Scorched Ice (Fire and Ice #3)(52)

“When is he not?” Julian retorted.

Chris ran a hand down the front of his shirt as he grinned at them. “Yet I maintain my stunning physique.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “Easy there with the ego. I think you’ve been hanging out with Julian for too long.”

“Agreed,” Devon said.

“Maybe, but facing hundreds of vamps and then trying to figure out if they’re psychos or not is draining.” Chris pulled out a chicken leg. He bit into it as he pawed through the bag and set the rest of his food on the table.

Melissa and the others climbed into the RV behind him. The odd step Melissa took to avoid touching Chris had Julian’s eyebrows in his hairline. Cassie gave a subtle shake of her head when she caught the move.

When everyone settled in to eat, Cassie and Devon told them of their plan to return to Canada.

“Do you want me to go back with you?” Dani inquired of them.

“That’s up to you,” Devon said.

Her eyes darted over everyone. They briefly settled on Julian before returning to Cassie and Devon. “I’d like to see this through to the end,” she replied, “but if you feel the children could be in danger—”

“I don’t think they are, but we’re not willing to take the chance right now either,” Devon replied. “We’ll be fine if you stay.”

“Then I’m staying,” she said and took a bite of her chicken sandwich.

“We’ll be glad to have you,” Julian told her and actually meant it.

Dani gave him a wavering smile as a blush crept into her cheeks.

“We’ll hit the road then. We should be able to make it home before sunrise,” Cassie said.

Devon slid out of the booth, and Cassie moved to stand beside him. The two of them said their good-byes to everyone else before Julian rose and helped Quinn out of the booth. He kept hold of her hand as they followed Devon and Cassie into the crisp night air and over to Devon’s car.

Julian glanced over the dozen or so cars, with their heavily tinted windows, parked outside the restaurant and motel. He’d never been around so many vampires before when he hadn’t been trying to kill them. Even after he and Devon had made it to Elder status, they’d shunned the Elders and carved their own path through the world, which was something that had driven the other Elders nuts.

Living in the RV and working with everyone was the most he’d interacted with anyone in years. Now, he was going to be bunking in the parking lot of a motel full of vampires. He refused to have a room there. The vamps may say they were all willing to work with them, they may have passed him and Chris touching them, but he hadn’t survived centuries by lowering his guard or being trusting. They were better off where they could watch the motel and the others from the RV.

“Are you sure you’re going to be able to handle this?” Devon inquired of him.

“Yes.”

“There’s a lot of vamps here. Your feelings for them have always been the same as your feelings for humans,” Devon said.

“Which was?” Quinn inquired.

“Disposable playthings,” Julian answered.

“Cute.”

He pulled her a step closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. “My thoughts on them have changed.”

“Being around so many though,” Devon murmured as his gaze scanned the motel.

“The things we’ll do for those we love,” Julian said, drawing Devon’s attention back to him.

Devon stared at Quinn before hugging Cassie to him. “You’re right.”

“So does Melissa ever plan to tell Chris she has feelings for him or is she going to continue to go out of her way to avoid touching him?” Julian asked Cassie.

“What?” Devon inquired at the same time Quinn blurted, “Melissa has feelings for Chris?”

Cassie grinned and shrugged. “I have no idea if she plans to tell him. I keep telling her to say something to him, but she thinks it will ruin their friendship.”

“Since when has this been going on?” Devon demanded.

Cassie’s lips pursed thoughtfully. “For a while now, I think, but she’s been fighting it. I’m not sure if she knows exactly when it started. I’m sure living in the RV with him helped to speed things up.”

“I’ve lived in that RV with him. It must be love if she can still stand to be around him,” Julian said.

“Did she like him when she was dating Zach?” Quinn asked.

“I think Zach was a way to distract herself from Chris,” Cassie replied. “It didn’t work.”

“No, it didn’t. It was something I should have picked up on sooner, but I haven’t had my ability on around them in a long time, and I was distracted by other things,” he said with a pointed glance at Quinn. “It’s entertaining to watch her trying to avoid him in that tiny space, but Chris is completely oblivious. Unless she tells him, he’s not going to know anything.”

“Which is another thing. Melissa is convinced he only looks at her as a friend,” Cassie said.

“If she slaps him upside the head, I think she’ll like the outcome. He may be unaware of her feelings, but he loves her. I think, for him, it won’t be a big step from friendship to relationship when it comes to her.”