Chapter 6
Chapter Six
LORI
The twins turned eleven today, and the worst possible gift arrived.
Seth Manning was the decision I regret most in my life.
Of course, we were both young, and he was my first love.
Married right out of high school, he started drinking before he was even of legal age, and things got worse.
When I found out I was pregnant, I cried.
I was stupid to bring a child into a house with an alcoholic.
I never had to worry about that. A week after I told Seth he was going to be a father, he was gone.
He only shows up when he needs something, usually money. Today, he waltzed in as if showing up for his daughters’ birthday was completely normal. Not only had he combed his hair and cleaned up, but he also brought some floozie with him.
Neither one of them can hide the base smell of booze and cigarettes that lingers in their skin.
The house and yard were already full of friends and neighbors, and I didn’t want to make a scene. Lucky for me, Max is here, and he’s keeping an eye on Seth and his girlfriend, Gerry.
They both immediately went for the beer and wine. Not that I expect anything else. The only time Seth gets sober is when his stupidity lands him in jail. I only know this because when that happens, I get the bail money call.
Of course, I tell him to go to hell, but he still tries to charm me.
I’ll never regret having my girls, but I wish I could have given them a decent human being as a father. My mistake has had long-term effects.
Checking the yard, I find Dotty and Livi happily playing on the swings with Willa’s daughter. They each jump and chase around the yard. They’re happy, smart kids, I remind myself as Gerry’s snorting laugh and harsh southern twang reach me.
“I see you have assembled most of the town for a special event.” Ion’s deep, soft voice is such a stark contrast to my jumbled insides that I startle.
I turn to face him. “You’re back?”
“As you see.” His smile warms places inside me that I should forget about. Or at least push aside where he’s concerned.
He doesn’t want me.
“When did you get home?” Small talk is awful, but I’m nervous. He always makes me feel out of sorts, though usually in the best possible way.
“Last night. I apologize for not offering my RSVP. Mari informed me of the party.” His upper arm brushes mine.
A shiver runs through me at the contact. Why must the one man I want be a millennial-old vampire who could never want a single mother of two? “I’m glad you could be here. The twins will be thrilled.”
As if on cue, Dotty and Olivia spot Ion and scream his name as they run toward the back patio.
He crouches to give each of them a hug and wishes them a happy birthday.
Seth pops the top on his fourth beer in forty minutes since he arrived. He looks Ion up and down. “So, are you the new guy?”
The girls look from Ion to their father, and worry crosses their sweet faces.
“Go play with your friends.” Ion ruffles each of their hair before he stands and raises one eyebrow. He stares a long moment at Seth. “I am Ion Radu, and you are?”
“I’m the guy who gave Lori my name.” He grabs Gerry around the waist and pulls her close. “Seth Manning, and this is my girl, Gerry.”
Gerry pushes her very large breasts out as far as they’ll go, which puts the buttons on her blouse in jeopardy of failure. She lifts a hand as if she expects it to be kissed. “A pleasure.”
Taking her hand, Ion shakes it gently. “How do you do?”
The false giggle that comes from Gerry twists my stomach. “Ain’t you all proper and formal?”
Ion’s gaze shifts back to Seth. “Your daughters are wonderful girls. I’m surprised not to have met you before now.”
“I’m a busy man.” Seth frowns. “I come by when I can. It doesn’t help that Lori up and moved them to a freak show of a town up here in the middle of nothing.” He says it loud enough that all my monster friends can hear him.
“Seth, that’s enough. If you don’t like my friends, you can go out the same way you came in.”
He downs the rest of his beer and grabs another. The quick move makes him stumble, and he has to right himself. Without losing a single drop, he drinks half of the new beer. “Don’t get all hoity-toity, Lori-Bell. You ain’t above me taking you across my knee.”
My face heats with both embarrassment and rage. “Don’t you touch me.”
“You can’t do nothing about it.” He grips my shoulder.
Gerry snorts another laugh.
Stepping forward, Ion puts himself between Seth and me.
“You are old enough to know that touching a woman who doesn’t want your attention will not be tolerated.
You might also note that several of Lori’s friends are police officers and will drag you out of here.
Now, we don’t want to ruin your daughters’ birthday party, so just step back and behave yourself. ”
With a frustrated huff, Seth’s eyes narrow. “I want to take the girls out for dinner tonight.” He looks at me.
“They have plans with friends.” As if I would let them get into a car with his drunken ass.
“I have rights. I’m their real father.” He drinks the rest of his beer and stumbles over for another. “All you freaks in one place.” He spreads his arms to encompass the backyard.
Max and Sam are standing, watching the kids play.
Mari and Tilda stand under a large umbrella I had set up for those who can’t take the sunlight.
Many of the residents who tried to help find Livi when she was kidnapped are here.
I’m mortified that my ex might make any of my friends feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.
