“Lizzie.” It’s Devon talking to me now. “You fell asleep when we left Milan and we are now about to land at JFK. You need to get up and get buckled in.” So much for the gentle touch, but I know his brusqueness is to hide his concern.
“I’ve slept all this time?” I ask dumbly, struggling to sit up. Cole is sitting on one side of me and Devon on the other, both peering at me with matching worried faces. Cole nods.
“Are you okay?” he asks again.
“Yes, I think so. I was just so tired. I feel better now, though. Hungry, but better,” I say, coming to.
Devon offers his wrist to me, but I push him away. “Not that kind of hungry,” I murmur.
He looks at me mischievously.
I sigh and climb off the bed, picking up my dress on the way to the bathroom. “Not now,” I complain. I feel like death warmed up.
Closing the door, I look in the mirror. I am hideous. I’m paler than normal and very drawn. My hair is a right mess and my eyes are all sunken and glassy. It was nice of the boys not to mention my less-than-perfect appearance. I set to work to rectify it.
A few minutes later, Cole knocks, “Liv we really need you to come sit now.”
“I’m coming,” I snap and pull the dress back over my head, mindful of my hair.
Pulling the door open, he hands me my shoes and I put them on gratefully.
“Sure you’re okay?” he murmurs as he drops a quick kiss on my head.
“Yes. It’s been a long, energy absorbing few days. I guess it just wiped me out,” I reassure him.
“Hey, are we getting off for duty free?” Devon asks and I nod. I have to get off this plane.
“I’m telling you there is no fucking way I’m getting back on this thing next week,” I grouch. Cole looks immensely pleased at my comment until I add, “I’m just going to Astral into HQ and stay there. No one has to know I’m in Italy.”
He frowns and Devon asks, “Why are you going back next week?”
“Council work, and stuff,” I say vaguely.
“She has an arrangement with Constantine to go two days a week. Alone,” Cole says, to Devon’s surprise.
“Arrangement? And when were you going to tell me this?” he asks, hurt and then adds, “Hey, do I get two days alone too?”
“No! Fuck, no!” Cole yells in my ear. “Not a fucking chance, Liv. Do you hear me, not a fucking chance!”
I glare at him to quit yelling at me and he does, but not before he thumps his fist on the table spilling most of our drinks.
“You are not separating us into days of the week like pairs of underwear. It’s insane,” he points out, having calmed himself down. “Especially as the three of us all live together now anyway.”
“Dev, hunny. It isn’t how it sounds. I have to go to Milan for Council work and this Gregor and Eloise assassination plan. I will just have some sire time while I’m there. That’s all.”
“What about my sire time?” Devon pushes.
“Every day is sire time for you,” Cole comments.
“And you,” I say to him, to which he just shrugs.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
A bandoning them, as I need some ‘me’ time after recent events, I disappear as soon as Jenna lets me off the Gulfstream. I make my way into the airport and get myself lost on purpose. Knowing it’s pointless as Devon will be able to track me down, I just need some headspace. Ironic in a crowded airport, but it’s all good. Reaching a decision that something needs to be done about this, I resolve to talk to them on the way to LAX. If I decide to get back on the jet, I think stubbornly.
Meandering over to get a takeaway coffee, I stand in the line patiently, enjoying being on my own. Catching a whiff of AB Neg in the region behind me, makes me realize how hungry I am for blood now. Turning slightly, I’m caught off guard, as it is the same man I saw in the lobby of the hotel the day before in Milan. Turning completely around, I run my eyes up from his broad chest to his slate gray eyes and back down to his full-lipped mouth.
“You again,” he says in that serious monotone. “Should I be worried?”