Concerned for Merry, Jason shook his head. “You need your rest. Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”
“Yeah, but I don’t trust her. She might knot together all your sheets and tablecloths and lower herself to the ground. Somebody has to baby-sit.”
Lila put her head in her hands. “I need a drink. And maybe several more between now and tomorrow.”
Merry nodded. “I figured you might.”
“Pick your poison,” Jason said, and strode to his bar.
“Lots of rum and a tiny bit of coke.”
“Hey…” Merry brightened. “I know just the person to watch her. He stays up all night anyway.”
“Who?” Jason asked.
“Sly.”
“Do you know where to find him?”
Merry shifted her weight from side to side and avoided eye contact. “I think so.”
“Fine. Can you do me a favor, though?”
“Anything.”
“Stop at the third floor on your way down and tell the girls that if they can’t guarantee their pet never leaves the apartment, I’d like them to find a new home for their owl—on a nice farm.”
“Already did.”
Merry tiptoed down to the basement. She hoped that the frigid night air had kept Sly inside. Did vampires feel extremes of temperature? Weren’t they already cold dead?
“Sly?” she whispered.
No answer came. She was about to call his name louder when she rotated around and came face to face with him. Instinctively, she recoiled and sucked in a deep breath.
“Don’t be afraid, Merry.”
“Sorry. You just surprised me.”
“I tend to do that to people. You were looking for me?”
“Yeah. I was wondering if I could ask you to do me a favor. A big favor.”
“Depends. If it’s to eat garlic bagels with you during the day, I can’t.”
She chuckled. “No, it’s nothing like that. I just need you to watch someone for me tonight. She’s up in Jason’s penthouse and until we can get her to rehab in the morning…”
“Ah, the nasty reporter,” he guessed.
“How did you know?”
“We’ve met. It’s hard to miss the alcohol on her breath.”
“That’s right. You told her my name was Allison. Well, she knows better now, and she’s threatening to ruin Jason’s and my reputations.”
“I don’t particularly care what she does to him, but if she’s out to embarrass or humiliate you, in any way, I can take care of that—permanently.”
“Oh, Christ no! I don’t want you to do anything except preventing her from sneaking out of Jason’s apartment during the night. I’d stay up with her myself, but I have to work tomorrow. Working as a nurse on only a couple of hours sleep is a dangerous idea.”
