Vampire in Geek's Clothing (Psy-Vamp Book 6) (13 page)

It was her second day in Isaiah’s home, and Phoenix was
surprised by how uneventful it had been so far. Isaiah had left Phoenix alone
in the room with the video games and the large television while he made phone
calls to try to track down Hayden. Phoenix was sitting in front of the
television, flipping through channels.

“How is your anxiety?”

Phoenix looked over at Justin. That wasn’t how people
usually greeted her. He’d just walked into the room with, what looked like, a
black carry-on bag over his shoulder and asked about her anxiety.

Her reaction must have shown on her face because Justin
chuckled. “Sorry. I’m not very good with social niceties,” he admitted.

“At least you don’t look as irritated as you did the last
time I saw you,” she remarked, turning off the television. “I get the
impression you don’t want me to be with your brother, not that I blame you.”

Justin cocked his head to the side and studied her for a
moment. “I’m actually glad my brother found you. He’s alone far too often, and
I’ve been worried about him since I found Caitlin.”

“Ah, so you’re one of those people,” she stated.

“Which people?” he asked.

“You’re the kind of person who wants everyone to be in a
relationship because you are,” she replied.

Justin seemed like he was going to deny it, but he looked
thoughtful for a moment before nodding. “Maybe not everyone, but I do want my
brother to find the kind of happiness I have. It’s hard since neither of us
have ever been very social people. Having to hide what we are from most people
makes it even harder for us to socialize.”

“I can understand that,” Phoenix said with a sigh. “I get
the feeling you didn’t track me down just to make small talk.”

He shook his head and set the bag down. “I honestly came to
talk to you about your anxiety. That wasn’t just an attempt to start up a
conversation.”

“Why?” she asked.

“I’m a doctor,” he explained.

“And you think you can help me with my problem,” she
finished for him.

“I can try,” was his response.

“Do you know much about hunters?” she asked him.

“A little,” he told her. “I know your bodies react
differently to medications, and human anti-anxiety medication wouldn’t do
anything for you. We have similar issues, and some of it has to do with how
quickly our bodies flush out medications and toxins.”

“So, you understand why I’ve never been able to take
anything.”

“I’ve had some success treating psychiatric issues in our
family,” he explained. “It began with just coming up with an anesthesia we
could use, and then I started working on other medications. I’d like to run
some tests and consult with my cousins, Ivy and Tempest. Ivy is a clinical
psychologist and Tempest is a doctor. If you’re okay with it, I can get Ivy out
here today or tomorrow. I’m hoping she can come with us to the club when we
meet the hunters, to help if you have any issues with your anxiety.”

“Your cousins?” she asked, before realizing what he meant.
“Oh! You mean cousins by marriage.”

“They’re related by blood,” Justin corrected her.

“That’s not possible.” While she wasn’t an expert on
vampires, she knew they only had male offspring, making it even harder for them
to continue their bloodlines since they also couldn’t get just any human female
pregnant.

“I would have agreed with you until recently. Our female
offspring aren’t the same as us, but they have some pretty amazing psychic
abilities. Ivy is an empath, like my wife. She can help you regulate things so
you don’t have a panic attack with the hunters around.” He paused before
adding, “Caitlin can help you if Ivy can’t make it, but she’ll be a complete
bitch the whole time because she hates getting too close to people.”

“You people are really strange,” she muttered.

“But we grow on you,” he added with just the hint of a
smile.

“That you do,” she admitted with a laugh.

“Why is that so funny?” he asked.

“I still remember the day I was supposed to start training
as a hunter,” she began. “My uncle kept telling me how it was okay to learn to
kill vampires because you’re all dangerous and could easily end up going on
killing sprees.”

“The irony of that statement is that there was a vampire in
the Seattle area who was known for going on killing sprees,” Justin pointed
out.

“Drew’s mom?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yep, she was a sick human being who never should
have become a vampire.”

“Then why did everyone just leave Drew with her?” she asked,
feeling angry on her friend’s behalf.

