© 2026 Vampires Love Garlic by Ashley Chapman. All rights reserved.

44

King of New York

McKenzie

“So you managed to knock up my daughter.”

Dr. Finneas Kline sits back, completely relaxed on a sofa in one of the sitting rooms Heather designed in the antebellum mansion. The party’s still going on just past the door, but he wanted to talk, and I knew this would be better in private.

“She’s glowing,” he states, taking a nibble of a praline.

There’s a knock on the sitting room door, and I bark a “come in” while trying to make myself comfortable in a chair. It’s hard when I have sweat trickling down my back. I knew this damn conversation would have to happen eventually, but I wasn’t planning on it being during the party of the year.

The door opens, and who should walk in but Harold Fucking Bristol. With Robert Judas at his side. Joy reigns supreme.

“Evening, Harold,” Dr. Kline says. “We were just discussing how your son’s knocked up my daughter. Narcissa has a lovely little baby bump showing. I would have preferred they wait until after their wedding, but I don’t hate the idea of being a grandfather.”

“Even if your grandchild is half human?” Harold says with a smirk, pushing down on Robbie’s shoulders and making him sit firmly in a chair.

“Human?” Dr. Kline demands.

“Yes.”

Damn. My father really does sound like me.

“This young man seems to have had his fun with your daughter.” Harold waves to Robbie. “I’m surprised you didn’t initiate a duel, McKenzie, being the hero that you are.”

“Hero?” I scowl.

“The way Heather talked about you, I half expected to find you in here with your shirt open and the fat letters ‘SV’ across your chest, for Super Vampire.”

“If you came in here to mock me, you can get out,” I snarl.

“Not mock you. Oh no. Figure out what the hell you’re doing,” Harold says coolly, sitting on the sofa next to Dr. Kline. He pulls out a small box of cigars and offers one to Narcissa’s dad. “Finneas and I have had an understanding ever since you stepped in and proposed. You were to marry Narcissa and give her children. Now I come to find you let her sleep around with a human. This one.” He waves at Robbie dismissively.

“She didn’t…” Robbie starts, but I shake my head at him. Not his fight. Yet.

“I was going to give you all the New York properties, the ones you failed to capture a couple of months ago. That would have brought you directly next to Kline Industries, so you could be personally involved with all the research at Kline Industries that you’ve been funding. I was even going to throw Boston in. I know you like real estate, but you would have had my shipping companies in the palm of your hand. You were willing to sacrifice that for what? A silly human,” Harold says.

“You speak of Heather as if she’s a speck of lint on your trousers,” I say. “Worse really, for you, is that you talk about Narcissa as if she’s a prized racehorse at auction. You should be ashamed of yourselves.” I look between him and Dr. Kline. “Narcissa’s not some million-dollar Thoroughbred. She’s an independent woman who happens to be in love with Robert here.”

Robert. Robbie. Eh, Robert works better for this.

“She’s not just in love with him. She’s married to him,” I add. “So end of your merger. Unless there’s some sort of polygamy clause I know nothing about.”

“You’ve ruined millions of dollars’ worth of investments,” Harold says with a scowl.

“I haven’t.” Oh, this is way too much fun.

Vampire Rule Number 25: We can be absolute pieces of shit when we want to be.

And oh brother, do I want to be.

“I’ve not ruined anything.” I put my hands behind my head and sit back. “He has.” I gesture to Robbie.

To Robbie’s credit, he doesn’t pale. I know he’s sweating like a popsicle in the sun. I can smell it. I can also hear his heartbeat, and I know he’s nervous as all get out. And well he should be.

“Who are you?” Dr. Kline demands.

“Robert Judas.” Robbie holds out his hand. Once again, it’s ignored. Poor sucker. “Head of the Judas and Brothers Law Firm out of Los Angeles.”

Dr. Kline stares at his hand and then his face.

“You thought it fitting to impregnate my daughter?”

Robbie swallows. His one giveaway that he’s worried.

