sure he knew it was me. His voice was sharp, and when I propped the door open wide enough to see in, his eyes widened in surprise. Nope. He hadn’t a clue it was me.
Alex got to her feet from the arm of the familiar red leather couch I’d picked out after Ethan’s death. Her dark Hispanic eyes widened. It seems everyone was surprised to see me.
“Someone was asking about me?” My voice was calm and casual as I stepped into Patrick’s office, hiding the anxiety making my stomach churn with uncertainty.
“Dahlia, I thought you would be longer,” he said. But I knew what he meant by the strain in his voice and the tight line of his jaw. He hadn’t wanted me here at all and didn’t want the unfamiliar vampire to know it. A simple stretch of the truth. How long did he expect me to be gone. . .forever?
“Turns out, the situation wasn’t as bad as we thought,” I played along. The realization that things between Patrick and I were worse, not better, made my hand shake at my side. I tightened it into a fist and dug my fingernails into my palm. The pain helped clear my head. I smiled warily at Alex and the other man. The unknown vampire watched me too closely for my comfort as his eyes darted down to my fist.
“Mr. Janus,” Alex said with a smile on her face but I saw the warning in her eyes, “may I introduce Dahlia Sabin.”
Unnaturally bright green eyes stared back at me from a face that was chiseled and hard. His skin was the color of almonds, dulled and ashen by a lack of sun. His jet-black hair was greased back and with a suit and wingtips to match he looked as if it was 1943 all over again. The vampire peered down at me and then over to Patrick with a smirk.
“Is this the creature that has the entire vampire board sharpening their claws and every territorial Liege clamoring for cover?” he asked with a glint of humor in his voice.
“Are they?” I gave him a nonchalant shrug of my shoulders and wide-eyed innocence. I could play innocent well enough when the situation suited.
“Yes, they are.” The sound of the ‘r’ rolling off his tongue carried a blatant sexuality that could send another woman to her knees. Me, I’d heard better.
“Diego!” Patrick snarled. Diverting the vampire’s attention and showing just a bit of agitation, Patrick’s glare flashed with warning.
Diego Janus’s eyes darted from me to Patrick with the hint of a knowing, carnal smirk on his lips.
“I’m merely inspecting your entire operation, Patrick. With the real possibility of you acquiring Marabelle’s territory and already in possession of Darshan’s territory in Pennsylvania, you’ve built quite a little empire. I was simply wondering if all the stories were true, that’s all.”
“What stories?” I asked, squaring my shoulders and emptying my eyes of everything but that familiar peace where nothing existed but me and death.
“That Patrick allows a human to do his dirty work for him.”
The vampire was poking at an angry bear. Maybe he knew it. Maybe he didn’t but I understood he was searching for a reaction from someone—me or Patrick, I didn’t think it mattered. I could feel Patrick’s gut churning with indignation and rage which was the first emotion I’d felt from him in days. Even if it was nervous indignation, I was happy to have it. But I couldn’t think with his emotion roiling in the pit of my stomach and slammed my aura down hard, closing Patrick out. I didn’t need his distraction.
Alex perched on the sofa arm, silent as she watched us. Her tense shoulders and tapping foot were the only indications she was uncomfortable. Her hands fell loose at her sides as she waited to pounce.
“He indulges me,” I answered.
“Diego,” Patrick snapped. “Alejandra will escort you to your men.”
Alex rose from the couch and waved her arm out with a low bow, holding the door for him.
“I hope, my dear,” Diego said, facing me with a smirk across his full lips and a twinkle in his eye,
Alex got to her feet from the arm of the familiar red leather couch I’d picked out after Ethan’s death. Her dark Hispanic eyes widened. It seems everyone was surprised to see me.
“Someone was asking about me?” My voice was calm and casual as I stepped into Patrick’s office, hiding the anxiety making my stomach churn with uncertainty.
“Dahlia, I thought you would be longer,” he said. But I knew what he meant by the strain in his voice and the tight line of his jaw. He hadn’t wanted me here at all and didn’t want the unfamiliar vampire to know it. A simple stretch of the truth. How long did he expect me to be gone. . .forever?
“Turns out, the situation wasn’t as bad as we thought,” I played along. The realization that things between Patrick and I were worse, not better, made my hand shake at my side. I tightened it into a fist and dug my fingernails into my palm. The pain helped clear my head. I smiled warily at Alex and the other man. The unknown vampire watched me too closely for my comfort as his eyes darted down to my fist.
“Mr. Janus,” Alex said with a smile on her face but I saw the warning in her eyes, “may I introduce Dahlia Sabin.”
Unnaturally bright green eyes stared back at me from a face that was chiseled and hard. His skin was the color of almonds, dulled and ashen by a lack of sun. His jet-black hair was greased back and with a suit and wingtips to match he looked as if it was 1943 all over again. The vampire peered down at me and then over to Patrick with a smirk.
“Is this the creature that has the entire vampire board sharpening their claws and every territorial Liege clamoring for cover?” he asked with a glint of humor in his voice.
“Are they?” I gave him a nonchalant shrug of my shoulders and wide-eyed innocence. I could play innocent well enough when the situation suited.
“Yes, they are.” The sound of the ‘r’ rolling off his tongue carried a blatant sexuality that could send another woman to her knees. Me, I’d heard better.
“Diego!” Patrick snarled. Diverting the vampire’s attention and showing just a bit of agitation, Patrick’s glare flashed with warning.
Diego Janus’s eyes darted from me to Patrick with the hint of a knowing, carnal smirk on his lips.
“I’m merely inspecting your entire operation, Patrick. With the real possibility of you acquiring Marabelle’s territory and already in possession of Darshan’s territory in Pennsylvania, you’ve built quite a little empire. I was simply wondering if all the stories were true, that’s all.”
“What stories?” I asked, squaring my shoulders and emptying my eyes of everything but that familiar peace where nothing existed but me and death.
“That Patrick allows a human to do his dirty work for him.”
The vampire was poking at an angry bear. Maybe he knew it. Maybe he didn’t but I understood he was searching for a reaction from someone—me or Patrick, I didn’t think it mattered. I could feel Patrick’s gut churning with indignation and rage which was the first emotion I’d felt from him in days. Even if it was nervous indignation, I was happy to have it. But I couldn’t think with his emotion roiling in the pit of my stomach and slammed my aura down hard, closing Patrick out. I didn’t need his distraction.
Alex perched on the sofa arm, silent as she watched us. Her tense shoulders and tapping foot were the only indications she was uncomfortable. Her hands fell loose at her sides as she waited to pounce.
“He indulges me,” I answered.
“Diego,” Patrick snapped. “Alejandra will escort you to your men.”
Alex rose from the couch and waved her arm out with a low bow, holding the door for him.
“I hope, my dear,” Diego said, facing me with a smirk across his full lips and a twinkle in his eye,
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