Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires 3)

"Yeah, and look how well that turned out for me," Gabriel said ruefully, surveying the sanctuary. "We've half destroyed a church. Although the damage still isn't as bad as the ninety-two ConPack."

"Or ninety-four," Adam added with a wicked smile. He rubbed a hand across his stomach. "Ninety-four was a wild ride."

Gabriel gave a gravelly chuckle, then knocked knuckles with his brother. "True, true."

"What'll happen to the fighters?" I asked.

Gabriel stood, cradling his arm. "We'll have a little discussion about Pack behavior and what it means to abide by Pack rules."

"They try to take you out, and they just get a discussion?" I wondered aloud.

Gabriel gave me a sardonic look. "I don't mean 'discussion' literally."

"Will you punish them the same?" Ethan asked. "I mean, those who set up the hit and those who actually tried to take you out?"

Gabe muttered something I didn't catch. Given his tone, I assumed it was unflattering about vampires.

"We don't just line them up and start shooting, Sullivan. There are degrees of culpability, just like in the human world. As for convocation, the decision's been made. Irrespective of the contract or the hit, they voted the way they voted, and the Packs will stay." He glanced over at Ethan. "The things we discussed - about friendship? - my people are too wired for that right now. Maybe in the future, maybe never, but certainly not right now."

Ethan did a good job of maintaining his composure in the face of Gabriel's rejection, but I knew he was cursing inside. He'd practically bet the House - or at least his Sentinel - on the possibility of an alliance between Cadogan and the Pack.

"Understood," Ethan said, "but the contract wasn't fulfilled. You're still alive. That means there's still a possibility someone will take a shot."

Gabriel shook his head. "Pack leadership passes through the family. So if something happens to me, Fallon becomes Apex, then Eli, and so on down to Ben and Adam. The only reason to try to take me out would have been to influence the vote. But the die's been cast, so there's no chance of that now." He shrugged.

"By my math, I'm off the hook."

I wasn't sure if I bought Gabriel's theory, especially since the violence had erupted after the vote was counted, but I understood the urge to move on and clear the vampires out of his belfry. Besides, we couldn't guard him twenty-four hours a day. We barely had staff enough to cover our own House. Gabe held out his uninjured hand to Ethan. "Thank you again for your help. Your Sentinel does good work." They shook hands. "That she does," Ethan said.

"Might be time to think about that raise."

"Don't push your luck, Sentinel."

A girl had to try.

I'd stripped off my leather jacket when we returned to the Mercedes, the June heat providing more than enough insulation. But it took a few minutes of driving before I noticed the tiny nubbin in the pocket.

"Oh, damn," I muttered.

Ethan looked over in alarm. "What?"

I reached into the jacket pocket, then pulled out the earpiece Luc had given me. "I totally forgot to use this."

An eyebrow quirked up, Ethan reached inside his own jeans pocket and pulled out his earbud. I guess I hadn't been the only forgetful vampire. He offered me a secret smile. "Let's not tell Luc about this, perhaps."

"You know what else?"

"What's that, Sentinel?"

"I also forgot my cabbage rolls."

He rolled his eyes, but he was grinning when he did it. "You'll have to live without them, because you couldn't pay me enough to go back to that church."

"Too much shifter tonight?"

"By a large degree, Sentinel. And the irony is, we've convinced them to stay."

"Well, that's kind of a victory, isn't it?"

"Given our other options, I suppose so. You did good today, and I mean that sincerely. You showed a lot of bravery, and you executed well. Your work honors Cadogan House." Ethan's tone was solemn, earnest. I'd heard his Master vampire tone of appreciation; this was different.

More like affection than professional approbation. And since he was the one who'd pushed me away - something he'd undertaken at his own risk - I opted to ignore the undercurrent. Being rejected and trying to stay professional - pushing down my feelings to stay focused on the task at hand - was hard enough on its own. I couldn't bear his remorse, too, and it wasn't fair for him to try to use me to make himself feel better.

So I kept the mood light. "Least I could do."

He shifted in his seat as if preparing a monologue. I thought quickly, then made my move. I turned on the radio, found a station playing a song I had to sing along with, then rolled down my window. I leaned an elbow on the door and turned my face to the wind, letting the city and the sound roll over me. The rest of the ride was quiet.

Maybe he got the hint.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT

When we arrived back at the House, Ethan gave me the final hours of darkness off, then headed to the Ops Room to update Luc. I immediately headed to my room and into the shower to scrub off the residue of magic, then pulled on a T-shirt and yoga pants and made my way to the second-floor kitchen. The convocation had been draining - physically and emotionally. I finished off two pints of blood from the fridge's stash before I felt balanced again.

When I was satiated - and after I'd texted Mallory to let her know Ethan and I had come through the convocation unscathed - I decided to check in on Linds. It would have been just as easy to lock myself in my room with a book, but I was House social chair. No harm in making good on that promise. I could hear her room before I could see it, as noise spilled out into the hallway from Lindsey's open door. I peeked inside and found Margot, Lindsey, and Michelle preparing for what looked like a late evening on the town.

"Hey!" Lindsey said, waving from her spot in front of the mirror. "We were just about to come get you.

Since you managed to kick some ass at the convocation" - the room broke into applause - "we've decided we're sweeping you off to Temple Bar!"

"We want you to know we support you," Margot said with a nod and a grin, raising a glass of red wine.

"Especially since you've been very . . . um . . ."

"Ill-used?" Michelle offered.

Margot smiled slyly. "Thanks, 'Chelle. Ill-used."

"It's Cadogan-only night at Temple," Lindsey said, "which means no humans and no Navarre vamps in attendance. So we're gonna spend our final hours before dawn having a couple of drinks, unwinding, and generally having fun, no Masters allowed. And this isn't an optional trip," she added, when I opened my mouth to beg off.