Page 66 of Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince

Heart pounding, she quickly typed.

Dani: Bad time. Can it wait?

Evan: Nadine is back.

It seemed to take forever for the chaos and questions at the party to wind down. What had she seen? Which drink had been hers? What was her impression of the aberrant from the brief interaction she’d witnessed?

Eventually, she’d been allowed to go upstairs to change out of her formal gown into jeans and a hoodie, citing a family emergency. When Alexander dropped her outside her apartment, it was well over an hour later, and they could hear the sounds of a fight raging from inside.

Dani pressed fingers to her temples, feeling a migraine coming on.

“Do you want me to come in with you?” Alex pressed a kiss to her neck. “I can stay.”

Except she knew he couldn’t. With the investigation still ongoing, he was needed back at the castle. She also suspected having him here with her stepmother would only make things worse.

“I’ll be okay.” She stood on her toes to quickly kiss him. “I’ll text you as soon as I can.”

Steeling herself, she unlocked the door.

Inside, she found Ava in tears.

Evan and Nadine were squared off across the kitchen island. Her stepmother looked much the way she had the last time she’d walked out of their lives four months ago. Her blonde hair was perhaps a little grayer, the hollows in her cheeks slightly more pronounced. As always, the sight of her made Dani’s heart ache.

“But I don’t understand why I can’t go out,” Ava cried. “Just for a little while. You’re being so unfair.”

“Because it’s late, and it’s a school night,” Evan said through her teeth. “Not to mention, we’re under an early curfew, and there’s been rioting.”

“But curfew isn’t for another hour. And I checked. There are no reports of anything happening by the coffee and dessert shop Mom wants to take me to.”

“So, what are you planning to order there?” Evan pinched the bridge of her nose. “Did you check your blood sugar?”

Ava’s face fell. “Why do you always have to ruin everything for me? Mom just got back and you won’t even let me enjoy one special outing with her?”

“No, that’s not it. I just think you need to be careful not to—”

“Dani,” Ava interrupted, spying her. “You’re back from the castle. We saw the pictures of you and Prince Alexander all over the media feeds.”

Wonderful. Sighing, Dani wrapped her youngest sister in a tight hug. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine. I finished all my homework. And I got an A on my math test.”

Behind her, Evan rolled her eyes.

“Okay.” She smoothed wisps of her blonde hair. “Go find a sweater. Evan and I need to talk to your mother for a minute.”

Her face brightened. “So I can go?”

“That’s still up for discussion.”

Shooting Evan a pleading look that was met with stone-faced silence, Ava stomped off.

“For pity’s sake, Evan.” Nadine rolled her eyes. “When did you get so uptight? It’s one night. She’s been doing so well in school. She deserves a little treat.”

Evan kept her voice low. “Someone has to be the grownup, Nadine, since you chose to check out on your daughter and this family and sell yourself on the streets.”

“Evan, stop it.” Dani shot a look towards Ava’s door. They didn’t need her hearing any of this. No matter what else Nadine had done, she was Ava’s mother.

Nadine’s eyes flashed with anger. Just when Dani was sure she’d have to jump between them, her stepmother instead reached into her drawstring bag for a pack of cigarettes.