “Do it!”
    Giguhl, Brooks, Zen, and Adam rushed to close the wooden blinds and pull down the shade that covered the window on the door. Finally, the room was dark enough to be safe for the vampire. She pulled the ski mask off with a gasp. “Good gods, that sucked.”
    “What the hell are you doing traipsing around in the daylight like a damned fool?” Brooks demanded.
    Georgia threw the tarp to the ground and pointed an accusing finger at me. “I need to give Sabina a piece of my mind!”
    I crossed my arms and sighed. “Here we go. What’d I do now?”
    She waved the envelope I’d left on her door around like a smoking gun. “If this is some sort of sick joke, I really don’t appreciate it.”
    I tilted my head and frowned at her. “What? I told you, Mac asked me to bring it to you. You’re welcome, by the way.”
    “Bullshit! Mac would never be this cruel. It has to be a fake.”
    “Georgia, I know you’re hurting,” Adam said. “But think about what you’re saying. Why would Sabina come all the way to New Orleans to deliver a fake letter from Mac?”
    The vampire deflated a fraction and her eyes swiveled to take in all of us. Brooks and Zen were watching her with looks bordering on pity. Adam and Giguhl were puffed up, ready to defend me. And me? I watched her with my hands on my hips. We were burning daylight, Erron had yet to show, and we needed to get to Italy ASAP so we’d have the whole night there to make headway in finding Cain.
    “Look, Georgia, I don’t know what to tell you. Mac asked me to give you that. I had no idea what was in it. I’m sorry if it upset you—”
    “Upset me?” she yelled. “I’m not upset. I’m pissed! How dare she do this?”
    I frowned, curious despite my best intentions to stay out of the middle. “What’d she do?”
    Georgia was red-faced and sputtering now. She held up the letter. Adam came forward and grabbed it. His eyes scanned the stack of pages for a few moments before widening in shock. “Mac signed the building and the license for Lagniappe over to her.”
    I frowned at the vampiress. “Let me get this straight. You’re pissed that Mac ensured you had an income and a place to live? How dare she?” I said with exaggerated indignation.
    Georgia threw up her arms. “How am I supposed to hate her now?”
    My mouth fell open. “Ah.”
    “Ah?” Adam asked. “I don’t follow that logic at all.”
    But I did. People always say anger is the strongest emotion. They’re wrong. Anger is the easiest emotion, the least complex. When other feelings are too difficult to bear, you can wrap anger around you like insulation. Like a shield to deflect more complicated and hurtful emotions—like sadness and fear.
    I sighed and stepped toward Georgia. “She loved you in her own way, Georgia. It wasn’t the love you needed, but it
was
love. This is her way of proving that.”
    “Fuck that,” she said. “I’m putting the building on the market ASAP.”
    “Like hell you will,” Brooks said. His hands were on his hips and his head was swiveling with attitude. “You can’t put all those proud queens out on the street!” he said, referring to the drag queen corps who lived and worked in that building. Since Brooks was also employed by the club, he had a personal stake in Georgia accepting Mac’s gift.
    “Besides, where are you going to go, baby girl?” Zen said, in full maternal mode. “That building is your home, too.”
    Georgia’s lip trembled. “I don’t know! It’s just too hard.”
    “So give yourself some time. A month, three. Whatever,” Zen said.
    Brooks added, “Yeah, girl, don’t throw away this gift just because it’s easier than working through your shit.”
    Georgia