If the circumstances were different, I’d kiss it off her face.
First, I need to get rid of this security risk. As I place the toy in the box, Catrina hops on the table. Sniffing the packaging, she arches her back and hisses. With a cat-growl, she ricochets off the back wall and races to the top landing. Above us, she narrows her gaze, and yowls pathetically.
“Shit. Something sure as hell is off.”
For once, Rose doesn’t disagree and as I arrange for Patten to send a messenger, she frowns at the package. “It’s probably a cheap knockoff, anyhow. They’ve been out of stock for weeks.”
“What about her?” I glance up at the cat, poised and ready to attack.
“Catrina has issues. Ignore her.” Yawning, she watches me pack up the stuffed toy and tuck it under my arm.
As I turn to head back upstairs, she touches my bicep. “Listen, now the package has arrived, and no one attempted to murder me, I think we should consider your job done. Suds and Sam can come back home, and you can go back to doing whatever it is you do.”
Her dejected tone makes me smile. “How about we wait and see what the lab has to say?”
“Mmm. Okay.” She stifles another yawn but can’t open her door until I raise the stairs, so I ignore the urge to kiss her.
“Nitey-nite, Rose. Sleep tight.”
“G’night.” Her eyes linger on my lips until her phone, sitting on the kitchen counter, warbles.
“Shit.” She stumbles, unplugs the charger and as she reads, her eyes pop wide open.
“Is something wrong?” At my rhetorical question, she flutters her eyelashes, feigns disinterest and slips her electronics in her robe’s pocket.
“Nope. Nothing.”
Dammit. She’s lying.
Chapter 10
Rose
The message from my uncle Vinny was clear. I’m to meet with him tonight and come alone. A chill runs down my spine because the or-else is implied. In the past, he would’ve insisted Joey accompany me.
Before I can respond to the text, my bossy bodyguard reaches into my pocket, grabs my phone, and shoves it in my face. “Unlock it.”
I do as he says, he reads, then his tone goes low and growly. “A meetup? Alone? Are you fucking kidding? Who sent this?”
“It’s no big deal. Vampires, as a rule, don’t come out until after two.” My humor falls flat
“You’re not leaving without me.” Wheels crosses his thick arms and glares with those sexy brown eyes which I ignore as best I can.
The way his chin juts out, I have no say in the matter. “Fine. I’ll tell him I’m not coming. Happy now?”
In one respect, the bodyguard’s concern for my welfare is sweet. In another, the too-familiar behavior suffocates me. Regardless, he will never understand. Saying no to my uncle is not an option and he won’t let anything bad happen to his favorite niece… at least I hope not.
I weigh the plusses and the minuses of my plan. Wheels will never forgive me but on the bright side, I’ll have plenty of time and can learn to crochet.
Not by chance, the little pills live in my junk drawer, near the bottle opener. I’m not an idiot when it comes to blind dates and do what needs to be done if a man is about to take advantage of me.
I crack open a couple beers, drop a roofie in his, and stroll back to my living room. “Shit. Now, I’m wide awake. Do you mind if I keep you company while you wait for the messenger?”
Placing his bottle on the table, I sip mine, and scroll through my Netflix app. “How about a movie?”
“Sure. Why not.” As my unsuspecting victim sits on the couch, I cuddle close and share our options.
We laugh about the awful ones we’ve seen and funny enough, seem to have the same weird taste in movies. I’m not proud at how good I am at manipulating men, but I need to go and if he were to follow me, he could get killed.
