“I said I’d be using the computer mostly. I still have a few other things I need to check out that involve boots on the ground.”
“Eric or Nathan can be your eyes and ears.”
“I don’t think so.”
“That’s ok. I do.”
“My contacts won’t speak to them. They hate vampires.”
The blond turned around. “You’re a vampire.”
“Yeah, but I’m more vampire-lite. You’re the full fat, nothing held back type of vampire. They won’t speak to you.”
His face showed outrage. “There’s not an ounce of fat on this body.”
He pulled up his shirt, showing an eight pack of abs. He was right. There wasn’t a speck of fat on him that I can see.
“I don’t think my contacts will be impressed by your abs,” I said, keeping my voice bland. Caroline might, but the sorcerer would probably try to curse him.
“Everyone is impressed with my abs,” Nathan said.
I didn’t doubt that. They were impressive.
“Then you’re planning to run around without your shirt for the next few days?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Enough,” Liam said, before the blond could reply with the innuendo I could see brewing behind his eyes. “Give him your contact’s name, and Nathan will see about getting the information you need from them. If he can’t get someone to talk, you can step in from there.”
He had an answer for everything. It was a reasonable plan, and I hated it on the spot.
“That doesn’t really work for me.”
“I don’t care if it works for you. You’re going to do what I say so I can keep your stubborn ass alive.”
Nope. Not happening.
“Thought you said this job wasn’t dangerous,” I said. I didn’t remember if he had or hadn’t but it sounded good.
“Things have escalated. It’s no longer safe for you to act alone.”
He should have thought about that before he handed me this job. I didn’t even know why I was arguing with him besides the fact that I didn’t want to be pinned down. I had a feeling if I went back with them to the hotel, they would put me under lock and key until their selection took place.
While I was fine with that when it came to Thomas not finding his descendants, I was less fine if it meant letting this demon tainted monster affect the rest of the city.
No one had given me any assurances that this thing only went after spooks and it had already attacked someone at the library. Caroline worked there. With no knowledge of the supernatural world or how to protect herself from it, she’d be easy pickings if this thing switched its focus to humans or if she stumbled on something she shouldn’t see.
I rolled up my sleeve and flashed him the mark, a lion with thorns entangling it. “I’m pretty sure this thing says you can’t tell me what to do.”
His face turned hard. His hand flashed out, grabbing my arm over the mark. It felt like I was being burned by the cold emanating from his skin. It sunk deep, tangling with the lion and shooting sparks into my bloodstream. I gritted my teeth against the scream of pain. I wasn’t giving the bastard the satisfaction.
It was over quickly, the icy feeling retreating and leaving raw nerve endings behind.
Liam removed his hand, leaving a mark behind. When the sorcerer had first placed the mark on me, it had been a silver tattoo with glints of a metallic purple making up a stylized lion with thorns wrapped around it. Now in addition to the purple were streaks of green with an oak tree growing behind the lion.
“What did you just do?” I couldn’t keep the horror out of my voice.
“Oh boy,” Nathan said, twisting to face forward.
“What the hell did you just do?” I shook my arm at Liam wanting to slap that non-expression off his face. If he’d done what I thought he had, I was going to shoot him. Damn the consequences.
