Roaring Dawn: Macey Book 3 (The Gardella Vampire Hunters 10) by Colleen Gleason Page B

shot that showed an everyday street.” She extended a hand to Macey as she continued in her slightly accented voice, as if English wasn’t her native language but she’d been schooled in England. “I’m Sabrina Ellison, one of the photographers—as you’ve no doubt guessed. Thank you for braving the threatening weather and attending the exhibit.”
    Macey shook her hand, aware, so aware, of Grady’s attention sliding back and forth between them. The other woman’s grip was firm and confident, and Macey matched it with her own. “I’ve just arrived and this is the only picture I’ve seen, but I’m looking forward to enjoying more of them. Thank you so much for the background information on that one. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll let you finish your conversation, and I’ll move on to the next display.”
    Macey was relieved to make her escape. That wasn’t too bad . Her pulse was still a little fast, and her belly a little nauseated, but that would soon settle. She’d leave Grady to his stunning, older lady photographer and go off to find the mayor.
    At least his older lady photographer wouldn’t get him mauled by a vampire. Or worse.
    And with that thought, Macey realized with a mixture of relief and disappointment that she didn’t feel any indication the undead were present tonight.
    She turned to take a flute of carbonated cider from the tray of a passing waiter—desperately wishing for something stronger—when she caught sight of another familiar figure.
    Al Capone appeared to notice her at the same moment, for their eyes met and she recognized a flare of surprise in his gaze. He looked away quickly, then turned to speak to someone next to him without even nodding in her direction.
    Macey wasn’t particularly fond of Capone for several reasons that included his business ethics—or lack thereof—as well as the fact that he’d fairly kept her on house arrest for six months, manipulating her into being his personal bodyguard against the undead. Why he’d felt the need to have her watching his back when he was a Venator himself had been a source of anger for her, but he’d made it clear if she didn’t help him, he’d use his power to disrupt the lives of her friends and colleagues…“disrupt” being a euphemism for much stronger actions that likely would have involved Tommy guns or the like.
    After a particular crisis, Macey had finally realized how foolish she was being, allowing him to have such influence on her life, and told him to take a hike. Ever since then, she’d been admittedly concerned that Capone might not have gone very quietly into that good night—to quote the old poem—and was somehow planning his revenge, and would turn up at a most inopportune time.
    But instead of approaching her with his haughty ways, Capone seemed unwilling to even acknowledge her. Considering the fact that there’d been photographs of the two of them together splashed over the front page of the Tribune , Macey found that disturbing as well as curious.
    So she made her way through the strolling exhibit attendees directly to Capone’s side.
    “Good evening, Snorky,” she said with a broad smile, though she kept her gaze hard. “You’re looking fine tonight. Carbonara on the menu tonight at the Lexington, was it?”
    Capone actually glanced down at his tie to see if there was a spot to which she’d been referring, then snapped his face back up to look at her. “Evenin’, doll,” he said. His beady, dark eyes were darting around the room behind her, as if watching for something. “I hear your friend Vioget has…er…gone on to greener pastures.”
    “That’s right,” she replied. “You missed all of the excitement.”
    “That’s just the way I like it nowadays,” he said, easing back from her. “Nice seeing you, doll,” he added. “I got some biz-ness to attend to over there.”
    “I left a few things at the Lexington,” she told him, wondering why he was in such a hurry to make