Incident 9 All You Need is a Bedsheet
Ross was not claiming this year as his. Frankly, he’d tried that last year, and it had rather bitten him on the ass.
Granted, he now had a very nice paying job and a fantastic boyfriend, but still.
Minor (and major) heart attacks on a weekly basis.
Being trapped in a burning gas station. Coming out to his mother.
Twice. Being kidnapped by a lunatic high wizard.
Acquiring a henchman. And—worst of all—meeting Glenn’s mother.
Yeah, no. He was going to ease into this year quietly and try not to touch anything. Maybe it would be nicer to him.
School had started up almost two weeks ago, and he’d gotten back into the swing of things readily enough.
Homework hadn’t gotten crazy yet, at least. His schedule was such that he took one morning class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, then on Tuesday and Thursday he had three classes back-to-back, ending after noon.
That way he was still awake and could manage clan responsibilities.
It did mean going to sleep at midnight, which cut into his time with Glenn.
But there was no other way to work it and him still have enough hours during daylight to manage everything.
As Ross drove back to his house, he contemplated this. Would it be safe to maybe take Glenn out of town on a little romantic getaway? Just for three days or so? Or would that be tempting fate?
His lips pursed in thought as he debated how much Murphy he was calling on just thinking about it.
With his mother coming over regularly to the clan—suspiciously regularly, like she was up to something—and school demanding his time, he just wasn’t getting enough one-on-one time with Glenn.
He’d been spoiled by having all hours a day with his lover.
He liked being spoiled, dammit.
Getaway. Definitely. Ross demanded uninterrupted snuggle time.
Ross was almost back to his house when he got a call. He hit accept on his phone, reveling a little in his brand-new Highlander’s Bluetooth abilities. New car niiiiice. Sparkly. Has tech toys. “Hey, Dunham.”
“Ross, got a wee bit of trouble brewin’ over here.”
And the day had been going so well, too. Even as Ross lamented, he sighed. “Lay it on me. What’s happening?”
“The vampire clan from the east side be stirrin’ up trouble. Two of ’em be insistin’ on bustin’ into the museum.”
Ross felt his eyes cross briefly. “Why the hell are they wanting to bust into a museum?”
“They willna answer the question at all, at all. But they’re poised right now on the street, ready to fight to get in.”
“Uh, okay I’m still not entirely following how this is our problem?”
“It be the new museum on 5th and Maple.”
Well, shit. Ross had to wonder, was it too much to ask for an alien abduction? “In other words, they’re smack in the middle of our clan’s territory.”
“Aye.”
“Right. Tell me you’re out of line of sight.”
“Fortunately. No one at all, at all be workin’ today. And we’re in the back parkin’ lot. No one can readily see us from here.”
Thank ever loving fuck for small miracles. “How did you find out about this?”
“It be Keane, in fact, that spotted ’em. We were out on a grocery run and saw these two n’er-do-wells pokin’ about the building. Keane’s got a barrier up around the buildin’ now, by the by. They tried to rush past us earlier.”
“I’m very glad to hear about the barrier. I’m on my way. Do not start a territorial war before I can get there.”
“We’ll do our best, lad.”
That’d be a first. Ross hung up and immediately called Glenn, because this was well above his paygrade. Territorial disputes were his boss’s problem.
That, and they’d had a boundaries talk when they first started dating.
Glenn-the-boss absolutely did not want Ross handling territorial disputes.
There was too much history Ross wasn’t read into, and most of the clan leaders wouldn’t respect a human anyway.
Glenn-the-lover adamantly didn’t want his fragile boyfriend in harm’s way.
Ross was not to engage when the power hitters started butting heads.
Which, fair. Ross had no intention of doing that anyway. He wasn’t an idiot.
The phone rang three times before a groggy voice muttered something into it.
“Hey, babe,” Ross said sympathetically. “I know it’s still light out and you’re sluggish, but I need you to wakey wakey and put on pants.”
Glenn woke up a bit more. Maybe two percent. His tongue was functional, at least. “But then I have to do things.”
He’d cracked the code. “Unfortunately.”
“Somethin’ wrong?”
“Yeah. We got two vamps trying to break into a new museum on 5th and Maple. Dunham’s there and trying to stop them.”
It took a few seconds for that to process. Long enough for Ross to turn onto the clan’s main street and up the long drive.
