At her words, a lump of pain he’d been carrying slowly dissolved. “You must think I’m so stupid.”
“No. I think you’re brave and still confused. The only way to deal with this stuff is to talk about it, and you vampires stink at talking.” She sipped her tea. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
“Good. The only way to heal is to talk, and to forgive yourself for any shortcomings you think you had.” She smiled. “You’re well on the way.”
Was he, or was he just playing a good game? Part of him wanted to hope, the other part wanted to sink back into plans for revenge. “Thanks.”
“I do know you wouldn’t have even considered any path other than vengeance before mating Brenna.” Lily studied him over the rim of her cup. “Mayhaps you should spend some time with that thought.”
He grimaced. “She deserves better.”
“Then be better.” Lily stood. “Think about everything, and do your homework.”
He paused. “Homework?”
“Yes. I want you and Brenna to spend some normal time together doing couple-type things.”
Heat flushed up his face. “Um—”
“No. I mean, normal time like furnishing your home or going to a movie.” Lily smiled. “Then, let’s meet again tomorrow.”
Fantastic. He was now one of those guys who met with a shrink every day. “Thank you, Lily.” Exiting the room, he ran into Conn. His breath hitched.
Conn paused. “Meeting with Lily?”
God. Now his brother—the ultimate soldier—would think he was some kind of metrosexual. “Yes.”
Conn nodded slowly. “She’s a good listener.”
Jase stilled. “
“Sure.” Conn hesitated, glancing at the closed door. “Sometimes I have to do something in battle, or see something, and guilt eats at me. So once in a while I talk to Lily.”
Jase shook his head. Where had reality gone? “I didn’t know that.”
“For a while, I didn’t want to burden her. I mean, she’s so—”
“Dainty.” Jase rubbed his head.
“Yeah. That’s the word. Dainty.” Conn grinned. “But she’s tough, and she’s good. Has she thrown anything at you yet?”
“Of course not.” The woman was a lady.
“Well, hold back, and you’ll get a teacup to the head.”
Jase snorted. He shifted his feet, finally feeling like a brother again. “We don’t gotta hug or anything right now, do we?”
“Shit no.” Conn punched him in the arm. Hard. “It’s all good.”
“How about we move it closer to the wall?” Brenna asked, her concentration on the antique sofa table and matching end tables that had been delivered earlier that day. “I mean, until we buy a sofa to ground the room.”
Max Petrovsky easily lifted the table and set it against the living room wall. As a deadly hunter for the vampires, the guy was surprisingly good-natured about moving furniture around the room all morning as he waited for Jase to show up. He turned and glanced at the open wall. “Maybe you should get new windows before you buy more furniture.”
Brenna shrugged. “I think Jase already ordered replacement windows.” A pleasant breeze wafted in from the ocean, and she took a deep breath. “Though I like the openness.” Well, until it rained.
Max eyed the far wall, his odd metallic eyes narrowing. “I think I like the big table over there.”
Brenna hid a grin. The king’s deadly bodyguard had a thing for feng shui. “Maybe you’re right.”
Max lifted the heavy oak with one hand to carry it across the room. “When did you say Jase would be back?”
She hadn’t. “Soon.” Probably.
“Okay.” Max loped over to the demolished window and tugged a shard from the top frame. At well over six feet, the hulking soldier came in handy. Humming to himself, he ran his hand along the entire length, dropping glass to the floor. “These might fall on somebody,” he murmured.
The front door opened, and he pivoted, instantly on alert.
Brenna stilled. There was the killer with the reputation people whispered about. She turned and smiled. “Hi, Jase. Max was just helping me with the tables.”
Amusement lightened Jase’s eyes. “Max is actually a great decorator.”
Max snorted. “I don’t mind embracing my softer side.”
Brenna chuckled. There was nothing soft about any of the vampires. “We need more furniture.”
“How about we go buy some?” Jase asked.
Was he serious? Brenna leaned against the wall. “Now?”
“Yes.” Jase frowned at the missing windows. “We should have replacement glass soon, so we might as well furnish the room.”
Her heart pitter-pattered. Jase wanted to go buy furniture with her? Like a real married couple? “What about Garrett? I mean, we can’t just leave.”
“The best people in the world are working on finding Garrett. The second they have a lead, they’ll call us.” Jase nodded toward the sofa table. “I like the table on the other wall.”
Max shook his head. “Amateur.”
“Hmph.” Jase surveyed Max. “Are you here to see me?”
“Yes. How was your visit with Lily?” Max asked.
“Good.” Jase frowned. “Why?”
“I was being polite. Has she hit you with the ruler yet?” Max absently rubbed his thigh.
Jase grinned. “Not yet, but I’m sure it’ll happen. What can I help you with, Max?”
Max prowled toward the door. “I need to collect all of the Degoller Stars from you. The king wants them put away.”
Jase stilled. “No.”
Max rubbed his chin. “I have an order.”
“No,” Jase said levelly.
Max paused by the door. “Okay-dokey.”
Brenna frowned. “That’s it?”
Max shrugged. “Yep. I’m not getting between two Kayrs brothers.”
“You’re a brother, too,” Jase muttered.
“Exactly.” Max shoved past Jase to the front porch. “Which means I get to stay out of this one. Thank God,” he muttered as he loped down the steps.
Jase turned back toward Brenna. “That was odd.”
Not really. Centuries ago, the Kayrs family had taken in Max, making him one of them. As family, Max had wanted to check up on Jase. The hulk had a sweet side. “Are you serious about going furniture shopping?”
Jase shuffled his feet. “Yes, it’ll be nice to get away from headquarters for an afternoon.”
Yeah, it would. Brenna smiled, her heart lighter than it had been for days. “I do love shopping.”
Jase’s smile seemed forced. “Ah, me, too.”
Brenna snorted. “I’m sure.” A vampire shopping for furniture? This was going to be an afternoon to remember.
Jase sprawled on the zillionth leather couch he’d sat on that afternoon. “What’s wrong with this one?”
Brenna twisted to see around a tall clock. “That’s real leather.”
“So?”
“So, one of your brothers married a vegan who will light it on fire if it’s in our house.” Brenna leaned down and grabbed his hand. “I kind of agree with her, actually. Come on, there’s a faux leather ensemble over behind the dining room table I love.”
