Chapter Twenty-six

Mac walked into the living room just in time to hear Sandy ask, "Can I see your fangs?"

Jon’s eyes moved from Sandy to Mac, with one eyebrow raised. "Couldn’t you have just shown her yours?"

"I can’t control mine yet," she answered, grinning at his discomfort.

Sandy was leaning over him slightly, when he opened his mouth to expose his fangs. Without an ounce of fear, the woman reached up and thumped his bottom left incisor that was way longer than it should have been with the tip of her first finger. Jon snapped his mouth shut in indignation, just barely missing Sandy’s finger as she withdrew it with a gasp and a jerk. No one had ever ‘pinged’ one of his fangs before, not even Richie had been brave enough to try it.

"They’re real," Sandy breathed.

"Excuse me?" he asked, glaring at the woman.

Mac rushed over and pulled Sandy away from Jon. "She didn’t mean anything by it, Jon, honest."

Jon turned his piercing blue gaze to Richie. He was surprised his friend wasn’t laughing his head off, but no, Richie sat on the couch just gaping at Sandy like she’d grown a second head.

"What? No two cents from the peanut gallery?" Jon asked the guitarist.

"I can’t believe you just did that," Richie said to Sandy in awe. "You’re either very brave or very stupid."

"Why?" Sandy asked. "I don’t think he’d really hurt me."

"You do realize that a vampire can attack in the blink of an eye, right?" Richie asked her.

"Yeah, maybe. But the question is...would he?"

"No, of course not," Mac blurted out, glaring at Jon.

Jon reached out to Mac’s mind. Moglie mia, of course I wouldn’t hurt your friend. But, she could at least show a little respect.

She’s just a little excited, Jon, she tried to explain.

I understand that, he told her shrugging, but damn it, I’m used to being at least a little feared once someone finds out.

Jon, Sandy realizes that I would never put her in danger. She trusts you because she trusts me. I promise if the circumstances had been different she would’ve feared you, she tried to soothe his obviously wounded pride, but ended up smiling and trying hard not to laugh out loud.

Realizing something was going on between the two of them, Sandy asked, "Am I missing something?"

"Get used to it," Richie advised, "they do it all the time."

"Do what, exactly?"

"They talk with their minds," Richie explained. "It can be quite annoying when you know they’re talking about you."

"Oh cool!" Sandy exclaimed. "Hey Mac, can you talk to me in my head?"

"Don’t know, haven’t tried to do that before," Mac answered her friend.

"Mac’s still unfamiliar with a lot of her new powers," Jon explained. "That’s just one of the things I still need to teach her."

They spent another couple of hours at Mac’s apartment. Jon and Mac spent a lot of time debunking myths about vampires for Sandy. Jon soon got over his initial dislike of Mac’s friend. You just couldn’t ignore her natural exuberance and genuine love of life. He could tell Richie was attracted to her; he’d known Richie too long not to recognize the difference between his simple flirting and when he was going for broke. Richie was indeed going for broke.

"I hate to break this up," Jon began, "but we really need to get back to the airport. I’d like to be back in Jersey before it gets too late."

Knowing they wouldn’t be in Dallas long, Mac and the two men had left their baggage on the jet, but Mac had wanted to grab a few things from her apartment because she wasn’t sure when she’d be back home.

"Just give me a few minutes to go get a few things," she told Jon.

Once Mac had left the room, Sandy turned a serious look on Jon. "I don’t care if you are a vampire and could kill me in a blink of an eye. Hurt her and I’ll stake you in your sleep," she warned in low tone.

Unprepared for the woman’s attack, Jon leaned forward resting his elbows on his thighs. "I wouldn’t hurt her," he told her. "If I hurt her, I hurt myself."

"Pardon me, if I don’t quite believe you," Sandy said softly. "I’ve seen a brief glimpse of your temper up close and personal and read about it over the years. I won’t sit idly by while you turn it on her or break her heart."

He was trying very hard not to lose his temper at Sandy’s words. Jon realized she was only trying to protect her friend. Hell, he’d done the same thing over the years when he thought Richie’s heart was in danger. "I can assure you that I love her very much. We’ll be together and still loving each other long after you’re in your grave."

Sandy realized that wasn’t a threat, just a comment on his and Mac’s extended life span. "I haven’t heard her say she loves you, yet," she pointed out.

"Yet is the operative word in that statement," he replied softly.

Richie had been silent until then, letting Jon deal with the situation as he saw fit, but had to add, "Sandy, I’ve never seen him feel this strongly for a woman before. And whether or not she’s admitted it or not, I really think Mac loves him too. She hasn’t admitted it to me either, but I’ve seen them together and I can see it. I know he won’t hurt her."

"Good to know," Sandy replied, just before Mac walked back into the room carrying a gym bag.

"I hope this won’t hold us up too long at security," Mac said, holding the bag up slightly.

"It was nice to meet you, Sandy," Jon said as he stood from the sofa and extended a hand toward Mac’s friend.

Jon was surprised when the woman didn’t take his hand, but instead, gave him a big hug, saying, "Forget the hand shake, Jon, you’re family now."

Sandy accompanied the trio to the parking lot and gave Richie a kiss on the cheek, slipping her card into the pocket of his jeans as she did so. "Call me sometime, Richie," she said with a wink.

"I’ll do that, darlin’," he told her in a husky voice, before joining Jon in the car.

Mac hugged Sandy. "I’ll see you soon, and I’ll call even sooner," she promised.

"I know," Sandy answered. "I love you, girlfriend, take care of you."

"I will," Mac assured her, "I love you too."

Mac pulled away from her friend and walked over to the driver’s side of the car. With one last wave at her friend, she got in the car and pulled out of her parking space.