Justin sighed. “I could give you a bunch of excuses for why
we ignored that situation as long as we did. I could tell you all about how
they were far enough from us that we didn’t see what was happening with Drew,
or any number of other lines.”

“You all messed up,” she finished for him.

“Pretty much,” Justin agreed. “No one realized she was
taking Drew out with her until after he moved down here, and by then, he was so
messed up that we all just avoided him, for the most part. That’s not a good
excuse, because we should have noticed what was going on and dealt with his mom
sooner. We were hunting her down when Drew ended up having to kill her. That
shouldn’t have happened, and we all share the blame for it. As much as I hate
to admit it, I feel a lot of guilt over that some days.”

“You don’t like Drew, do you?” she asked.

“No,” Justin admitted. “I was the one to deliver him, the
first person to hold him, and I left him in that situation. So, I should feel
some bond with him, but he’s made that impossible for me.”

“It’s mostly because of me,” Isaiah interrupted, and it
wasn’t until he’d spoken that she noticed him standing in the doorway, watching
them.

“How long have you been here?” she asked.

“I just got here,” he replied.

“My brother is good at sneaking up on people,” Justin told
her.

Isaiah gave her a sheepish smile. “I wasn’t trying to sneak
up on you.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” she admitted, returning his smile.
“So, how is it your fault Justin hates Drew?”

“I didn’t say it was my fault, just that it has to do with
me,” was Isaiah’s cryptic response. “I promise to tell you another time, but
it’s not something I’m ready to talk about.”

“Fair enough,” she replied.

“Don’t you have a wife that needs you?” Isaiah asked Justin.

“I was hoping to get some blood samples from Phoenix first,”
Justin told him.

“Later,” Isaiah said, without taking his eyes off of her.
The intensity of his stare was making her hot and achy. She suddenly wanted
Justin out of the room just as much as Isaiah did.

“I’ll lock the door on my way out,” Justin told them,
grabbing his bag and heading out of the room.

The sound of the door shutting prompted Isaiah to close the
space between them. Dropping to his knees in front of her, he kept his hands at
his sides. “How are you doing, with everything that’s going on?”

“I’m handling things better than I would have expected,” she
replied. “By this point, I figured I’d be ready to lose it, but it seems vampires
are comforting to me. That’s probably proof I’ve lost my mind.”

“Can I get you anything?” he asked, still not touching her.
“Food. A bath. Chocolate. Wine. A massage. Anything you need, I’ll get it for
you.”

“I need you,” she breathed out, leaning forward to brush her
thumb across his lower lip. “I need you in me, making me feel alive, making me
think about something other than death and people hunting me.”

There was no way Isaiah could say no to Phoenix’s plea.
Leaning forward, he claimed her mouth in an urgent kiss, loving the way she fit
perfectly against his body as he guided her back onto the plush sofa.
Everything about Phoenix was perfection, and he couldn’t seem to get enough of
her. Each time, he was more desperate to have her than the last.

“I need you so much,” he breathed against her lips.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have time for all the things I want to do to you.”

“Why?” she asked in a breathy voice that made him even
harder, something he hadn’t been sure was possible.

“Roman is on his way back here,” he murmured, kissing her
neck, as his fingers slid under the edge of her shirt.

Phoenix stiffened, and Isaiah knew he was a complete idiot
for mentioning his uncle.

“I just killed the mood for you, didn’t I?” he asked with a
sheepish grin.

“That wasn’t one of your finest moments.” Her sweet smile
took his breath away. “Your uncle makes me a little nervous,” she admitted.

“Roman makes us all nervous,” he assured her and then sat
down on the sofa beside her.

“Why is he coming back here?” she asked, cuddling into his
side. “Has he decided I’m too much trouble?” While she was trying for a light
tone, Isaiah could tell she was worried that Roman really was planning to send
her away.

“Roman likes you.” Pulling her onto his lap, he wrapped her
in his arms. Phoenix let out a contented sigh and rested her head against his
chest. Isaiah stroked her hair and shifted slightly to reposition his dick,
which was getting way too excited with her on his lap.

