Picky Eater

Ch 2: Deal

Ouch. Ben took that like a punch to the gut and he thought the floor looked like a nice place to wither and die.

"Or he must've found a Feast. Am I wrong?" She challenged him.

"No, you're not wrong. You don't have to make me say you know you're right."

"Don't get mad. I haven't told a soul..." Her eyes slid back over to Ben. "Ben Robinson, you've made my brother a picky eater."

Nino raised his voice, grabbing back her attention. "Did you just come here to mess with me? Don't you have more important things to do? Aren't you getting a..." He glanced at Evie and then back, whispering as he spelled out, "D-i-v-o-r-c-e?"

"You can say divorce. Evie might be ten, but she knows what's happening. I tell her everything. She's a smart girl and you can trust her. Actually, this isn't about me, you, or the Feast—"

"Ben," he corrected to no one listening.

"This is about Evie. You're right. Things aren't going well in my divorce..."

With a sigh, she approached Ben, entangling their arms together and her touch may have been gentle, but her grip was incredible and with her strength, Ben had no choice but to follow. She took him to the kitchen. Speaking in confidence, she patted Ben's arm. "From what I can gather, Nino has told you nothing about our family, but I am happy to let you in on all the juicy details—"

In a flash, Nino appeared in front of them, and Ben jumped. "Let me tell him," He snapped at his sister and pulled Ben from her hold, pushing him deeper into the kitchen where they were crowded in the corner. Tickled, Bianca didn't fight and meandered around the kitchen, snooping through the cabinets and making too much noise.

"Ben," Nino said. He seemed ragged, as if ten minutes with his sister equaled to a twelve-hour triathlon. Gripping Ben tight, Nino seemed to think he needed to keep Ben from floating away. "I'm sorry, but I haven't been forthcoming about where I'm from or my family because, well... I'm not involved in the family business."

"Okay..." Ben said, with little else to say. He was still processing it all.

"I have told you that my family is wealthy, but it's more than that. My father operated under a different code than other coven heads."

"Coven head?"

"You can just say King," Bianca chimed in, glancing through the window into the outdoor space. "Kings lead vampire covens."

"Does that make you a prince?" Ben asked. Now, he doubted anything would surprise him.

"I'm not involved. With my brother Dante, my father practiced in a dark underground world that even monsters don't trifle with. They deal in fear and control."

Bianca giggled to herself. "You can tell him what we are. Even humans have their own mafia—"

"I'm not proud of it like you are, Bianca!" Nino snapped, but her smile never wavered. Ben was suddenly thankful he was an only child. Sighing, Nino's grip tightened on Ben's shoulders. Now Ben was the one keeping him upright. "Ben, I didn't want you to get the wrong idea. Really, this whole time, I haven't meant you any harm. Vampires are things to be feared, but not me. I never wanted you to be afraid of me."

Ben shook Nino's hands off, his grip so gentle, his hands easily fell. Nothing like Bianca, but that didn't surprise Ben. He couldn't stop the furrow of his brow. "Looks like I'm not the only one who doesn't know you," Ben said. "You don't know me either. You think after five years of being your friend, I'm going to judge you for where you come from? What does that say about me?"

Whatever was on the tip of Nino's tongue didn't fall off easily. Ben watched the cogs in his brain spin. Damn. Ben didn't think Nino just kind of liking him and knowing him was such a difficult thing to explain.