Covet (Clann)

that. “You consider me normal? Oh man, you do have some weirdos in the family closet then.”
    “Ha, ha,” I said. “But seriously, Anne, this is a big deal. And there’s something else.” I winced as I added, “Not only can you never tell anyone about this, but you also can’t sit around thinking about it, either. Both the Clann and the vamps can read human minds.”
    That wiped the smile off her face.
    “Exactly,” I said. “Now you see why I waited so long to tell you?”
    “Yeah. Though if you had told me sooner, at least I could have been a better friend for you. You know, been more supportive for you when you were going through all this stuff.” Her tone was soft, almost apologetic. And Anne was never soft.
    I almost didn’t know how to react. “Sorry. I was just trying to protect you. And I didn’t realize you’d handle the news this well.” I stared at her. “Actually…why are you taking it so well?” Most people would either laugh at me, think I was nuts, or freak out completely.
    In the process of grabbing a French fry, she froze. “Let’s just say…this isn’t the strangest thing I’ve heard lately.”
    “Really? What could possibly be any weirder than finding out Jacksonville is secretly run by a bunch of power-hungry magic users and your best friend is half Clann and half vampire?”
    She took a deep breath. “I…can’t tell you.”
    Now it was my turn to do the slow blink thing. “Why not?”
    “Because it’s someone else’s secret and I swore I’d never reveal it.”
    “Whose secret is it?”
    “Can’t tell you that, either.” She chewed a small handful of fries now, cramming them in like she thought it might buy her some time before my next question. Except I knew how often she talked with her mouth full.
    “Anne, what’s going on?”
    “I can’t tell you!” she mumbled around the food. She started to stuff in more fries, then hesitated. “Hey, you can’t read my mind, can you?” The tiniest hint of anxiety shot out of her, rasping over my already frayed nerve endings like a quick brush against sandpaper.
    “No.” At least not yet.
    The wrinkles in her forehead smoothed away as she took her time swallowing.
    All of a sudden, my door flew open. If not for the seat belt I was still wearing, I would have fallen out of the truck.
    “Hey, freak. Did you run off to try and save your lover boy?” Dylan Williams said.
    I straightened up, the edges of the seat belt digging into my hands as I clutched it. “How did you know—”
    “Everybody knows,” he said. Darkness emanated from him like a bad cologne, making me want to shrink away. Somehow I managed not to flinch. “Rumor has it that Romeo tried to off himself inside his truck tonight.”
    “He wouldn’t do that,” I said, trying to sound confident.
    Dylan shrugged. “Rumor also has it that his brakes might have failed.”
    Everything inside me went still. “Who told you that?”
    “Oh, a little birdie.” He smiled.
    An awful thought came to me then. “Did you do something to his truck?” I leaned toward him now, ready to grab him by the throat if he said yes.
    His eyebrows shot up, and he drawled, “Now why would I do that?”
    “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you’re evil,” Anne said.
    He stared at her over my shoulder. “Be careful or you might find out just how evil I can be, Albright.”
    Was he threatening my best friend?
    I would kill him.
    I reached for my seat belt, so mad I couldn’t get the stupid buckle to work. “If you so much as—”
    He laughed. “That’s right, Colbert. Now you’re getting a clue.” He leaned in close and whispered, “So why don’t you just leave town before anything else bad happens to someone you care about?”
    “Oh please,” Anne said. “Do you really think you’re scaring anyone?”
    His gaze flicked to her. He smiled slowly. “You know, I’m really looking forward to school next year. It’s going to be fun teaching you to respect the Clann.”
    On pure instinct, I reached out, intending to grab him, slap him, something. I couldn’t even see straight, I was so furious.
    Laughing, he dodged my hand then turned and strolled back across the raised cement area between the rows of vehicles to his own car.
    I would kill him. I would find a way and I would rip his throat out. If he’d hurt Tristan tonight… And he’d just threatened to hurt Anne next…
    Dimly I heard someone saying my name, felt someone grab my wrist.
    “Savannah!