Keeping my voice low, I hold the rage inside me at bay.
“You cannot come here once every three or four years, embarrass me in front of my friends, and threaten to take the girls away. No judge will ever give you any part of their custody, Seth. If you want to see them, you can do it sober or not at all.”
The angry fire that I remember well flares in Seth’s blue eyes.
Once upon a time, he was a handsome and charismatic young man.
Now he’s just a drunkard. “Who do you think you’re talking to?
Lori Bell, you have no right to say nothing to me.
You’re just a poor girl from Buffalo and the wrong side of the tracks at that. ” He raises his hand.
I flinch.
Ion’s strong fingers wrap around Seth’s wrists. His eyes flare similarly to the way they did when I saw him at the dance. “Might I have a word?”
He pulls the now-wincing Seth to the side of the house. They are still visible, but Ion’s voice is too soft to hear. It looks as if he’s whispering in Seth’s ear.
A minute later, Seth collects Gerry, and they leave without another word.
Ion nods at me before joining his granddaughters under the umbrella.
It’s after seven when Willa takes her family and my girls home for another sleepover. It was what Dotty and Olivia wanted for their birthday, and they skipped out the door, barely stopping to kiss me goodbye.
It’s rare for me to have a night to myself.
Twice now in ten days feels luxurious. Once everyone is gone, I shower, pull on a comfortable sundress, and leave my hair damp.
Flopping on the couch, I close my eyes. As soon as I do, the boogeyman and Seth merge as a threat to my babies, and I jump up.
The girls may be able to sleep, but I’m still struggling, and today’s events didn’t help.
A quick text to Willa lets me know everything is fine. Only my own fears haunt me now.
The doorbell rings, and I calm my heart before checking out the window.
My heart races at the sight of Ion’s broad shoulders and captivating eyes.
His expression is unreadable, but his gaze captures me as it always does.
I open the door. “Hello. Did you forget something?”
“No. I think I owe you an apology. I used my vampire gifts to remove the twins’ father. Perhaps that was not entirely ethical.” He searches my face for whatever he’s hoping to find.
“Come inside, Ion.”
When he does, I can’t help crowding him. His scent is an intoxicating mix of earth and spice. “I can’t imagine you’ve done anything wrong. What did you tell Seth?”
Making no attempt to get away from me, he looks into my eyes.
“I nicked his skin so my elixir would allow a thrall. I told him he was never to be intoxicated in his daughters’ presence again, and he would never raise his hand to you or any woman ever again.
It was extremely high-handed, and I shouldn’t have done it. ”
It doesn’t sound very egregious to me. Still, I’m too curious to let him off the hook right away.
I have to crane my neck to meet his gaze.
“Why did you do it?” My pulse feels as if it might pound out of my skin, and my flesh tingles as he runs cool, callused fingers along my jaw.
The soft touch heats me far more than any warm-blooded man ever has.
“A father should be counted on. He should protect his children and his mate.”
“You could have just told him never to come back, and he would have obeyed.” I press my palm to the center of his chest.
His muscles tighten under my touch. “I suppose even I have hope that the twins might one day have a relationship with their father. If I’d given him no way to see them ever again, would that have been fair to them?” His thumb grazes my bottom lip.
“He’ll never sober up. If your thrall is effective, we’re likely to never see him again.” I suppose I should be sorry about that, but my babies are much better off without Seth Manning.
He nods. “There is always a chance for hope with humans. They can be surprising. May I ask you why you kept his name?”
“Because it was the girls’ name. Sometimes, I wish I’d gone back to my maiden name before they were born. I was young, pregnant, and alone. What they put on the papers didn’t even hit my top ten problems.”
His smile is soft and warm and feels as if it’s just for me. “Of course.”
“Ion, I’m extremely attracted to you. If you’re only toying with me…
” I have no idea what the end of that sentence is.
It should be that he should leave now, but I don’t have the courage to send him away.
If all he offered was one night or this intimate touch, I would take it.
I’m not proud of that, but it’s true. He will have to be my moral compass.
“I noticed that John was not at the party today. Have you decided against his attentions?” He traces his fingers along the side of my neck and takes a deep breath as if he smells my blood. Closing his eyes, his expression grows tight. When his eyes open, the hazel green is brighter, more intense.
“John and I are not dating. It was only a dance.” I need to catch my breath, but everywhere he touches me is on fire despite the coolness of his fingers. “Were you jealous?”
He threads his fingers through the hair at the back of my head and runs his nose from my ear to where my pulse throbs. “For the first time in my immortal life, Lori, I was inundated with rage at the idea of another man touching you.”
“Because you want to taste my blood?” My voice hitches, not sure what I want, but knowing I can deny him nothing.
He growls low and long, like a purr against the tender flesh below my ear. “I want to taste all of you.”