“Am I hurting you?” she asked, looking up to meet his eyes.
He got the impression she knew exactly what his problem was.

Isaiah felt his cheeks heat.

Phoenix giggled and stroked his cheek. “You are so hot when
you get embarrassed like this,” she told him.

Isaiah let out a startled bark of laughter. “Then I guess
you’ll find me hot most of the time. I wasn’t thinking about my dick when I put
you on my lap. It wasn’t about me trying to seduce you, but my dick has a mind
of its own when you’re around.”

“Are you blaming me for your erection?” she was trying to
look stern, but he caught the teasing twinkle in her eyes.

“Well, I wouldn’t have this problem if you weren’t so
perfect,” he insisted, which earned him a snort from her.

“Perfect?” she asked. “I hardly think that’s a word anyone
is ever going to use to describe me.”

“You’re perfect for me,” he insisted. Tipping her face up so
he could kiss her, Isaiah’s lips moved against hers in a gentle kiss that was
simply meant to show her how much she mattered to him. Of course, it quickly
turned into a passionate joining of their mouths, followed by him practically
tearing at her clothes.

The knock on the door was not a welcome interruption.

“Go away!” Phoenix shouted.

“Sorry, but playtime’s over, kids.” Isaiah recognized his
cousin, Aiden’s lightly accented voice, and he groaned.

“I hate my family,” Isaiah grumbled loud enough for Aiden to
hear.

“See you in five minutes,” Aiden called through the door.
“If you aren’t there, I’m sure Roman will come looking for you next.”

“Can’t we have twenty minutes?” Phoenix asked Isaiah,
kissing his chin before resting her head against his chest.

“I wish,” he told her. “If Aiden came to get us, it means
Roman is here.”

“I haven’t met Aiden, have I?” she asked.

“No,” he assured her. “You’d remember him.”

“Are you going to tell me he says things even more shocking
than Drew?” she asked.

Isaiah chuckled. “Nobody says things more shocking than
Drew. Aiden is just hard to forget because he’s the only one in the family who
grew up in Ireland, so you can’t miss the accent. He also does a lot to look
different from the rest of us.”

“Like wearing glasses he doesn’t need?” she teased.
“Vampires have perfect vision, except for the photo sensitivity.”

“I don’t wear the glasses to look different from the
family,” he assured her.

“Then why do you wear them?” she asked as she climbed off
his lap, which was probably a good thing since he really needed to get his
erection under control.

“The ladies go for the glasses,” he told her, waggling his
eyebrows for effect.

Phoenix laughed. “They are pretty sexy, but I still say you
need a pocket protector.”

“Woman, stop mocking pocket protectors,” he warned as he got
to his feet. “I am telling you, they are highly under-appreciated and useful. I
might use one myself if I still wrote anything by hand.”

“Something tells me I’m going to come across a pocket
protector in your room,” she said as they walked toward the door.

Isaiah made a mental note to hide his pocket protectors.
While he didn’t use them anymore, he’d been reluctant to toss them since he never
knew when they might come in handy. Still, something told him Phoenix would
tease him because she really didn’t understand how useful they were.

“This house is a maze,” Phoenix complained as they made
their way to meet with Roman. She was so turned around, she almost wished she’d
dropped some breadcrumbs along the way.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“The main sitting room,” he replied, before adding, “We
usually meet there, so I assume that’s where everyone is.”

“Why do they call it the main sitting room?”

“It’s the one near the front of the house,” Isaiah
explained.

“How many sitting rooms does this place have?” she asked.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Before you start asking me why
it has so many, I have no idea.”

“This house is too big,” she muttered as they entered the
room full of vampires.

“I agree,” Roman told her. “My son is more hospitable than I
am.”

“You’re both anti-social,” Lydia stated.

Roman’s lips lifted ever so slightly as he regarded Lydia.
“I don’t recall you complaining about my social skills earlier.”

Lydia snorted. “I was commending you on your oral skills,
not your social skills.”

