Keeping Cambria by Kitty DuCane Page A

chest and vibrated her breastbone against the bar. Where in hell was Todd with that shotgun she knew he had?
    “I was planning to kill you just for talking to the werewolf.”
    “Really? And now?”
    “Now you’re bait.”
    Cambria blinked slowly and tried to force some air into her lungs. Glancing around told her that the entire establishment was in some kind of trance, and Todd wouldn’t be rescuing her tonight. She cleared her throat. “Why would these Hell’s Hunters come looking for me?”
    In a lightning-quick move that had her eyes catching up to her head, he spun her around and pressed her back against the bar with another thud. “Thanks for pushing my breastbone back into place. Now, you were saying?”
    He bunched his brows together in surprise. “I’m going to hurt you.”
    That much she knew. “Well, before you hurt me, answer two questions.” I need another shot of whiskey. “Do you know a Steven Johnson or any vampire who knows Steven?”
    “In the face of danger, you ask me about someone?”
    Cambria hoped she could keep up this bullshit, but the shakes threatened to topple her from her perch. “I tend to talk when I get scared. Just answer the questions.”
    He arched a thick brow. “I’ll answer your two questions if you’ll shut the fuck up.”
    “Deal.”
    “I don’t know a Steven Johnson, and I haven’t heard of him. Now what’s your second question?”
    “Why would these hunters be looking for me?”
    His gaze held hers, and she purposely lifted her chin a little. Then he had the audacity to throw his head back and laugh like the insane man he was. Apparently, it didn’t take much to amuse this vamp. “What’s so damn funny?”
    “I’m tempted just to turn you back over to them and let your sassy attitude and incessant mouth irritate the fucking hell out of them.”
    “I think I’ve been insulted.”
    He laughed again. Boy, you’re a jovial fellow. When he’d gotten control of himself, he said, “You have.”
    The vampire pulled a barstool to him and sat down in front of her, narrowing her escape opportunities. “You really don’t know, do you?”
    “No, Mr…” She waited for a name, and when he didn’t offer, she said, “Vampire. I don’t know why they want me.”
    “Those marks on your neck. They’re mating bites. You are their mate.”
    She knew what a mate was—in freaking romance books. Surely that shit wasn’t real? “Well, just kill me now.”
    He leaned back and laughed again. She cut her eyes at him ‘cause she was damn serious. A husband—or two—was not in the plan. “Listen, the last thing I want is a mate, much less two vampires, present company in cluded.”
    He grinned again.
    “So, we’re just going to wait?”
    “Yes. They’ll be here in a few.”
    “And you’re planning to kill them?”
“Yes.”
    Something like terror coursed through her. She didn’t necessarily want them dead, but, hell, she didn’t want to see them again, either. “I’m kinda cold. Can I put on my coat?”
    “No.”
    “No? I’m cold, damn it.”
    He lifted an eyebrow and suddenly a blast of hot air blew on her. Now I’ll die from heat prostration.
    “Shouldn’t you get up and get ready to kick their asses? You know. Be prepared?”
    “Oh, I’m not worried.”
    “Well, you should be. I’ve seen them fight six at a time wielding big-ass heavy swords like they weighed nothing.”
    The bastard laughed at her again. “You mean a sword as big as this?”
    A sword appeared in his hand, and it was just as nasty as the twins’. He whirled it around as if the damned thing weighed less than a feather. Sweat rolled down her back. “Okay. I’m warm now. Cut the damn heat off.”
    He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
    Well, at least this vamp had some manners.
    “They didn’t tell you what they really were, did they?”
    “I don’t know. They didn’t tell me they belong to some Hell’s Hunter club. Is that like the Boy Scouts?”
    He flashed is canines