"Who is he? I thought you were dating the man who brought you to the hospital. I forget his name." There was no judgment in Jenna's tone, but I couldn't help stiffening anyway.
"I'm her brother," Connor said stiffly.
Confusion wrinkled Jenna's forehead.
A fake sounding laugh left me as I patted Connor's arm. "He's so funny, isn't he?" I glared up at Connor, trying to threaten him without words. "How about you go wait in my apartment?"
I shoved my keys into his hand and pointed to my door. Reluctantly, he took the keys from me. Good thing for our future working relationship.
Jenna and I waited until Connor climbed the stairs and the door closed behind him before speaking.
Jenna lifted her eyebrows at me. "Replacing me already?"
I bent a censorious look on her. "Is that what you came here for? To ask questions about my friends."
Her grin was unexpected. "Not really, no." Her glance up at the apartment was contemplative. "Army buddy? I know you guys sometimes refer to each other as your brothers and sisters in arms."
I shrugged, hoping she'd take it as confirmation. Lying to her and my parents was never easy and I tried to avoid it when I could, preferring to rely on half-truths and letting them draw their own conclusions when possible.
"He's cute," she offered.
Oh no.
No. No. No.
My sister wasn't going to get the hots for Connor. I had enough problems in my life. I didn't need that one.
"Jenna, why are you here?"
She focused on me, seriousness entering her face. "I know Dad came to see you. I want to help."
I stared at her, still lost.
She made a frustrated sound. "I want to help you find your biological dad."
I looked around the parking lot as if it could offer answers to the odd circumstance I found myself in. "What makes you think I'm looking for him?"
"Please, I know you. Even though you say you don't care, you do. I know I would if I suddenly found out I had a dad out there I didn't know about." She stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Let me help. I'm your sister. I know we haven't been getting along, but I'd like to fix that."
I rubbed my forehead. There was nothing I'd like more than to take her up on her offer. Invite her upstairs and share a cup of tea or coffee while we discussed the curveball I'd been thrown about my parentage.
But there was a vampire in my living room and a group with designs on my person. Jenna's presence couldn't have come at a worse time.
"You're right. I am looking for him," I confessed. "But I don't see how you can help. I have contacts that you don’t, and I’ve already put out inquiries. I'll hear something eventually."
Jenna’s shoulders sagged in disappointment.
"Thanks for the offer, though. I really appreciate it." The words didn't feel like enough. Already I could feel Jenna pulling back, a response to my rejection.
"If I can think of a way for you to help, I'll let you know," I told her.
She nodded, the hope she'd had earlier gone and her expression closed and guarded.
"How's my niece?" I asked, hoping the change of subject would soothe the sting of my earlier decision.
Like I knew it would, Jenna's face brightened at the mention of her daughter.
"Good. The doctors are actually a little surprised at how well she's doing."
Vampire blood had a way of doing that. I would be surprised if Linda got even so much as a sniffle for the next few years.
If there was one thing I could say for my sire, he'd come through when it counted. I would have given anything, promised him my freedom to make sure that little girl had a chance at a full life. Instead, he'd shared his blood freely, not asking for a single thing as payment.
Relief and pride had smoothed out some of the frown lines at the corners of Jenna's eyes. None of which had been there until her daughter's brief stint in the hospital. It had aged her, and she was just beginning to come back from the experience.
An awkward silence fell between us.
I gestured to my apartment. "I'd better get in there. We still have a little work to do before we're done for the night."
Jenna glanced in the direction of my door. "I take it he's a coworker, then."
"I guess you could call it that. I'm taking him on temporarily to see how he does in my business." I nodded than shook my head.
Jenna looked at me in surprise. "Business? I thought you were a courier. What business is this?"
Ah, crap. I'd forgotten that I hadn't shared my brief encounter with unemployment.
"I'm a private investigator," I found myself saying. It wasn't entirely a lie. I did investigate problems when the occasion warranted. I also did errands and occasionally recovered heirlooms for clients.
Jenna's expression was thoughtful. "That actually makes a lot of sense."
I couldn't help my surprise at that.
Seeing it, her smile was rueful. "You were always good at putting the pieces together. You were way more observant than the rest of us, too."
That wasn't the response I'd been expecting. Most times when my former job came up, it had been followed with a prod to get a real career or go back to school.
This was way more understanding than was typical with my family.
"I'm glad you found something you like doing, Aileen." Jenna's words were sincere as she started to move toward her car.
I stepped forward. "How about I come visit you and Linda in a few weeks?"
Jenna's expression lit up. "We'd love that."
The urge to hug her struck me. I hesitated. It had been a long time since I'd been physically affectionate toward my sister, and I wasn't sure how to initiate.
Ah, to hell with it. This could very well be the last time I saw her if I didn't solve my current problems.
I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around her, braced for rejection.
"I love you, little sis," I whispered when she didn't move. "And I'm sorry I've been difficult."
Jenna breathed in sharply, as if forcing down a sob. Her arms clenched around me as she hugged me tight. "I love you too, Lena. I'm sorry I made you feel like you couldn't talk to me."
She leaned back, her smile crooked and a suspicious sheen to her eyes. "I don't mean to be a judgmental bitch." She shrugged. "It's just habit."
That surprised a water logged laugh out of me.
I untangled myself from her embrace, dashing away any wetness that might have slipped out. It wouldn't do if someone saw the badass vampire getting teary eyed over something like this.
"Alright, get out of here. I really do have work," I told her.
Jenna backed away, raising a hand in good bye. "See you soon."
I nodded, lifting my own hand in a wave.
I really hoped I didn't end up breaking my promise to her.
*
I walked into my apartment to find a standoff taking place between Connor and my two roommates. Hostility and distrust crackled back and forth.
"Aileen, what is this fanger doing here?" Inara demanded, rising from the counter.
Wings clad in every shade of green imaginable beat at the air, the fast movement making light play over them. They shimmered, reminding me of tree leaves rustling in the wind.