Isaiah groaned. “Please, try not to scare Phoenix away,
everyone. She’s likely to run as soon as she realizes how crazy you all are.”

Phoenix almost laughed. “Are you kidding? I have a family
member trying to kill me, and one killing to protect me. There is no way I can
start judging your family’s brand of crazy.”

Looking around the room, she recognized Lydia, Roman,
Justin, and Caitlin. There was also a petite blonde with warm brown eyes. When
her eyes landed on the biker with the long brown hair, neatly trimmed goatee,
and tattoos, she realized Isaiah had been right about her being able to easily
recognize Aiden.

“You must be Aiden,” she deduced.

Aiden grinned, clearly pleased that she’d recognized him.
“That I am,” he said with a nod. “And you’re the hunter Isaiah is smitten
with.”

“Smitten?” Justin scoffed. “Nobody says smitten.”

Aiden flipped him off.

“I’m Ivy,” the blonde introduced herself.

“The psychologist,” Phoenix added.

“Why do so many people say that like it’s synonymous with
eater of babies?” Ivy asked, scrunching up her pert nose.

“Sorry,” Phoenix told her. “Maybe I’m just a little
sensitive about it because everyone has spent so much time talking about my
anxiety today.”

“That must be very frustrating,” Ivy said and then giggled.
“Okay, now I do sound like I’m here to psychoanalyze you. I am available if you
need me, but today, I’m here to talk about the meeting with the hunters.”

“I’d like this matter handled tonight,” Roman insisted. “Ivy
and Willow can make it this evening.”

“We can’t do it tonight,” Caitlin argued.

Roman merely raised an eyebrow, which earned him a snort
from Lydia.

“It’s Tuesday,” Lydia pointed out.

“That is what my calendar says,” Roman replied dryly. When
Lydia let out an annoyed huff, he sighed. “Very well. Since we can’t go on
Tuesdays, for some unfathomable reason, we’ll plan for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is Wednesday,” Lydia stated.

This time, Roman laughed. “Believe it or not, I know
Wednesday comes after Tuesday.”

“The hunters aren’t likely to be at the club on a
Wednesday,” Lydia told him as if it were obvious.

“Thursday, they might be there because there’s a good
headliner,” Caitlin added.

Roman merely waited for more of an explanation.

“It’s still possible they won’t go until the weekend,” Lydia
insisted. “Friday is our best bet.”

Isaiah shook his head. “We shouldn’t wait until Friday.”

“We can’t make it Thursday or Friday,” Ivy said regretfully.

“They have hunting of their own to do Thursday and Friday,”
Aiden finished for her. “As much as I understand the urgency, I agree that
we’ll probably be wasting our time going before Thursday. If it weren’t for
Tempest and the babies, I’d say it couldn’t hurt to go multiple nights.”

Roman nodded. “We’ll wait until Thursday. Actually, I think
I’ll stay behind so this doesn’t seem like a power move.”

“Good idea,” Phoenix agreed. “Even with my tattoo masking my
abilities, I can sense your power, and it will seem like you’re trying to
intimidate them.”

“I’ll go with in case Phoenix needs any help dealing with
her anxiety,” Caitlin offered, sounding less than thrilled with the idea.

“Let’s hope this doesn’t end up being a huge mistake,”
Phoenix added nervously. She was still having serious doubts about the wisdom
of approaching the hunters.

“You don’t need to go with us,” Isaiah told her, with a
hopeful expression. It was clear he didn’t want her to go.

“This is about me,” she argued.

“I know, and I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m just
saying that you’re not alone. We’ll go without you if you’d rather stay
behind,” Isaiah assured her.

“Isaiah is right,” Roman agreed in a gentle voice. “It would
be safer for you to stay here while they talk to the hunters. We don’t want to
risk your safety.”

Phoenix wasn’t used to people standing up for her, let alone
people she barely knew. “Thank you. While I appreciate your offer, it’s time
for me to do something other than hide.”

“We’ll have your back,” Aiden assured her.

Isaiah laced his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand.
“You’re not alone anymore.”

For the first time in many years, she believed that was
true.