Page 83 of Dash

The woman’s laughter came to an abrupt halt when Dash stalked to the wall and switched on the lights.

“Oh, no!” she cried out as her crystalline gaze settled on me and her copper skin deepened with a flush. “I… um…” Belatedly, she let go of the velvet curtains she was using as a pretend cloak, pulled out the fake fangs from her mouth, and stuffed them in her pocket.

“Goddess!” She wrung her hands. “I’m so freaking sorry. I didn’t know you’d be with the boss. I’m clueless sometimes, but this is the most insensitive thing I’ve done today. I—”

“This is not funny, Mina,” Dash snapped. “Richard Astor was a flawed man, but he’s Thena’s father, and we owe her respect—”

A single giggle ambushed me. It bubbled up from the center of my chest, percolated up my throat, and escaped my tight lips. Another titter fluttered up, followed by more, and more, until I doubled over my stomach, laughing so hard that my belly heaved and my chest hurt from the throaty cackles bursting out of me.

“Thena?” The way Dash cocked an eyebrow at me had me laughing even more violently. He looked peeved and puzzled at the same time. I got that my righteous Dash was insulted on my behalf, but he looked so highbrow, so very… Astor?

The thought made me laugh even harder. I couldn’t stop. I stumbled to the nearest chair and plopped down. My mind replayed the scene in a closed loop. Father as a vampire, a global vampire, sucking up the earth’s resources and feeding on human labor. It wasn’t far off from reality, was it? And Mina’s pretty face scrunched up and distorted by the flashlight’s beam?

Hilarious.

“Thena, darling.” Dash’s knees cracked when he knelt next to me. “Are you okay?”

I couldn’t answer him. My entire body was committed to laughing. I hadn’t laughed like this in so long. In that moment, it struck me that I was happy to be alive, to have Dash with me, to be back in this godforsaken place, no matter how odd and creepy it was. Above all, I was thrilled to have recovered my ability to laugh… at myself.

Mina had done that.

I stared at her through a film of happy tears. Wearing a gypsy skirt with rainbow colors and a bunch of beaded bracelets, she’d broken through the darkness that had swooped down on me upon arrival. She’d cut down the Astor world to a palatable size I could manage. Like sunshine breaking through storm clouds, she’d scattered my bad memories and reminded me that, for three long years, I’d taken myself way too seriously. With one stroke, this stranger jumpstarted my process of making new memories at Astor House.

“Thena, say something,” Dash ordered, his way of coping with stress. “I’m worried.”

I pointed at Mina and managed between chortles. “That was so freaking funny.”

Dash frowned. “You think what Mina did was funny?”

“She’s a hoot.” I pressed my lips together and tried to get a hold of my laughter even as I took in the details of the gorgeous woman tentatively inching toward me.

Rocking her boho chick look, she wore more rings than she had fingers and dangling earrings that glittered as brightly as her striking eyes. For some reason, she reminded me of my sisters. She was a breath of fresh air in this stale house, and I liked her instantly.

“See, boss, she gets it.” Mina stood before Dash and me, wringing her hands, flashing a crooked smile that betrayed her anxiety. “Goddess, I—”

“Nope.” I finally gained some mastery over my giggle attack. “I might have to settle for the guys calling me ‘Goddess,’ but you? Youwillcall me Thena.”

“Okay, all right, I read you, Thena.” Her smile gained confidence and the words stumbled out of her mouth at a fast clip. “I swear, I didn’t mean to get your panties in a wad. I thought that, given your condition, you’d be in bed. But you’re strong, girl. You’re like Wonder Woman. You’ve got guts, lady, as inbang, zap, pow.” She threw three Jui Jitsu punches in the air.

I laughed again, visualizing the pages of a comic book starring me and her.

“The thing is,” she continued, “Omega here, he’s been so grouchy for so long. I mean, his face is frozen at grumpy and—”

“Mina…” Dash grumbled.

“Please let me finish before you fire me, boss.” Shifting on her fabulous boots, she returned her attention to me. “Omega, he’s so serious, so solemn, so stingy with his smiles.”

“You’re right.” I agreed wholeheartedly. “He’s been like that all his life.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Mina said. “He’s amazing and there’s nothing more endearing than a grouch trying to becharming, but I’m told by reliable sources he’s gotten much worse over the last few years. That’s a long time, don’t you think?”

I nodded and gave Dash a wistful glance. “A very long time.”

“So,” Mina continued. “If you’re gonna see the man shine, you gotta look beyond—”

“Your nose is way too deep into my business,” Dash spoke over her. “Zip it, Wizard.”

“No, please, Mina.” I rolled a hand in the air. “Keep going.”

---