Page 75 of Bad Luck Vampire

Sighing, Sophie retrieved her hands and stepped back to stare at him with an expression he couldn’t quite unravel. He wasn’t sure what she was feeling, mostly she appeared conflicted. Finally, she admitted, “I’m not sure how I feel about this at all.”

“Well, lass,” Connor said, standing up. “What ye’ve got here is a life mate, if ye want it. A man who’ll ne’er cheat on ye, because life mate sex simply can’y be beaten. Who’ll treat ye like gold and ne’er hurt ye, because he kens how lucky he is to ha’e ye and’ll no’ want to return to the misery and loneliness the rest o’ us unmated immortals experience e’ery day. Who’ll ne’er leave ye, because there is no’ likely to be another one out there for him. And who’ll no’ be easy to kill.”

Walking toward the door, he added, “Speakin’ o’ that, ye can think on yer feelin’s all ye like later. Right now we need to discuss who’s tryin’ to kill the people ye love, so we can stop it from happenin’ again.”

Pausing at the door, Connor swung back and added solemnly, “Aside from the fact they’ve already killed yer parents as well as several people who mean a lot to ye and should be brought to justice fer it, if ye do decide no’ to accept becomin’ Alasdair’s life mate, presumably ye’ll eventually come to care fer another man whose life would be in jeopardy jest by virtue o’ lovin’ ye. Or mayhap it’ll be another female friend, like Beverly, who’ll be killed. Either way, we need to solve this.” He raised his eyebrows. “Will ye come out to the kitchen and help us narrow down the suspects?”

Alasdair glanced back to Sophie in time to see her sigh and nod unhappily. She then slipped around him to head for the door. He followed, worrying about what she would decide. The fact was that he already loved her and could admit it. He was sure of his feelings, partially because she was his life mate so he trusted that they would suit, but also because of what he’d experienced with her so far. He loved her strength and adaptability. She’d been through so much, yet had pushed through it. Even so, he knew the hard shell she presented was to protect a soft center. But she also had a wicked sense of humor. He’d smiled so much the last two days that were he not immortal, he knew his facial muscles would ache from it. Aside from that, though, what his uncle had said was true. Life mates were rare treasures. If Sophie refused him, he wasn’t likely to find another for some time. If at all. He needed to convince her to be his mate. But it would have to wait until they’d sorted the issue of her stalker.

Twenty-Five

“No one but the Tomlinsons?” Alasdair asked with a frown. “Are you sure?”

Sophie grimaced at his expression. He looked as concerned as she felt at having to admit that the only people who had been in her life from the time of her parents’ death were the Tomlinsons. But then, one of the things they’d talked about during their dates was her connection to the Tomlinsons and how they were her only family. He would know how hard it would be for her if it was one of them.

“They are the only people I know of who have been in my life that long,” she said solemnly, but then added, perhaps a little too eagerly, “Maybe someone’s been stalking me that I don’t know of, though.”

The men all grunted over that possibility and then Connor said, “Well, it’s easy enough to find out. Someone just has to go read them. See if it’s one of them.”

“It would have to be the father if it’s one of the Tomlinsons,” Tybo said.

“Why?” Sophie asked him with surprise. Papa was one of the mellowest men she’d ever met. He was kind and sweet and as concerned for her as her father ever had been. She couldn’t picture him committing any of the murders.

“Well, the kids were too young,” Tybo pointed out. “And it’s more likely to be a man than a woman. So, he’s more likely than his wife.”

Inan rolled his eyes at that explanation, and asked, “And what possible motivation could he have?”

“Maybe he secretly hated Sophie’s father. Or was jealous of him,” Tybo suggested, and then countered, “What possible motivation could any of the Tomlinsons have?”

“Bobby thinks he’ll get to marry Sophie if they both reach forty unwed,” Alasdair said suddenly, and Sophie glanced at him with interest. He’d actually sounded a bit jealous when he said that. That surprised her almost as much as the fact that he actually remembered her mentioning that. She’d certainly forgotten she’d told it to him in all the rush and excitement of the last two days.

“Lass?” Connor asked. “Could Bobby secretly love ye and want ye fer himself?”

“No,” she said with certainty. Bobby was just too much a big brother to her. The very idea of being intimate with him was icky, and she was sure he felt the same way.

Connor nodded. “Then could yer Mr. Tomlinson have hated yer father?”

Sophie shook her head at once. “Mr. and Mrs. Tomlinson were great friends with my parents. They often went out together to dinner and stuff, leaving Bobby to watch Megan and me. And they were terribly upset about our moving,” she added firmly. “Which is another thing. Even if there had been some secret beef or something I didn’t know about, why kill them when we were moving soon and would be away from them without the risk of a murder sentence?”

“Moving?” Inan asked with interest.

Sophie nodded. “Dad had got promoted. We were supposed to move to British Columbia in June after school ended. It’s where the head office of his company was,” she explained. “Mom had already managed to get a new position out there in a private school for the following fall. They were always talking about how the Tomlinsons would come out to visit, and we’d show them the area. We were supposed to come back to visit as well.”

“But ye didn’y really believe ye would,” Inan murmured, his gaze concentrated on her forehead.

Reading her mind, she realized, now understanding that’s what they’d been doing all those times they’d stared at her forehead so hard. Now that she thought about it, Alasdair was the only one who didn’t do that. Perhaps he really couldn’t read her.

“What are ye thinkin’, Inan?” Odart asked in a low growl. It made everyone look at his twin with interest.

Sophie did as well and noted the contemplative look on Inan’s face. He definitely seemed to be thinking hard about something.

“I’m thinkin’ wee Megan may ha’e no’ believed it either, and may ha’e been desperate to keep her best friend with her.”

Sophie shook her head in rejection. “Well, killing my parents wouldn’t have done that. It landed me in a group home.”

“But she may no’ ha’e thought that would happen,” Inan pointed out. “In her child’s mind, she may ha’e thought her parents would take ye in, adopt ye, and ye’d be real sisters.”

Sophie gave a start at that comment. He’d obviously read from her mind that she and Megan had always called each other sister, even before the Tomlinsons had fostered her. Still, she shook her head. “She was a child. We were both only eleven years old.”

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