Page 113 of Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck
I shook my head. “Thanks, but no.”
“Suit yerself, lass,” he said, heading off with Dave.
Drest eased me away from Nile’s body more as it burned away to nothing.
I twisted toward Drest fully.
He looked down at me. “I love you.”
I teared up again. “I love you too.”
“Let’s go check on our daughter,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose.
That sounded like a perfect idea.
ChapterThirty-Seven
Rachael
“Is everyone okay?”asked Demi as Astria and I helped her into a red tank top that had a built-in bra. She was bruised and sore, but she was alive.
“Everyone we’d want to beokayis okay,” I said. “The bad guys aren’t so okay.”
“Cool,” she said, grimacing slightly as she lifted her long hair from the back of the tank top. The yoga pants she had on were loose and a light gray. They were something she’d be able to rest in that wasn’t too restricting.
Astria had helped me get Demi into a bath filled with herbs Marcy had left with Robin. Astria had sat in an oversize comfy white chair that was off to the left in the enormous bathroom while I’d assisted my daughter with cleaning up.
Robin had insisted on having the house remodeled often, despite spending very little time there himself. He’d been on a big kick over the last five years, which started the same time I talked Demi into finally going to get her degree. Robin had forced her to sit down and look through design magazines with him, putting tabs on things that appealed to her.
When she’d given the magazines back to him, un-tabbed, he’d been confused, coming to me for guidance. It was then I had to point out the fact my daughter wasn’t raised in the lap of luxury. She’d watched me struggle financially the whole of her life. To her, and most people, remodeling a perfectly good mansion was a waste of money.
The confusion on Robin’s face couldn’t be faked. Hearing what I had from Marcy about him being a prince, so very much made sense about him. He’d seemed almost hurt that she didn’t want to accept his gift. I’d had to pull her aside and force her to pick things she liked. Robin had incorporated each and every single thing she’d selected into her room and her bathroom.
Everything in the area had a Bohemian vibe to it, all of which screamed Demi.
Demi reached out to Astria, taking her hand in hers. She’d been doing that a lot since I’d come into the house to find them.
“I’m not going anywhere, I promise,” said Astria, falling right back into the role of “big sister.”
Demi nodded and teared up as she looked at me. “I’m sorry, Mom. I tried to fight back against them. But they lured Archie out of the house and then they swarmed him. There were so many things attacking him that I panicked. I called the contact Robin made me swear to phone if anything major happened and then I ran outside too.”
I strongly suspected the contact was Bram Van Helsing.
“Then, I got outside, and that big bald dude was there, laughing, telling me how much I look like you but stunk like my father,” said Demi. “Mom, I know you told us about your uncle when we were younger. Frankly, I think you undersold how much of an evil mastermind he is. Way undersold it.”
I wanted to scream to let out my frustration and anger that Nile had gotten near my daughter at all, let alone caused her pain. I held it in and forced a partial smile to my face. “We Frankensteins really like to go hard or go home.”
She laughed, but it died out fast as she teared up. “I’m sorry. I should have stayed inside. Archie told me to. I hate being the weak link.”
“Don’t apologize,” I said. “You didn’t do anything wrong. And you’re not a weak link. It’s okay to have a tender heart and not like violence.”
Astria nodded. “She’s right. Hardening yourself to everything sucks. Trust me. I know. No one is blaming you.”
Demi glanced at the floor. “Robin was upset. He said I should have stayed inside. That the house is warded from things like Nile and bad Fae. I was so worried about Archie. I get he’s in his heyday when he’s killing things, but it was a crap ton of things to kill and just one Archie.”
Astria met my gaze. “That Robin guy yelled at her. I didn’t mean to do it. I’m sorry.”
“You yelled at her too?” I asked, shocked. They’d always gotten along so well.
