more. “I’ve been assigned to keep an eye on you, to report back on your progress. I figured that dining with you was the best way to do that. Now you can either make this a pleasant experience or an unpleasant one. Your choice.”
The Lobster Alfredo turned into a lead weight inside my stomach. We weren’t here because he found me attractive, or my O-Negative Templar blood irresistible. We weren’t here because he thought I was a cool person to hang out and have dinner with. We were here because he was supposed to keep an eye on me and report back to his Mistress. All those Bloody Marys and drinks with plastic swords had meant nothing. Yes, he wanted me, but I was off limits. This meant nothing but business to him.
And that shouldn’t bother me as much as it did.
Fine. Screw him. If Dario wanted business, he’d get business. I’d hit up the internet when I got back to my place and figure out what the connection was between the Robertsons and the vampires. Then I’d finish up the job and have the joy of never dealing with these soulless blood-suckers again.
I ate my pasta in silence, not worrying about small talk anymore. Let the vampires foot the bill for a decent meal. It’s not like I needed to impress my companion with my quick wit or anything. Eat. Go home. Get to work.
My plate was nearly half empty by the time Dario broke the silence. “I’ll give your information to Leonora about the spell being necromantic in nature.”
It wasn’t anything close to an apology. Business. This was all about business. “Please let me know what she says.”
I interpreted his expression as “when pigs fly”. “If Leonora wants you to know, then I will convey the information.”
My temper flared. I blamed it on the wine and my bruised ego. “You ask me to do a job, a job that I have a seven day deadline to complete or presumably I will cease to live, a job that, judging by all this, is important to the vampires here in Baltimore, but you won’t clarify details or communicate information I need to do the job?”
I completely couldn’t read the expression on his face, although I got the feeling I was supposed to. “You don’t need that information. Research the symbol. Tell us what it is, what it does, and do that in the next six days.”
I was beginning to hate vampires. No wonder my ancestors had killed them on sight. “All you do is repeat the party line to me. Can you tell me nothing without your Mistress’s approval? Do you ask her permission to feed? Does she pre-screen all of your prey? Isn’t there anything you can do without her authorization?”
The stem of the wineglass snapped in his hands. “Watch your tone.”
What I’d said was out of line, but there was no need to snarl at me as if I were a bad dog. He’d grilled me about my life choices, turning on the seduction to pry information out of me. He’d arrogantly informed me that I wasn’t going to get any information from him that might help me do my job. Yeah, the vampires were paying me, but a business arrangement like this had an unspoken agreement for a good-faith exchange of information. And I’d had more of this vampire tonight than I could stand.
He’d abandoned me last night in a shitty neighborhood miles from home and never even apologized. But I guess as my minder, my parole-officer for this job, he didn’t need to apologize.
“Fuck you.” I slapped my napkin on the table and without even a glance in his direction, got up and stomped out the door. I had money for a cab. Heck, I could walk home if I didn’t have these heels on. I wasn’t one of his vampire groupies, I wasn’t about to have him tell me to “watch my tone”, like I was his needy, desperate, blood-slave.
Chapter 4
T AXIS WEREN’T ALWAYS the easiest to find in Little Italy, especially on a Thursday night, so I headed toward the Inner Harbor, knowing I’d encounter one there with all the clubs and tourists. Three blocks later I had to lean against
The Lobster Alfredo turned into a lead weight inside my stomach. We weren’t here because he found me attractive, or my O-Negative Templar blood irresistible. We weren’t here because he thought I was a cool person to hang out and have dinner with. We were here because he was supposed to keep an eye on me and report back to his Mistress. All those Bloody Marys and drinks with plastic swords had meant nothing. Yes, he wanted me, but I was off limits. This meant nothing but business to him.
And that shouldn’t bother me as much as it did.
Fine. Screw him. If Dario wanted business, he’d get business. I’d hit up the internet when I got back to my place and figure out what the connection was between the Robertsons and the vampires. Then I’d finish up the job and have the joy of never dealing with these soulless blood-suckers again.
I ate my pasta in silence, not worrying about small talk anymore. Let the vampires foot the bill for a decent meal. It’s not like I needed to impress my companion with my quick wit or anything. Eat. Go home. Get to work.
My plate was nearly half empty by the time Dario broke the silence. “I’ll give your information to Leonora about the spell being necromantic in nature.”
It wasn’t anything close to an apology. Business. This was all about business. “Please let me know what she says.”
I interpreted his expression as “when pigs fly”. “If Leonora wants you to know, then I will convey the information.”
My temper flared. I blamed it on the wine and my bruised ego. “You ask me to do a job, a job that I have a seven day deadline to complete or presumably I will cease to live, a job that, judging by all this, is important to the vampires here in Baltimore, but you won’t clarify details or communicate information I need to do the job?”
I completely couldn’t read the expression on his face, although I got the feeling I was supposed to. “You don’t need that information. Research the symbol. Tell us what it is, what it does, and do that in the next six days.”
I was beginning to hate vampires. No wonder my ancestors had killed them on sight. “All you do is repeat the party line to me. Can you tell me nothing without your Mistress’s approval? Do you ask her permission to feed? Does she pre-screen all of your prey? Isn’t there anything you can do without her authorization?”
The stem of the wineglass snapped in his hands. “Watch your tone.”
What I’d said was out of line, but there was no need to snarl at me as if I were a bad dog. He’d grilled me about my life choices, turning on the seduction to pry information out of me. He’d arrogantly informed me that I wasn’t going to get any information from him that might help me do my job. Yeah, the vampires were paying me, but a business arrangement like this had an unspoken agreement for a good-faith exchange of information. And I’d had more of this vampire tonight than I could stand.
He’d abandoned me last night in a shitty neighborhood miles from home and never even apologized. But I guess as my minder, my parole-officer for this job, he didn’t need to apologize.
“Fuck you.” I slapped my napkin on the table and without even a glance in his direction, got up and stomped out the door. I had money for a cab. Heck, I could walk home if I didn’t have these heels on. I wasn’t one of his vampire groupies, I wasn’t about to have him tell me to “watch my tone”, like I was his needy, desperate, blood-slave.
Chapter 4
T AXIS WEREN’T ALWAYS the easiest to find in Little Italy, especially on a Thursday night, so I headed toward the Inner Harbor, knowing I’d encounter one there with all the clubs and tourists. Three blocks later I had to lean against
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