“Hey! Snow is tricky. It’s hard to gauge between a little flurry and a blizzard.”
Aiden’s eyes widened. “You created a blizzard?”
“No!” Fox threw up both hands, stopping him. “Not a blizzard, but it is accumulating fast.”
“Doesn’t help that morning rush hour is kicking in. We need to move before Bel and Winter get any crankier,” River said.
Aiden nodded and followed the trio with Ronan behind him. It was best if they got out of there quickly. He didn’t want to worry about them driving in these worsening conditions. They trudged down the stairs, Fox and River running ahead to fetch the blankets they would throw over themselves as a final precaution against the sun. From the front window, Aiden could make out a dark, gray sky and a steady fall of large white flakes. The blankets were unnecessary, but he appreciated the precaution.
Once they were covered, he and Ronan ran from the building the ten feet to the back of the open van. The second they were inside, the doors were slammed shut. Aiden pulled off the blanket and looked around, stunned. When he’d heard Winter had acquired a van for moving during the day, this was not what he had pictured. It was…lavish.
A pair of padded bench seats ran along either wall. There was a small counter near the front and what looked to be a mini fridge. There were a pair of small black cabinets and ample warm lights tucked in various places to make it easy to see.
“What do you think?” Fox asked.
Aiden turned around to find that Fox and River had climbed in with them. There was the sound of a door opening and small shifting of the van as Wyatt likely climbed behind the wheel. Aiden sat on one of the benches, and Ronan dropped down across from him.
“It’s amazing,” Aiden said, sounding more than a little stunned.
The engine rumbled softly to life and Wyatt’s voice suddenly filled the room. “Ready to go back there?”
River crossed to a panel by one of the cabinets and pushed a button before speaking, “All ready. Be careful.”
Fox sat next to Ronan and smiled. “We call this the rescue van. It’s outfitted with a small fridge and stocked with blood. The cabinets have medical supplies and weapons. Oh, and the flat-screen monitor there has Wi-Fi access so we can look stuff up or get a feed from a video camera in the cab with Wyatt. We can see what he sees.”
“This is amazing, but I thought my sons had enough sense to know they shouldn’t be running around during the daylight hours.”
“So says the man who just got rescued by the rescue van,” Ronan teased.
Aiden tried to throw the vampire a dark look, but it failed miserably since he and Aiden were taking advantage of it. He relaxed against the seat and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I guess we’ll have to discuss it when I see them this evening.”
“Yeah, about that…” River said slowly. He chewed on his lip and made his way over to the bench seat to sit next to Fox. The witch was also blushing and refusing to make eye contact with Aiden.
“What’s going on?”
Ronan’s sudden laughter filled the van, rocking forward and then back. “This isn’t a rescue. It’s a kidnapping!”
“What?” Aiden gasped.
“Yeah, Aiden, we love you and we know that you’re king, but we’ve got to live with your sons,” Fox started.
“They said we had to bring you to Bel’s, or there’d be hell to pay.”
Yes, there was definitely going to be hell to pay when he finally came to face-to-face with his overprotective sons.
Chapter Ten
By the time the van pulled into the garage, Aiden had worked himself into a fine fury. Luckily, his traveling companions had wisely elected not to speak to him during the long drive to Bel’s house and had left him to stew. He caught Ronan watching him a few times, and he could nearly hear his old friend reminding him that his sons were acting out of love. Aiden appreciated their love and concern, but it was starting to chafe.
Inside the house, he found both Winter and Bel pacing the living room. Bel was wrapped in an evergreen robe, his wild hair standing in every direction. Winter was dressed in a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt, looking as if he’d just climbed out of bed.
Both opened their mouths to speak at once, but Aiden’s hand shot up, instantly silencing them.
“I’m assuming you’ve been in contact with your brothers. Call them now. Put them on speakerphone. We’re discussing your actions right now,” Aiden snapped.
“Our actions?” Winter gasped. “When you’re the one who’s running around during the day with him.” Winter’s hand shot out to point at Ronan, who’d walked in behind Aiden.
“Yes,” he hissed. “Call them now.” He then spun, turning his attention to Wyatt. “Would you please show Ronan to a room where he can clean up and possibly get some rest?”