Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors Read Online Free PDF Page B

looked to Dick, who seemed as perplexed as I was by the events unfolding in the break room. “Is this normal?”
    Dick frowned, watching Ophelia warily. “It’s not abnormal . But, usually, if the Council doesn’t feel comfortable with a newly turned vampire’s restraint, the representatives take on the job of fostering themselves.”
    “Well, this was an unusual case,” Ophelia admitted. “Jamie’s seventeen. He’s a minor. He can’t live alone unless he’s emancipated, which the state won’t allow under current vampire rights regulations. And we certainly can’t let him return home to his parents. Jamie needs someone who is accustomed to working with children. Jane has that experience from her former profession.”
    “Jamie aged out of my library program once he stopped reading those Captain Underpants books,” Itold her. Ophelia shot me one of her patented “why are you still speaking?” looks. I sighed. “For how long?”
    “Until he’s ready to live on his own,” she said, giving Jamie a speculative glance. “Don’t worry, I’ll be stopping by frequently to check on his progress. As you know, your antics always keep me entertained, Jane.”
    “I knew it,” I ground out. Peter actually chuckled under his breath, which was the first time I’d heard him express anything like humor.
    Bastard.
    “What about Jamie’s parents?” I asked.
    “The Council is sending a representative to the Laniers’ home to explain what happened. It would be best if they don’t know where he is right now. Do not contact them until the Council arranges a supervised meeting with their son.”
    “You’re not sending Peter, are you?” I asked. “Because the news might be better delivered by someone with, um, feelings?”
    “Are you saying I’m insensitive?” Peter deadpanned.
    “I was going to use the words ‘devoid of the milk of human kindness,’ but ‘insensitive’ will do.”
    Waco snorted but covered it with a cough. “I’ll be visiting the Laniers, Miss Jane. Don’t you worry, I’ll soften the blow.”
    I nodded. Maybe it would be easier to take such bad news when it came from a guy who looked like Colonel Sanders.
    Probably not.
    “What about the car?” I asked.
    Ophelia shrugged. “What car?”
    “The car that hit Jamie. Don’t you want to try to find out who caused all this?”
    Ophelia gave an uninterested wave of the hand. “It was probably a drunk human, as you said, a hit-and-run driver. It would be a matter for the human police, if you care to report it. But as I recall, you and the local law-enforcement agencies don’t play well together.”
    I had to concede that. The last time I’d had contact with the Half-Moon Hollow PD, I’d asked one of the officers if it was uncomfortable to have his head jammed so far up one of his own orifices. Filing a missing-persons report on Andrea was considerably more difficult after that.
    “Jane?” Gabriel came crashing through the store and into the break room.
    “Ah, the lover’s dramatic entrance,” Ophelia drawled.
    “What’s happened?” Gabriel exclaimed, obviously confused to see the adolescent draped across my legs. “Are you all right? Were you hurt?”
    I started to sniffle at the idea of having to explain the situation again , and Ophelia rolled her eyes. She muttered instructions to Dick, and the rest of Council swept from the room.
    “We’d better get them home, Gabe,” Dick told him as he lifted Jamie from my lap. “I’ll explain later. Jane’s holding it together so far, but she’s about this close to a tirade like we’ve never seen before.”
    I felt Gabriel shudder beside me, and despite myself, I felt my lips twitch as I elbowed him in the side. Heslipped his arms under mine and led me out of the shop. Dick carefully laid Jamie in the back of Big Bertha and ran around to the driver’s side. I saw him instinctually reach for the handle of the driver’s-side door that was lying crumpled on the concrete. I giggled