“I’m not giddy. That’s a hell of a thing to call your bro. Giddy. Who even uses that word? What are you? Like a hundred years old?”

“Deflection. Avoiding the object of the conversation. What’s her name at least?”

“So suspicious all the time. Not good for you, D. Not good at all. Her name is Lilly.”

“And when’s the first date?”

“Ended an hour ago, give or take.”

“First date already? That’s a record, even for you, buddy. Okay, when’s the next date?”

“Tomorrow,” Mack said, now looking a little guilty. “Not really dates but study sessions. I’m helping her with accounting.”

“Is she a business major then?” Declan asked.

“Ah… not sure.”

“Really, didn’t ask? She must be hot as hell if you didn’t even think to ask that.”

“She is,” Mack said, frowning at his own lapse in basic Mack Sutton dating procedure. “She probably gets hit on more before breakfast than most girls do all month. Gotta go slow and careful here, bud. Don’t want to scare her away.”

“Wow Mack, this girl’s got you all twisted up. Can’t wait to meet her,” Declan said, taking a few more bites.

“Oh she wants to meet you too,” Mack said casually.

“You only just met her. How does she even know about me?”

“She has a messenger bag just like your old one and I told her it needed to be updated like the one we got you. So really she just wants to meet your book bag.”

“She sounds pretty enlightened.”

Mack frowned at his plate. “I’m not sure, but I think she might be a bit of a geek. She uses older language and phrases, kind of like you do sometimes.”

Declan started to frown, something about Mack’s words bothering him, but suddenly he reached up and touched his Bluetooth earpiece. “Aunt Ash? What is it? What? Omega switch calls to Chris… okay, good.” He stood up abruptly and grabbed his plate, then froze. “Chris, keep Nika away from that witness. Aunt Ash had a premo… WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?”

“What is it? What’s going on?” Mack asked.

Declan was frozen, listening to his earpiece, his eyes wide. Then he turned to Mack. “Nika was going to interview a witness on the street where the murders happened. Aunt Ash told me to stop her and Omega shut off her car before it was halfway down the road. Then the witness’s house blew up.”

“Holy shit! Was she hurt?” Mack asked, although he knew how tough vampires were.