no.”
“But you’ve met him?”
Pia nodded, but still couldn’t meet his gaze.
“Met who?” A dark-haired man strode into the room. By his Latin features, Pia assumed he was the newest vamp, Joe Garcia.
“Max,” Dylan said.
“Is she the solution?” Joe’s dubious glance swept her from head to foot.
“We have a problem other than the werewolves that requires a solution?” Emmy asked, her glance swinging between the two men.
“Navarro’s diabolical,” Joe said, a smile stretching his sexy mouth.
If Pia hadn’t already met Max, she might have melted into a puddle, this man was so handsome.
“I think I need a drink,” Dylan said. “You’re still in a hydrated state, Pia—so I assume your meeting wasn’t a total disaster.”
Joe glanced at his watch. “You work fast. It’s only an hour past dusk.”
Pia looked from one curious male face to the other. How could she admit she’d been a dismal failure? “Well, I…I met him last night.”
Joe’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, I see.” His gaze turned speculative. “I take it, he didn’t know you were a vampire.”
Pia wished they’d change the subject. “Not at first,” she said, her teeth grinding with annoyance.
“But he does now, and you’re still standing.” Joe glanced at Dylan. “I’m impressed.”
Dylan shrugged. “Seems our girl here has found a chink in the tough guy’s armor. Tell me why you’re so eager to leave? Looks like your work’s just begun.”
Pia blew out an agitated breath. “He made it quite clear he didn’t want to see me again.”
“You!”
Pia jumped at the familiar voice and her stomach sank.
Quentin Albermarle—the bane of her professional existence—filled the door, a look as black as thunder on his face. “What the devil are you doing here?” The large, blond vampire advanced menacingly.
Pia refused to back up a step. “Hello, Quentin. Don’t worry about me. I—I was just leaving.”
“Do I detect a bit of animosity?” Emmy asked, her eyes too wide and guileless to be believed.
“She’s a menace!” Quentin said, pointing a damning finger in Pia’s direction. “A walking disaster!”
Annoyed he could still hold a grudge when she’d obviously done him no lasting harm, Pia straightened to her full height. “How was I supposed to know you weren’t killing that woman? She sounded hysterical.”
“I was tickling her—she was laughing hysterically !” he said, his face turning purple. “Besides, if you thought I was killing her, why didn’t you aim higher?”
Pia glanced at the others to see whether a rescue was imminent, but Dylan merely coughed, and Joe’s lips twitched.
She scowled at them both. “Who said I missed?” No way would she tell these arrogant assholes she’d been aiming for his heart. She couldn’t help it her palms had been moist, and the crossbow slipped.
“You meant to shoot me in the ass?” A tic pulsed next to his eye.
Pia decided discretion might be the better course. After all, she didn’t ever have to see this odious vamp again. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “I apologized. It was a natural mistake.”
“Natural?” He leaned down, so close his nose nearly touched hers. Then his face grew still. “Bugger me. Tell me Navarro didn’t send this chit here.”
“’Fraid so,” Joe said, his tone mild.
“What the hell was he thinking?”
“She spent the night with Max.”
Quentin drew back and stared. “Fuck me. And she’s still standing?”
“Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?” Dylan said dryly.
Quentin looked her up and down, and then walked around her. When he’d finished his circuit, he frowned. “I need a drink.”
“Drinks all around, it is!” Emmy said gaily.
“Make a note, Dylan,” Quentin said, his voice still hard. “She’s never to hold a weapon within a hundred yards of me.”
“Looks like you’re staying,” Emmy whispered in her ear as she handed her a tumbler of amber liquid.
Pia didn’t
“But you’ve met him?”
Pia nodded, but still couldn’t meet his gaze.
“Met who?” A dark-haired man strode into the room. By his Latin features, Pia assumed he was the newest vamp, Joe Garcia.
“Max,” Dylan said.
“Is she the solution?” Joe’s dubious glance swept her from head to foot.
“We have a problem other than the werewolves that requires a solution?” Emmy asked, her glance swinging between the two men.
“Navarro’s diabolical,” Joe said, a smile stretching his sexy mouth.
If Pia hadn’t already met Max, she might have melted into a puddle, this man was so handsome.
“I think I need a drink,” Dylan said. “You’re still in a hydrated state, Pia—so I assume your meeting wasn’t a total disaster.”
Joe glanced at his watch. “You work fast. It’s only an hour past dusk.”
Pia looked from one curious male face to the other. How could she admit she’d been a dismal failure? “Well, I…I met him last night.”
Joe’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, I see.” His gaze turned speculative. “I take it, he didn’t know you were a vampire.”
Pia wished they’d change the subject. “Not at first,” she said, her teeth grinding with annoyance.
“But he does now, and you’re still standing.” Joe glanced at Dylan. “I’m impressed.”
Dylan shrugged. “Seems our girl here has found a chink in the tough guy’s armor. Tell me why you’re so eager to leave? Looks like your work’s just begun.”
Pia blew out an agitated breath. “He made it quite clear he didn’t want to see me again.”
“You!”
Pia jumped at the familiar voice and her stomach sank.
Quentin Albermarle—the bane of her professional existence—filled the door, a look as black as thunder on his face. “What the devil are you doing here?” The large, blond vampire advanced menacingly.
Pia refused to back up a step. “Hello, Quentin. Don’t worry about me. I—I was just leaving.”
“Do I detect a bit of animosity?” Emmy asked, her eyes too wide and guileless to be believed.
“She’s a menace!” Quentin said, pointing a damning finger in Pia’s direction. “A walking disaster!”
Annoyed he could still hold a grudge when she’d obviously done him no lasting harm, Pia straightened to her full height. “How was I supposed to know you weren’t killing that woman? She sounded hysterical.”
“I was tickling her—she was laughing hysterically !” he said, his face turning purple. “Besides, if you thought I was killing her, why didn’t you aim higher?”
Pia glanced at the others to see whether a rescue was imminent, but Dylan merely coughed, and Joe’s lips twitched.
She scowled at them both. “Who said I missed?” No way would she tell these arrogant assholes she’d been aiming for his heart. She couldn’t help it her palms had been moist, and the crossbow slipped.
“You meant to shoot me in the ass?” A tic pulsed next to his eye.
Pia decided discretion might be the better course. After all, she didn’t ever have to see this odious vamp again. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “I apologized. It was a natural mistake.”
“Natural?” He leaned down, so close his nose nearly touched hers. Then his face grew still. “Bugger me. Tell me Navarro didn’t send this chit here.”
“’Fraid so,” Joe said, his tone mild.
“What the hell was he thinking?”
“She spent the night with Max.”
Quentin drew back and stared. “Fuck me. And she’s still standing?”
“Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?” Dylan said dryly.
Quentin looked her up and down, and then walked around her. When he’d finished his circuit, he frowned. “I need a drink.”
“Drinks all around, it is!” Emmy said gaily.
“Make a note, Dylan,” Quentin said, his voice still hard. “She’s never to hold a weapon within a hundred yards of me.”
“Looks like you’re staying,” Emmy whispered in her ear as she handed her a tumbler of amber liquid.
Pia didn’t
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