asked.
“Navarro’s diabolical,” Joe said, a smile stretching his sexy mouth.
If Pia hadn’t already met Max, she might have melted into a puddle,
this man was so handsome.
“I think I need a drink,” Dylan said. “You’re still in a hydrated
state, Pia—so I assume your meeting wasn’t a total disaster.”
Joe glanced at his watch. “You work fast. It’s only an hour past dusk.”
Pia looked from one curious male face to the other. How could she admit
she’d been a dismal failure? “Well, I-I met him last night.”
Joe’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, I see.” His gaze turned speculative. “I take
it, he didn’t know you were a vampire.”
Pia wished they’d change the subject. “Not at first,” she said, her
teeth grinding with annoyance.
“But he does now, and you’re still standing.” Joe glanced at Dylan.
“I’m impressed.”
Dylan shrugged. “Seems our girl here has found a chink in the tough
guy’s armor. Tell me why you’re so eager to leave? Looks like your work’s just
begun.”
Pia blew out an agitated breath. “He made it quite clear he didn’t want
to see me again.”
“You!”
Pia jumped at the familiar voice and her stomach sank.
Quentin Albermarle—the bane of her professional existence—filled the
door, a look black as thunder on his face. “What the devil are you doing here?”
The large, blond vampire advanced menacingly.
Pia refused to back up a step. “Hello, Quentin. Don’t worry about me.
I-I was just leaving.”
“Do I detect a bit of animosity?” Emmy asked, her eyes too wide and
guileless to be believed.
“She’s a menace!” Quentin said, pointing a damning finger in Pia’s
direction. “A walking disaster!”
Annoyed he could still hold a grudge when she’d obviously done him no
lasting harm, Pia straightened to her full height. “How was I supposed to know
you weren’t killing that woman? She sounded hysterical.”
“I was tickling her—she was laughing hysterically !” he said, his
face turning purple. “Besides, if you thought I was killing her, why didn’t you
aim higher?”
Pia glanced at the others to see whether a rescue was imminent, but
Dylan merely coughed, and Joe’s lips twitched.
She scowled at them both. “Who said I missed?” No way would she tell
these arrogant assholes she’d been aiming for his heart. She couldn’t help it
her palms had been moist, and the crossbow slipped.
“You meant to shoot me in the ass?” A tic pulsed next to his eye.
Pia decided discretion might be the better course. After all, she
didn’t ever have to see this odious vamp again. She crossed her arms over her
chest and glared. “I apologized. It was a natural mistake.”
“Natural?” He leaned down, so close his nose nearly touched hers. Then
his face grew still. “Bugger me. Tell me Navarro didn’t send this chit here.”
“’Fraid so,” Joe said, his tone mild.
“What the hell was he thinking?”
“She spent the night with Max.”
Quentin drew back and stared. “Fuck me. And she’s still standing?”
“Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?” Dylan said dryly.
Quentin looked her up and down, and then walked around her. When he’d
finished his circuit, he frowned. “I need a drink.”
“Drinks all around, it is!” Emmy said gaily.
“Make a note, Dylan,” Quentin said, his voice still hard. “She’s never
to hold a weapon within a hundred yards of me.”
“Looks like you’re staying,” Emmy whispered in her ear as she handed
her a tumbler of amber liquid.
Pia didn’t even sniff to see what she’d been given. She tossed it back
and then coughed. The whiskey warmed her all the way to her belly. “Who says
I’m staying? He knows what I am. If he sees me again, I’m potting soil.”
Emmy pressed her down into a chair. Then her gaze turned mean as she
surveyed the men. “So is someone going to tell me what this is all about? What
problem is Pia supposed to solve with Max?”
“Now, love,” Dylan said,
“Navarro’s diabolical,” Joe said, a smile stretching his sexy mouth.
If Pia hadn’t already met Max, she might have melted into a puddle,
this man was so handsome.
“I think I need a drink,” Dylan said. “You’re still in a hydrated
state, Pia—so I assume your meeting wasn’t a total disaster.”
Joe glanced at his watch. “You work fast. It’s only an hour past dusk.”
Pia looked from one curious male face to the other. How could she admit
she’d been a dismal failure? “Well, I-I met him last night.”
Joe’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, I see.” His gaze turned speculative. “I take
it, he didn’t know you were a vampire.”
Pia wished they’d change the subject. “Not at first,” she said, her
teeth grinding with annoyance.
“But he does now, and you’re still standing.” Joe glanced at Dylan.
“I’m impressed.”
Dylan shrugged. “Seems our girl here has found a chink in the tough
guy’s armor. Tell me why you’re so eager to leave? Looks like your work’s just
begun.”
Pia blew out an agitated breath. “He made it quite clear he didn’t want
to see me again.”
“You!”
Pia jumped at the familiar voice and her stomach sank.
Quentin Albermarle—the bane of her professional existence—filled the
door, a look black as thunder on his face. “What the devil are you doing here?”
The large, blond vampire advanced menacingly.
Pia refused to back up a step. “Hello, Quentin. Don’t worry about me.
I-I was just leaving.”
“Do I detect a bit of animosity?” Emmy asked, her eyes too wide and
guileless to be believed.
“She’s a menace!” Quentin said, pointing a damning finger in Pia’s
direction. “A walking disaster!”
Annoyed he could still hold a grudge when she’d obviously done him no
lasting harm, Pia straightened to her full height. “How was I supposed to know
you weren’t killing that woman? She sounded hysterical.”
“I was tickling her—she was laughing hysterically !” he said, his
face turning purple. “Besides, if you thought I was killing her, why didn’t you
aim higher?”
Pia glanced at the others to see whether a rescue was imminent, but
Dylan merely coughed, and Joe’s lips twitched.
She scowled at them both. “Who said I missed?” No way would she tell
these arrogant assholes she’d been aiming for his heart. She couldn’t help it
her palms had been moist, and the crossbow slipped.
“You meant to shoot me in the ass?” A tic pulsed next to his eye.
Pia decided discretion might be the better course. After all, she
didn’t ever have to see this odious vamp again. She crossed her arms over her
chest and glared. “I apologized. It was a natural mistake.”
“Natural?” He leaned down, so close his nose nearly touched hers. Then
his face grew still. “Bugger me. Tell me Navarro didn’t send this chit here.”
“’Fraid so,” Joe said, his tone mild.
“What the hell was he thinking?”
“She spent the night with Max.”
Quentin drew back and stared. “Fuck me. And she’s still standing?”
“Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?” Dylan said dryly.
Quentin looked her up and down, and then walked around her. When he’d
finished his circuit, he frowned. “I need a drink.”
“Drinks all around, it is!” Emmy said gaily.
“Make a note, Dylan,” Quentin said, his voice still hard. “She’s never
to hold a weapon within a hundred yards of me.”
“Looks like you’re staying,” Emmy whispered in her ear as she handed
her a tumbler of amber liquid.
Pia didn’t even sniff to see what she’d been given. She tossed it back
and then coughed. The whiskey warmed her all the way to her belly. “Who says
I’m staying? He knows what I am. If he sees me again, I’m potting soil.”
Emmy pressed her down into a chair. Then her gaze turned mean as she
surveyed the men. “So is someone going to tell me what this is all about? What
problem is Pia supposed to solve with Max?”
“Now, love,” Dylan said,
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