Vampire's Companion by Jory Strong Page A

leave.” It came out stark, more pain-filled than she’d intended.
    “What happened?”
    She forced herself to sound carefree. “Why don’t I tell you over coffee and a pastry if you’ve already eaten lunch?”
    “I’ll do you one better. Come to the house. The kitchen is all yours. In fact, the place is all yours. Tell you more when you get here. I’ll even have lunch waiting.”
    “I’m on my way.” A quick double check, not that she’d done more than unpack the clothes she needed for today, and she was out the door.
    She jerked to a stop at seeing the black SUV parked to the left. Heat crawled up her neck and into her face at recognizing Terach’s lover in the driver’s seat.
    She’d dreamed of him last night, dreamed of them , as though instead of turning away from the bed and rushing from Fangs, she’d joined Terach and this stranger in it.
    Ignore him.
    Impossible.
    A light haze appeared around him. It clung, darkening to become mustard yellow washed through with gray.
    No. No. She didn’t want this in her life again. She’d left Las Vegas to get away from it.
    He shouldn’t have come after her. Terach shouldn’t have sent him. Rico shouldn’t have betrayed her destination.
    She turned away, the ache caused by Rico’s involvement unsustainable when it collided with the image of Terach’s hair draped over this man’s thighs, his mouth obviously on this man’s cock.
    Behind her a car window rolled down.
    “This is how you repay Terach when he saved your life? By acting like a scared child and running. By throwing away everything he has to offer, including love.”
    Coldness swept in. Her lungs froze. She whirled, the colors hazed around him still there. “Tell me why you think he saved my life.”
    He bared his teeth. “On one condition. I’ve got the task of watching over you and keeping you safe. Let me hang with you and I’ll tell you at nightfall.”
    No. But she bit off her first response.
    No. And that second response was even weaker.
    Her gun hand tightened on the suitcase handle.
    The need for answers had driven her to Fangs in the hopes they would lead to her being cleared for duty. Here was validation that something had happened that night besides a one-night stand.
    Did she really want to find out what? Did she really prefer the truth over a self-diagnosis of PTSD?
    Her palm grew slick. Fine tremors went through her. The color around him changed, mustard shading into orange with streaks of light gray, then fading altogether.
    “Until nightfall,” she said, stomach cramping.
    “You coming back here?”
    “No. I’m staying at a friend’s place.”
    “I’ll follow you,” Israel said, silently cursing himself.
    He’d made a mistake. He’d let desperation get the better of him.
    He’d thought himself calm, cool and collected despite having to chase after her instead of remaining with Terach.
    But when Cia had turned away…
    She’d pissed him off.
    And even knowing it wasn’t smart, he wanted to stay pissed.
    In the end, one way or another, she might cause him to be sent away. She might cost him Terach.
    He wanted to hate her, but he’d glimpsed her fear, and it had done what her actions couldn’t—softened his attitude.
    Cia might not consciously believe vampires existed, but whatever memories Terach had implanted to explain what had happened weren’t holding.
    He’d read the truth.
    What was he going to tell her? How much?
    He pounded on the steering wheel. Once. Twice.
    Then laughed, exhilaration rushing in. It had been years since he dared to express his emotions or demonstrate them for fear they’d draw the wrong kind of attention.
    Estelle liked her pretty human trinkets to stay where she put them and not demand anything of her, most especially her attention after the fascination had passed.
    She wasn’t averse to having said baubles beaten, though she didn’t get her hands dirty or bother to watch the lesson being administered.
    He took a deep breath,