I wasn't trying to be rude and I was genuinely interested in how the two of them were getting along but some things just take precedence. Coffee in ha...d, I stumbled into the bathroom. My body was telling me that since I was vertical, it was time.After finishing the three "S"es and brushing my teeth I went back in the bedroom to get dressed, only to find Beth still on the phone. I love my lady dearly, but I'll never figure out women's fascination with talking on the phone. I DID recognize a. .. and he’d get this sad look when he’d check out the gun racks. It took me years to figure out why! Because it was ... it was the grave of his little John Dillinger ‘World-Famous ... Notorious Bank Robber’ dreams!” Her laughter died down and a hand began snaking up to her breast.“That’s right,” The Cara-Thing said, in exactly the way one might if one were slowly drawing a knife and staring at the vulnerable back of the foolish hero of a western, walking behind him along a ledge in a torchlit. Whichever of them had been using Cloak of Night, they were damn good to keep two groups from him. Or each group had someone who could, and even then, skilled.Then again, the last thing he’d expected coming here was a sneak attack from a group of vampires. He’d let his guard down.“Turner! Mandleson!” Jessy snapped her head to glare at each group, eyes wide with animal rage. “I’m going to—”Eric put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes also on the two groups. It was enough to calm her down, at least. She ... yeah, she’s great.” She really was. I’d spent a lot of time with her the past few weeks, but did it grudgingly. I’d rather have hung out with friends back at St. John’s, but knew that she and Mom wanted to spend time with me before I left. I don’t know where she got that sort of money. Mom and Dad were nervous about keeping us grounded and kept a tight rein on our access to money.Jim DeCossa was the head of my family’s security detail. He’d taught me how to scan a room, assess people.