Page 57 of The Silver Fox Vampire
Clare said nothing. Saul checked his watch. “I wonder how long he’ll be?”
As he spoke, Oliver strode back into the room, threw himself into a chair, and turned to Saul. “Shoot. Give me the plan for the evening.”
“Clare goes to The Den at 7 pm. We wait around the corner in an unmarked van, where we can intervene if there’s any need.”
“There won’t be,” Clare interjected smoothly.
Oliver threw her a withering glance. “Oh, you’re sure of that are you?”
“Pretty much.” She jutted her chin. “It’s just a simple reconnaissance exercise.”
His lips twisted. “Ah, the confidence of youth.”
“It has its advantages, sir.”
He merely grunted and resumed his conversation with Saul, like she was inconsequential. Anger flared white and bright inside her. Damn him, this had been her idea, she was the central player, how dare he be so condescending.
“If anything untoward happens, we also have three unmarked cars in the vicinity with backup,” Saul said.
“Three? That’s a bit over the top.” She found herself protesting, for no good reason other than to be a pain in Oliver’s ass. “Like I said, it’s just information gathering at this stage.”
“You’re undercover. Backup is standard policy,” Oliver barked at her. “Stop being a prima donna, Clare, and suck it up.”
She glared at him, pissed that he’d got the measure of her recalcitrance. She had an image of her palm slapping that handsome smug face of his. How satisfying that would be. Three years’ worth of satisfaction.
“Must be the dress, sir, making me sassy,” she said, sweet as honey, and couldn’t help an internal high-five when she saw his face flush dark.
He stood up abruptly. “Save the sass for the cocktail party,” he growled and stalked ahead of them to the door, turning and surveying them through narrowed eyes.
“And get a move on, we’ve got missing humans to find.”
CHAPTER 17
When Clare arrived at the Motham Tower complex, set on a street full of edgy restaurants and bars, she stopped and stared up at it for long moments. The building itself was modern, but made of ancient Malibar stone, tying in the old and new. It was a grand design, with large glass revolving doors. When she walked in, two bouncers, a bulked satyr and a raven shifter, by the look of his glossy black hair and classic beaked nose, greeted her and checked her name against a list. Then a pretty rabbit shifter sashayed over and handed her a name tag.
“This way please.”
Clare nodded, and their high heels tapped in unison across the foyer to the elevator.
“Enjoy your evening, ma’am. Take the elevator down to the basement.”
The rabbit shifter smiled sweetly and Clare smiled back as the doors closed. She swiped her tag on the panel. The lift whooshed down so fast, the doors had opened again before she knew it.
She stared in wonderment.
The Den sure suited its title.
The walls were covered in plush, deep red wallpaper and the furnishings were opulent. Leather loungers and velvet couches were set strategically around the room, and huge chandeliers sparkled from the ceilings. There was a wide circular bar, lined with shelves holding every liqueur and spirit under the sun. All around the room, monster species lounged in dinner suits, conversing with beautifully dressed humans. In a corner, a jazz band played sultry, bluesy numbers.
A moment later, Emmeline, wearing a gold lamé dress with a winged collar and bling everywhere, swooped on her.
“Clare, I’ve been waiting for you to arrive.” She greeted Clare with a hug and air kisses on both cheeks. “Look at you, so divine.” She tucked Clare’s arm into hers and cooed, “I am going to introduce you to some wonderful monsters.”
Soon, Clare had met a bear shifter who ran a chain of gymnasiums and was so buff he looked like he might burst out of his tux, a wily werewolf entrepreneur dressed in an immaculate navy blue suit, and a centaur with a flowing mane of hair who told her he was a filmmaker and that she’d look wonderful in one of his movies.
They pressed their cards into her hand, offered to buy her drinks, which she tried to refuse, and laughed too loudly at her comments.
She spotted Emmaline darting around, introducing humans to monsters. She was working the crowd, there was no denying it, charming monsters and humans alike, gazing into their faces like they were the most fascinating creatures she had ever met.