“Yes, my job. I told you I am the prime enforcer for my cadre. Typically that involves hunting down rogue vampires, but on occasion I do assist with other tasks as needed. One of them being following up anytime a human gets a little too close to the truth about us. Tressa is the one who would normally handle these kinds of visits since she has, well, let’s just say she has more of a gentle touch than I do. She was occupied, though, so you get me.”
Cora could have sworn that he looked a little embarrassed.
“After speaking with you, it does seem like everything in your script was merely a coincidence,” he continued as if discussing something no more exciting than the weather. “I had thought perhaps a rogue was feeding you information, but apparently this has been little more than a waste of time.”
Saiden reached out to place a hand on Cora’s shoulder, and she jerked away like it was a snake that might bite her. Easing herself away from the nut job, she did her best not to let it show that she was seconds away from running for dear life. She was such an idiot to let herself get trapped in a warehouse with a stranger. Especially when she had literally just been thinking that he looked like the type of guy who would lure a girl to her death.
“Um, I think I need to go check some things in the upstairs office,” she stammered, wishing she was an actor instead of a director. “How about you let yourself out, and I’ll be in touch after I make a decision.” She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it probably came across more like a manic clown.
“I’m afraid I can’t leave you just yet, Cora,” Saiden declared, reclaiming the small amount of distance she had put between them. “Regardless of how our secrets got into your script, I can’t let them stay there. If you will just calm down, this can all be over soon.”
Chapter seven
Saiden
This is why I don’t go on these kinds of missions,Saiden thought, trying to squash his annoyance with himself.
It was more than obvious that he had handled the entire situation poorly, as was evident by the girl’s racing pulse and twitching facial muscles. He trusted that Eliana knew what she was doing most of the time, but nobody could always get it right, and sending him here was clearly a mistake. Maim and murder were his specialties. Covertly retrieving information and wiping memories? Not his bag.
His original plan was to compel her into destroying every copy of the script she had shared then forget about meeting him entirely. He figured he could leave a memory behind that the auditions were so awful she decided to make a different movie instead and wanted no reminders of her failed attempt.
That ship seemed to have sailed, though. His weak compulsion skills would barely take hold if she was this scared, and the slightest reference to vampires in the future might trigger something.
He sighed. Nothing he did at this point was going to end well.
Unless… He could always try seducing her to see if that got her tocalm down enough. He was pretty sure that women found him relatively attractive, and while seduction would never be listed under the skills section of his resume, he could always give it a shot. He couldn’t be that rusty, right?
He took a step closer to Cora. Her eyes widened, and he fought the twinge of guilt that look of fear sparked in him.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” he said, dropping his voice low and aiming for a husky, sensual tone. “Perhaps we could try again. I’m very interested in getting to know you, Cora.”
To his pleasant surprise, her tight lips relaxed into a smile, and she eased up close to him, her face hovering mere inches from his. A familiar scent wafted over him, and he had to force himself not to be distracted into analyzing it. He needed to keep all his focus on charming this meek little mouse.
When she placed a hand on either of his shoulders, he knew he had her.
“You’re interested in getting to know me?” she asked, gazing up at him with enchantment in her eyes.
“I am,” he purred, his voice deep and sultry.
Leaning in even closer, her breath dancing over the shell of his ear, she whispered, “Well I’m not.”
Then she kneed him squarely in the balls.
Saiden crumpled to the cold floor, clutching his sac. Lilith save him from modern day women. This would never have happened in the 1700’s.
Massaging his abused genitals, he lifted his head to see her dashing across the warehouse toward the front door. So much for seduction. And so much for that adorably awkward and innocent little creature he’d first assumed her to be. She had fight and fire in her. Normally those were qualities he’d admire in a woman, but not when his nutswere aching, and he still needed to get the job done.
Since seducing her was clearly out, he had exactly one option left to keep her from fighting him. He didn’t love using it, as annoying and time-consuming as it was, but this little hellcat left him no choice. He would just have to convince her that he was a legitimate vampire, then wait for her to calm down after the truth settled in. Eventually she would accept her fate, they always did, and compelling her would be smooth sailing. Or as smooth as one could get when traversing the Atlantic in a rowboat.
Giving his balls one last soothing rub, Saiden climbed to his feet and raced over to block the front door. To her mortal eyes, his vampiric speed probably appeared as if he teleported, but he needed to shock her into hearing him out.
She came skidding to a halt and tried to veer around him, but lost her balance and made a nosedive toward the floor. His hand shot out, snagging the back of her sweater and preventing yet another fall. He wrapped his hands around her waist to steady her but dropped them the moment she started to struggle.
Cora reared back and gawked at him while he merely watched her, waiting patiently. It was always the same. She looked to where she left him and then back to where he stood now.
Yes, he thought,keep going.You’ll put it together.
“You…” she stuttered. “You were…”
