really need a drink . I looked down at my ruined clothing. And a new suit.
“What do you know about the fey assassin? Did the First Sword hire her? Were you sent here to be a distraction?”
“I know nothing of her. I just happened to see her before you did. I swear it.”
“You’ll be doing it without your balls if I find out different. Stand up. Your pledge is accepted.” I waved at the, uh, crime scene . “Clean this shit up before someone comes over to investigate the rape of my car. I’m going in to fix myself.”
I turned my back on him and walked toward my front door. I’d just gotten inside when my phone played Tears of the Dragon , Old Man’s ringtone. I plucked the phone from a half torn pocket, surprised that the phone hadn’t been fried by all the lightning. I answered. “Yeah?”
“Where are you?” It was the Old Man.
“Got held up by a fey assassin from the Storm Court. She’s dead. This could be an in-house problem related to the clan gathering, or part of that mess with the mountain giant. Too early to say.” Waiting, I passed through the living room and took the hall toward my bedroom.
The Old Man stayed silent.
“You still there?” I asked.
“Come in and keep your eyes open.”
I went into my bedroom, kicked off my shoes, and one-handedly began stripping off the tatters I was wearing. “One thing I need to know,” I told him. “Did you assign personal security to me?”
“No, not that it’s a bad idea. Why?”
I told him about Zero-T.
“The First Sword’s work. He’s technically covering his ass by providing security, but letting his guard know that their hearts don’t have to be in their work where you’re concerned. I’ll have a word with him.”
“I can fight my own battles,” I said. “Besides, I think I made a convert. I’ll let him tag along. Who knows, I might even find a use for him”
Maybe as an inhuman shield . He ought to be glad to take a few bullets for me.
I killed the connection and set the phone aside.
Naked, I went into my private bath to shower off the blood and gore that was sticking to me. I made quick work of it, disliking the quiet from the extra-dimensional space that held my hot tub.
Hmmm. When did I become a social creature?
I toweled off and returned to my room. Minutes later, dressed in an all-black suit, I headed for the front door. Osamu needed the limo so I only had my second Mustang, my project car, for transportation. I didn’t want to risk it. Besides, if Zero-T was going to be following me anyway,
I figured I might as well catch a ride with him. I smiled.
Let’s see you stay out of the next fight when you’re with me at ground zero.
I went outside and there was no trace of my destroyed car or the dead fey. Zero-T stood just off the porch. He held out the PPK I’d dropped earlier. “You might need this.”
I nodded thanks, looked the gun over for signs of tampering, and made a mental note to replace the magazine with a fresh clip first chance I got.
Can’t be too careful.
I strolled past him, heading for his car. “You can drive, or give me your keys.”
“No one drives my baby, but me!”
I smiled. “Thought you might say that. Come on, I don’t have all day.”
He hurried to catch up as I crossed the lawn, sauntering straight for his Volvo C-70. He passed me and moved around to the driver door. I vaulted into the air and dropped into the back, my butt bouncing on the butterscotch leather seat. Zero-T said nothing, but I sensed his displeasure at my cavalier treatment of his ride. He slid into the driver seat, buckled up, and stared at me in the rearview mirror. “Where to?”
“The Velvet Door.”
His eyes widened in the mirror, and then he looked away. Everyone in the L.A. area knew of the master vampire and the bar she ran. It was a neutral area where various preternatural factions could
“What do you know about the fey assassin? Did the First Sword hire her? Were you sent here to be a distraction?”
“I know nothing of her. I just happened to see her before you did. I swear it.”
“You’ll be doing it without your balls if I find out different. Stand up. Your pledge is accepted.” I waved at the, uh, crime scene . “Clean this shit up before someone comes over to investigate the rape of my car. I’m going in to fix myself.”
I turned my back on him and walked toward my front door. I’d just gotten inside when my phone played Tears of the Dragon , Old Man’s ringtone. I plucked the phone from a half torn pocket, surprised that the phone hadn’t been fried by all the lightning. I answered. “Yeah?”
“Where are you?” It was the Old Man.
“Got held up by a fey assassin from the Storm Court. She’s dead. This could be an in-house problem related to the clan gathering, or part of that mess with the mountain giant. Too early to say.” Waiting, I passed through the living room and took the hall toward my bedroom.
The Old Man stayed silent.
“You still there?” I asked.
“Come in and keep your eyes open.”
I went into my bedroom, kicked off my shoes, and one-handedly began stripping off the tatters I was wearing. “One thing I need to know,” I told him. “Did you assign personal security to me?”
“No, not that it’s a bad idea. Why?”
I told him about Zero-T.
“The First Sword’s work. He’s technically covering his ass by providing security, but letting his guard know that their hearts don’t have to be in their work where you’re concerned. I’ll have a word with him.”
“I can fight my own battles,” I said. “Besides, I think I made a convert. I’ll let him tag along. Who knows, I might even find a use for him”
Maybe as an inhuman shield . He ought to be glad to take a few bullets for me.
I killed the connection and set the phone aside.
Naked, I went into my private bath to shower off the blood and gore that was sticking to me. I made quick work of it, disliking the quiet from the extra-dimensional space that held my hot tub.
Hmmm. When did I become a social creature?
I toweled off and returned to my room. Minutes later, dressed in an all-black suit, I headed for the front door. Osamu needed the limo so I only had my second Mustang, my project car, for transportation. I didn’t want to risk it. Besides, if Zero-T was going to be following me anyway,
I figured I might as well catch a ride with him. I smiled.
Let’s see you stay out of the next fight when you’re with me at ground zero.
I went outside and there was no trace of my destroyed car or the dead fey. Zero-T stood just off the porch. He held out the PPK I’d dropped earlier. “You might need this.”
I nodded thanks, looked the gun over for signs of tampering, and made a mental note to replace the magazine with a fresh clip first chance I got.
Can’t be too careful.
I strolled past him, heading for his car. “You can drive, or give me your keys.”
“No one drives my baby, but me!”
I smiled. “Thought you might say that. Come on, I don’t have all day.”
He hurried to catch up as I crossed the lawn, sauntering straight for his Volvo C-70. He passed me and moved around to the driver door. I vaulted into the air and dropped into the back, my butt bouncing on the butterscotch leather seat. Zero-T said nothing, but I sensed his displeasure at my cavalier treatment of his ride. He slid into the driver seat, buckled up, and stared at me in the rearview mirror. “Where to?”
“The Velvet Door.”
His eyes widened in the mirror, and then he looked away. Everyone in the L.A. area knew of the master vampire and the bar she ran. It was a neutral area where various preternatural factions could
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