Then Glenn swore, long and creatively. Mostly in Gaelic. “I’ll be dressed and out in two minutes. Where are you?”
“I’m literally thirty seconds from the house. I’ll drive you in, okay?”
“Grab the Aston’s keys.”
Oooh, he got to drive the fancy-spancy sports car. Ross didn’t get a chance to do it all that often. Ross assumed Glenn wanted the Aston because everyone recognized it as the clan leader’s vehicle. Hopefully, it would stop a fight before one could really get going.
He pulled into the driveway, then ran across the street and into Glenn’s house long enough to snag the keys hanging on a rack near the door.
He had the Aston out of the garage and the engine running when Glenn slid into the passenger seat, for once not looking absolutely pristine.
He looked bleary around the edges and upset about it, wearing jeans and a pullover sweater, his hair pulled back in a high ponytail.
Was there a term like hangry, but in conjunction with sleep? Ross would have to look this up.
As Ross put the car into reverse, Glenn leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for being smart enough to call me.”
“Hey, I agreed with the rules we set down. And I don’t want to deal with upset vampires who aren’t clan. That’s a really good way to have a bad day.”
“Who all is on scene?”
“Dunham that I know of. He didn’t tell me who else.” Which, in hindsight, was a miss on Ross’s part.
Glenn gave a grunt and pulled his phone out of a pocket, calling Dunham. “Dunham. I’m on my way. Report.”
Ross could hear the answer clearly enough even without it being on speaker.
“It’s no good tryin’ to speak to this lot, Glenn. They be stuck on the notion of gettin’ inside, and no’ a thing I say deters ’em. They willna tell us why, either.”
“Which two is it?”
“I do no’ know their names. Only that they be from the vampire clan. They willna answer that, either.”
“Who all is with you?”
“Willa, Keane, Chloe, and meself.”
Okay, that was marginally better than Ross feared.
They had a group of logical people there, and Keane could magically shut people down if he had to.
It was especially nice to have Willa there.
As a kobold, she could throw some serious magical mojo around, and not even vampires could beat her in strength, despite her diminutive size.
If Ross had to put together a short list of people to respond to clan territory shenanigans, these four would feature on it.
“How ready are they to start a fight?”
There was a leer in Dunham’s voice, a bit of a challenge mixed in. “Oh, no’ very. They’re in their car now, hoping we’ll go away.”
“Good. Try not to antagonize them.” Glenn hung up, blew out a gusty breath that sounded part growl, then searched through his contacts. “At least nothing’s blown up yet.”
“There’s that,” Ross agreed.
Glenn put the phone to his ear again. “Jarek. I don’t have time for pleasantries. Do you mind telling me why two of your clan members are currently on my territory and trying to break into a museum?”
Well now. There was a way to start a conversation. Glenn usually had more diplomacy than this. He really was not a happy camper when yanked out of a sound sleep. Grumpy didn’t begin to cover it.
Ross might need to sex him up later before tucking him back into bed. Just to, you know, get him in a better mood for sleep.
Jarek didn’t answer immediately. When he did, his voice sounded like it was being shoved through a cheese grater. “Why, indeed. They’re not there on my orders.”
“I had a feeling that was the case. But it’s broad daylight, and they’re trying to smash windows. On a building with multiple security cameras.”
Ouch. Oh yeah, the museum would have security on it.
That would make it so much worse because of course they’d move at vampire speed.
All caught on camera. No wonder Glenn was that hot under the collar about this.
Territory dispute was one thing, but revealing supernats in the town? Whole other ballgame.
Jarek didn’t swear, but his tone made it clear he really, really wanted to. “What’s the address? I’ll meet you there.”
“The corner of 5th and Maple.” Glenn abruptly hung up, then groaned and slumped back in the seat. “It’s one of those days I hate people.”
“I totally understand.” Ross really did. He had multiple days like that in a week. “Sorry, babe. I think I called on Murphy.”
“Why do you say that?” Glenn’s head flopped on the seat rest to look at him.
“I was thinking on the way home about planning a little romantic getaway for us. Just a three-day weekend.”
“Ah. That would tempt fate.” Glenn’s voice turned wistful. “That does sound nice, though.”
“Doesn’t it?” Ross was still hopeful they could manage this. His boyfriend seemed game.
“I’ve never done that, you know.”
Ross blinked. Then blinked again. “Really? Not once?”
“No. I know it sounds strange, but it wasn’t something I did with anyone.”