“He purposely flaunted you in front of me,” Sophia seethed.
I could have corrected her because he’d ditched me practically the moment we arrived at her party, however, I needed to defuse not set off her volatile temper. “He only brought me to make you jealous.” I had no idea what Cillian had been thinking, but I’d say anything to try to calm Sophia down.
“Well, it worked,” snarled Sophia. “A little too well, seeing as I finally decided to end his miserable existence. With him gone, I can officially become Cryptid Overseer of the city?—”
I interrupted. “Given how rich and old you are, doesn’t that already make you the Vampire Queen for the area?”
“No.” A single bit off syllable. “Cillian was already well established in the top position when I relocated to the area.”
Cillian was the big boss for the city? Something he neglected to mention. “You moved here to reconnect with him but he wasn’t interested.” I spoke my assessment aloud.
Bad idea.
I never saw the hand that flashed out to grab me by the throat, but I felt it as it squeezed tight and lifted me from the floor.
Sophia’s expression turned ugly as she growled, “Cillian, being a stubborn and prideful man, chose to ignore my forgiveness, and taunted me by playing aloof, but he would have eventually returned to my bed.”
Doubtful. I began to see why they broke up. Luckily, I couldn’t speak that most likely life-ending realization. Sophia’s tightening fist crushed my throat and I had to wonder how much more pressure it would take before my head popped off like a dandelion. Remember that kid’s rhyme? Only in my case, it would be Vampire bitch got jealous and popped her rival’s head off.
“What I’m struggling with is, why you?” Sophia’s lip curled. “I researched you once I knew you existed. What a pathetic human life you led. How ugly you aged. Nothing special and yet, despite all the much more suitable and beautiful women to have crossed his path over the years, he chose you. I have to wonder if he had a mental lapse.”
“My mind is perfectly fine, it just so happens I am able to look past the physical to the spirit,” said a male voice.
It couldn’t be…
“Cillian?” Sophia’s shock answered the question.
“Surprise to see me?” From the shadows formed by the stacks of crates, my maker stepped into view looking handsome as ever—and angry. Holy thunderclouds. His expression could have been carved from granite.
“You’re supposed to be dead,” Sophia snapped.
“I’ll admit, you almost got me with that bomb. If I’d not stopped to run an errand, the explosion might have killed me. As it is, some of the shrapnel injured Randy, since he was waiting for me outside the business I visited when the car exploded.”
“I should have never trusted those idiots to handle your demise. I won’t make the same mistake next time,” snarled Sophia.
“There won’t be a next time, because this ends now. Put Skylar down and let’s get this over with.” Cillian shed his jacket and began rolling his cuffed sleeves.
“You want your whore? Have her,” Sophia shouted as she flung me in his direction. Kind of impressive, if you ask me. I mean, I soared a good ten feet through the air, as if I were a frisbee. She launched me high and far enough that Cillian caught me.
“Hello,” he said in that sexy voice of his while I blinked in surprise.
I managed to croak. “Huh.” It would appear my crushed throat would need a minute or two before I could speak properly.
“Sorry it took me so long to get here.” He actually apologized.
“Is ok.” The only thing I could whisper.
“Not really. I should have listened to Randy when he told me to keep a closer eye on Lou.” Cillian glanced past me to the body of his former bodyguard.
“He. Want. Fangs.” I managed to eke out an explanation.
“And yet to the very end he proved why he wasn’t worthy of them,” Cillian stated with a sigh.
While I remained happy to see Cillian alive, he seemed to be forgetting something. “Sophia?” Given we’d not been attacked, it could only mean the evil bitch chose fleeing instead of revenge.
“She is being handled.” As Cillian spoke, I heard a scuffle.
Sophia huffed, “Get out of my way you big oaf.”
