Page 987 of One More Kiss

Drexel

Hand in hand,Mags and I sit in the small booth. Her gaze drifts to the door for the tenth time since we arrived five minutes ago. “He’ll be here,” I assure her, squeezing her hand gently.

She leans into me, body fitting perfectly against my side.

It’s near impossible to not think about last night, about the way she’d felt beneath me. My blood hammers in response to the memory, but I beat the lust back down. Today is not about us. It’s about her getting the closure she needs to move forward.

One phone call to Walker proved what Henry told us as well as giving us information on the man himself. Apparently, he’s married, has two grown kids, and has been living in Virginia for the better part of twenty years.

What we don’t know, though, is why he and Mags’s mother had a falling out all those years ago.

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”

“Because you’re about to meet your uncle for the first time. Not counting yesterday.”

She smiles, and it brightens my world. “It seems so surreal. I always thought I was alone.”

“You’ve never been alone,” I tell her.

Mags lifts her face to mine, and I lean down to press my lips to hers. “I know,” she whispers.

A bell over the door dings, and we both look up as Henry walks in. He looks nervous as he removes his hat and slides into the booth across from us. “Thank you for meeting me. I have to be honest, I didn’t expect your call.”

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to call,” she replies.

“I’m glad you did. You look so grown up. So different than the last time I saw you.”

“Which was when?” she asks.

“You were two. It was your birthday.” He smiles at the memory, the lines near his eyes crinkling.

“Why did you and my mother stop speaking?” Mags questions, getting right to the meat of it. I focus intently on Henry, watching his eyes so I can get an idea as to whether he’s speaking the truth or simply telling her what she wants to hear.

“I wasn’t born with the same attributes your mother was,” he says quietly. “It seemed to skip me. No one knew why—it just was. And while it bothered me as a child, when I came to be an adult, I appreciated the fact that I didn’t have to hide who I was.” He clears his throat. “When your mother met your father, I begged her not to marry him. He was high up in your community, and I worried it would put a target on him. We’d heard so many stories over the years,” he adds sadly.

All true so far.

“As you know, she married him anyway, and I swallowed my pride. But on your second birthday, the house was attacked. Vampires broke in and tried to kill you. I grabbed you and ran outside as your father fended them off, but we nearly lost you.” His eyes fill with tears. “After that, I told her what a mistake it was, that they needed to go into hiding, but neither would hear it. They had positions to hold, people counting on them, and she told me if I didn’t approve, I could leave and never come back.”

“So you did,” Mags finishes.

He nods sadly. “I did. And when I found out what happened, I was so angry.” Tears flow freely now, slipping down his cheeks. “I know what I did was wrong, running away like that, I put my pride and my own fear above everything else that mattered to me.”

Mags stiffens. “I know quite a bit about running,” she says, casting a side glance at me.

“I’m not looking for forgiveness,” he says. “Or for a relationship if that’s not what you want. But I needed to see you, to know that you were okay, and to give you the things your mother wanted you to have. She and your father loved you so much.”

“I know they did,” she replies. “And I won’t say I forgive you because there’s nothing to forgive. Had you been around, it still wouldn’t have changed what happened to them. They died because someone wanted to obtain the—attributes—I have.” She casts a nervous glance around the diner then settles back. “They died because of what I am, not because of what you did.’

He swallows hard. “They were the bravest people I’ve ever known. Until now.” With a smile, he reaches across the table and gently touches her hand.

Mags stiffens for a moment, staring down at the contact, but then she smiles through her tears. “I’m glad you showed up.”

“I am, too.”

* * *

After sayingour goodbyes to Henry and promising to visit soon, we’re back at the bunker. Mags’s head in my lap, I toy with the strands of her pink hair as I read the book in my hand. She has her own, a tome on magic that looks older than even Rainey’s ex-vampire husband, Elijah.

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