“If it makes it any better,” he says, “it was after we were married.”

Holy shit. This is better than late-night comedy. I should have brought in some popcorn.

Dr. Kline doesn’t seem capable of speech. And poor Robbie’s going to make it worse.

“And if it helps at all,” he says slowly, “Narcissa very much wanted a baby and was very convincing.”

Oh no. Robbie, baby. No.

“What the hell does that mean?” Dr. Kline roars.

“Means she bit his neck. She claimed him, Finn,” Harold says with a shit-eating grin.

“I don’t care if she bit him! She can leave him. We had a deal.”

“So you’re willing to ignore vampire traditions?” I ask. Oh yes, let’s stir this pot. “Because last I checked, a bite to the neck is bonding. Although I suppose we don’t all actually value that little detail.” I shoot Harold a smirk.

“You stay out of this!” Dr. Kline shouts. “You were supposed to keep her pure! You were supposed to protect her!”

“That’s putting an awful lot of responsibility on me,” I say with a shrug. “You know your daughter. You really think Narcissa would stop doing something if I made a fuss about it? She’s like my little sister. I’m the annoying big brother. I can’t stop her from doing squat.”

“Let’s focus on the matter at hand, Finn. Your daughter is married and pregnant with a human. That frees McKenzie and myself from any contracts. I’m out of my investments with you.” Harold takes a drag from his cigar. “I’m more interested in these, actually.” He looks at the smoking cigar in his hand. “Derrick’s business keeps them in stock. Blood Ash. The next big thing in the vampire world.”

“Blood Ash won’t help any of our disorders,” Dr. Kline protests.

“But it’ll rake in more money. I’m already invested. McKenzie, there’s another family interested in you. The Morgans. Their daughter, Layla, is just a little younger than you. Joshua Morgan owns law firms all up and down the East Coast. We get in with him, and we can do very well.”

“I’m not interested in another woman,” I say. “You know that.”

“Unlike our dear Narcissa, you haven’t marked anyone. And I wouldn’t advise you mark Heather. She’s pretty, cute even, but she’s human and that’s against our traditions. Finn, you’re going to have to figure out things with Narcissa.” Harold’s eyes are glowing over his cigar. “McKenzie, you’ll marry Layla Morgan and continue building our empire. You do that, and I’ll give you New York and Boston. Your profits will increase astronomically.”

And we’re back to making deals for prosperity, power, and bloodlines.

“No,” I say coolly.

“No?”

Up go his eyebrows. Good. Let them get caught in his hairline.

“No,” I repeat. “I am doing bloody well financially on my own. I’m not interested in increasing your wealth or reputation. You want me to keep raking in money for you while you sit on a beach somewhere drinking cocktails and banging any attractive woman that comes along. I’m not interested in that. Give Derrick Boston and New York. He’s ambitious enough and loves money as much as you do. I want Heather.”

I stand up and straighten my collar.

“Narcissa loves Robbie, Dr. Kline. Give him a chance. He’s a good guy. If you really want to get to know him, ask him about football. Harold.” I incline my head toward my father. “Go do what you want with your properties. Invest in Blood Ash, because it’ll help Dr. Kline even if you’ve already dissolved all your contracts with him. You’ll find out, in a few years, that Blood Ash contributes to some god-awful diseases or something, and then you’ll need him. I don’t want your money. I don’t need New York. Leave me Savannah. She’s out there right now, in a gravity-defying dress, smelling like juniper and sugar, creating the greatest experience in the world for people who don’t respect or value her. She’s protecting your reputation just as much as she’s protecting mine. You’ll excuse me, but I need to find my home.”

“McKenzie Bristol, you choose that woman over our people, and we’re through,” Harold says, standing as I walk past him. “There are bigger things at stake than just your hormones.”

“You’re right.”

I open the door and look back over my shoulder.

Here comes the cringe, Kenzie.

“There’s love.”

Mic drop.

I step into the party and close the door behind me.