summons me, and you say the reason is immaterial ?”
“Kimber.” He couldn’t keep the exasperation out of his voice. Damn it all, did she have to fight him on everything? He took her arm and drew her to the side of the room. Keeping his voice low, he said, “Remember what happened the last time you didn’t do what she wanted?” To be fair, Maddalene hadn’t intended to injure Kimber, but sometimes what a vampire means to be a firm touch is enough to hurt a more fragile human.
Her lips thinned. One hand cupped her shoulder. The dislocated joint was long healed, but he knew she remembered the incident clearly. “And yet you say you can keep me safe if I move in with you?”
“Yes. Yes, I can, because Maddalene respects my wishes. And she needs me, so she won’t want to piss me off.” He was ninety-nine percent sure that last part was true. Well, maybe ninety-eight. Or seven. Regardless, if he gave them sanctuary, he would die before he let harm come to her or her friends. “We need to go. Now.”
She heaved a sigh. “Fine. I’ll go see what she wants. But if I get eaten by Maddalene, I’m going to haunt you.” She walked away from him. “Come on, Nat. Let’s get our weapons.”
The two women left the room, and Aodhán tipped his head to one side, studying Duncan. Finally the fey warrior said, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
He could read Duncan well and probably had picked up on micro-expressions on his face when he’d thought about how far Maddalene would let him go before she’d jerk back on the reins.
“There’s not really an alternative,” Duncan responded. “Unless we leave the city. Well, the state. But I gave my word to Maddalene that I’d stay as long as she need—”
“Screw that,” Aodhán muttered. He straightened. “You’ve repaid your debt to her tenfold. She’s taking advantage of your integrity, and you know it.”
Before Duncan could respond, Kimber and Natalie rejoined them. Each woman held a flashlight in one hand and their weapons—a hatchet for Kimber and a short sword for Natalie—in the other hand. “We’re ready,” Kimber said. “Well, as ready as we’ll ever be.”
Natalie had a look of false anticipation on her face. “It’ll be a grand adventure. I’m looking forward to it.”
Duncan shook his head. Women. Couldn’t live with them, couldn’t feed them to hungry vampires.
Thoughts of him sinking his fangs into Kimber’s throat, feeling her naked body beneath his as he also sank his cock into her hot depths, caused his body to tighten. With a muttered oath he opened the door and took a step back to avoid the fist coming down. His curse this time was louder. He hadn’t even heard the man in the hallway. He had to keep his libido under control or he’d get them all killed.
Carson Bishop dropped his hand to his side. “Sorry,” he said. “I was just getting ready to knock.”
Duncan knew the ex-cop lived a few apartments down with a couple of his former colleagues. Close enough to Kimber to drop by any time he wanted. And he did. A flare of jealousy surged, one which made no sense, and Duncan tightened his mouth. The damned woman was making him crazy. “We’re on our way out.”
Bishop moved out of the way. “Where’re you headed?”
“Maddalene’s.” Kimber raised her eyebrows and pulled a face. “The queen doth command our presence forthwith.”
“Not mine, I’m sure,” Aodhán interjected. “I’ll go with you as far as MLK Drive, but I’m going to head north from there and check on my people.”
“She specifically sent word that you were not to come,” Duncan said.
“Fine by me.”
Duncan looked at Bishop. “What brings you by?”
“I smelled hot dogs.” He glanced at Kimber. “And if you’re taking her to Maddalene, I think I’d better go along. Safety in numbers and all that.”
“You think I’d allow harm to come to her?” Duncan stared at the former cop. Jealousy and anger tightened his gut, made
“Kimber.” He couldn’t keep the exasperation out of his voice. Damn it all, did she have to fight him on everything? He took her arm and drew her to the side of the room. Keeping his voice low, he said, “Remember what happened the last time you didn’t do what she wanted?” To be fair, Maddalene hadn’t intended to injure Kimber, but sometimes what a vampire means to be a firm touch is enough to hurt a more fragile human.
Her lips thinned. One hand cupped her shoulder. The dislocated joint was long healed, but he knew she remembered the incident clearly. “And yet you say you can keep me safe if I move in with you?”
“Yes. Yes, I can, because Maddalene respects my wishes. And she needs me, so she won’t want to piss me off.” He was ninety-nine percent sure that last part was true. Well, maybe ninety-eight. Or seven. Regardless, if he gave them sanctuary, he would die before he let harm come to her or her friends. “We need to go. Now.”
She heaved a sigh. “Fine. I’ll go see what she wants. But if I get eaten by Maddalene, I’m going to haunt you.” She walked away from him. “Come on, Nat. Let’s get our weapons.”
The two women left the room, and Aodhán tipped his head to one side, studying Duncan. Finally the fey warrior said, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
He could read Duncan well and probably had picked up on micro-expressions on his face when he’d thought about how far Maddalene would let him go before she’d jerk back on the reins.
“There’s not really an alternative,” Duncan responded. “Unless we leave the city. Well, the state. But I gave my word to Maddalene that I’d stay as long as she need—”
“Screw that,” Aodhán muttered. He straightened. “You’ve repaid your debt to her tenfold. She’s taking advantage of your integrity, and you know it.”
Before Duncan could respond, Kimber and Natalie rejoined them. Each woman held a flashlight in one hand and their weapons—a hatchet for Kimber and a short sword for Natalie—in the other hand. “We’re ready,” Kimber said. “Well, as ready as we’ll ever be.”
Natalie had a look of false anticipation on her face. “It’ll be a grand adventure. I’m looking forward to it.”
Duncan shook his head. Women. Couldn’t live with them, couldn’t feed them to hungry vampires.
Thoughts of him sinking his fangs into Kimber’s throat, feeling her naked body beneath his as he also sank his cock into her hot depths, caused his body to tighten. With a muttered oath he opened the door and took a step back to avoid the fist coming down. His curse this time was louder. He hadn’t even heard the man in the hallway. He had to keep his libido under control or he’d get them all killed.
Carson Bishop dropped his hand to his side. “Sorry,” he said. “I was just getting ready to knock.”
Duncan knew the ex-cop lived a few apartments down with a couple of his former colleagues. Close enough to Kimber to drop by any time he wanted. And he did. A flare of jealousy surged, one which made no sense, and Duncan tightened his mouth. The damned woman was making him crazy. “We’re on our way out.”
Bishop moved out of the way. “Where’re you headed?”
“Maddalene’s.” Kimber raised her eyebrows and pulled a face. “The queen doth command our presence forthwith.”
“Not mine, I’m sure,” Aodhán interjected. “I’ll go with you as far as MLK Drive, but I’m going to head north from there and check on my people.”
“She specifically sent word that you were not to come,” Duncan said.
“Fine by me.”
Duncan looked at Bishop. “What brings you by?”
“I smelled hot dogs.” He glanced at Kimber. “And if you’re taking her to Maddalene, I think I’d better go along. Safety in numbers and all that.”
“You think I’d allow harm to come to her?” Duncan stared at the former cop. Jealousy and anger tightened his gut, made
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