Blood Hunt (Blue Blood Babies sequel!)

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-four

“Did you believe him?”  I spoke into the darkness.  I knew Connor wasn’t sleeping, though.  The air was too still, too quiet. 

“I don’t know,” he answered after a moment.  “Don’t know why he’d lie.”

“Because he doesn’t want us to know?”

“Maybe,” Connor mumbled.

I sighed, irritated by his obvious doubt.  As soon as Maggie’d asked about Cloud Nine, Ryan had clammed up tight.  He’d frog-marched the girls to their room, doused the lights on us and warned us that a tonne of bricks would be coming our way if we so much as left the room to pee in the middle of the night.

He hadn’t appreciated Connor’s smart remark about using the sink.

The dark had been soothing at first but, despite the fact I was so exhausted my limbs seemed glued to the bed, I couldn’t fall asleep.  I supposed it was just the adrenaline still pumping round my system.  It had been a crazy day. 

I blew out another heavy breath.

“For God’s sake, Alfie, go to sleep!”

I heard the springs protesting as Connor rolled over, then some muted thumps as he tried to pummel life back into his pillow.  He slumped down and I heard his breathing slow and deepen as he drifted towards oblivion.  I tried to do as he said, relaxing my aching muscles, counting down from a hundred in my head, forcing myself to take a breath between each number, going slower and slower... Somewhere in the middle I faded into dreams.

When my eyes snapped open it took a moment to remember where I was.  At first I was confused: why was I sleeping on Connor’s side of the room?  And the light filtering in from the window was at the wrong angle, on the wrong wall...

A millisecond later my brain caught up with my memory.  I sat up, getting my bearings again.  Then groaned.  Every single muscle had tightened up during the night.  I felt like I’d been run over by a bus.  My low grumblings earned me a laugh from across the room.

“Feeling it?” Connor asked.

I squinted over at him, my eyes still adjusting to the early morning brightness.

“Feeling everything,” I said.  He grinned and I frowned at him.  Since when was he so damned cheery in the morning?

“Think the girls are up yet?”

“Dunno,” I slurred.  I wasn’t even sure if I was yet.  “Can’t hear anything.”

“Mmm,” Connor mumbled.  Then, “I think Melissa really likes me.”  Another wide smile.

Oh.  So that was why he was in such a good mood.

“Does she?” I asked, trying, and failing, to sound interested. 

“Yeah.  We were getting on really well last night until you barged in.”

I eyed him balefully.

“Yeah, thanks for throwing me out like that.  And it wasn’t my fault Ryan came along.  You’re lucky he didn’t beat the crap out of you.”

“Like he could,” Connor scoffed.

I resisted telling him that Ryan could most definitely take him. I didn’t want to spoil his sudden cheeriness. 

“You like her, then?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Dunno.”  I looked over at Connor and his cheeks had gone slightly pink.  That was new. “Mebbe.”