Page 60 of Taste of Blood

“I’ll take this back to Dante. He’ll likely put a surveillance team on this place until we know what we’re dealing with.”

I can’t get the picture out of my head of Cord bleeding out on the wall of my apartment building last night. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

He grins at me. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let these fuckers get the drop on me twice.” He turns back to Elaine. “Thanks for the information. I’ll be waiting to hear back from you.”

“No problem. Now that I know what it’s for,” she glances at me pointedly, “I’ll be especially motivated to dig through that chat room.”

I guess I should have told her more about my reasons for requesting this search, but Cord was sitting there at the time and I didn’t know how much he was willing to reveal.

“Okay, well, I’ll get out of your hair.” He turns to leave and I grab his arm, pulling him close and lowering my voice so only he hears me.

“Don’t be a stranger.”

His eyes meet mine, sending a rush of lust coursing through my veins. “I’ll be around.”

I watch him walk to the elevator, appreciating the view while worrying about him confronting these people again. After he’s gone, Elaine looks up at me with a smirk.

“How long have you two been together?”

“What gives you that idea?”

She snorts. “Come on. I could literally see the sparks flying between you two. That’s some next-level chemistry.”

I really don’t want to talk about this with her. “We’re kind of on again, off again.”

I turn to go back to my office and she jumps up to follow. That’s the problem with someone who chases secrets for a living. She doesn’t know when to let it go.

“I’d say it looks like it’s definitely on again. Is he what’s had you so distracted lately?”

“Elaine.”

“Oh come on, Asher. Throw me a bone. I don’t have a love life of my own so I have to live vicariously through others. He’s super hot, by the way. Got that whole bad boy energy going.”

I grin at her in spite of myself; I can’t argue with her there. “Don’t you have work to do?”

She pretends to pout. “Fine. Be that way. But if I had that voice whispering in my ear at night, I’d never get out of bed.”

Little does she know I feel the same way.

21: Cord

DANTE LOOKS OVER the map once more, his fingers tapping a rapid staccato on the desk. Ever since I brought him the information Asher’s PA gave me, he’s been holed up in his office staring at his computer. He glances over at me.

“What do you think?”

I toss the empty blood bag in his trash can and wipe my lips. Sure, it’s no substitute for live, especially the stuff Asher gets, but I’m taking every opportunity to refuel. After what happened in that alley, I’m not going to get caught short again.

Coming around the desk, I peer over his shoulder and point at the map on the screen. “We could station lookouts on the roof here and here. Then two small groups in vans could park on either corner and watch who comes and goes.”

“Reconnaissance only.”

“Of course. We don’t want to go in till we know what we’re dealing with. If the Python is in there, I’m sure security will be tight. I don’t want to go up against those fuckers we fought in the alley without numbers.”

“No, you’re right. I’m not going to lose any more men to this asshole.”

He looks across the room to his second, Gio. “You’ll take point on this.”

He rarely sends Gio out into the field on a mission with the men. When they go, they usually go together. If Gio is surprised, he schools his expression well.