Page 96 of Vengeance and Vipers

‘Your vampy voodoo.’

He looks intrigued. ‘No? Why not?’

I shrug. ‘Just one of the lucky few who can’t be mind-frazzled, I guess.’

He smiles at me, clearly enjoying our exchange. ‘And what would it take, mon amour, to get you in one of those rooms with me?’

My pornstar martini appears along with the accompanying shot of Prosecco. I turn my attention to it to avoid the question because there is no fucking way I’m going anywhere alone with this guy.

‘You know, some people are adamant you have to drink the shot, but I like to pour it in,’ I say, changing the subject as I add it to my glass. ‘I’m a heathen, I guess.’

‘I fucking hope so,’ Pierre groans.

I take a sip of my drink, and my eyes roll upwards at the taste. The barman here sure knows what he’s doing.

I startle as I feel a pale, cool hand caress my skin where my neck meets my shoulder, and I freeze, staring at Pierre. He’s still for a moment as well. Then he yanks his hand back.

‘You aren’t what you seem,’ he drawls, looking suddenly a lot more predatorial and way more intrigued than he was before.

Not what a human girl wants when she’s in the presence of one vamp with boundary issues, much less thirty.

‘No?’ I take another sip of my drink, trying to keep my heart from ratcheting up and giving away my fear to the entire bar.

‘Non, chéri, you are not. I think perhaps you need to go back to your master.’

My stomach bottoms out at his words. How does he know?

I force a chuckle and take a large gulp of my drink while inside; I feel like I might just throw up my martini all over this guy’s fancy silk cravat.

‘I don’t have a master.’ My voice comes out sounding almost normal, and I smile at him.

‘Oh, I think you do.’

I’m suddenly pulled backward into a hard chest and look up to see, out of all the members of the clan, the one most unlikely to save me.

‘Daemon,’ Pierre says, smiling darkly, and I see one or two of the other vamps look over when Pierre says my savior’s name. ‘It’s been so long. We feared the worst when you disappeared. Wait until McCathrie learns that you’ve returned. He’ll be thrilled.’

‘I had some business to take care of,’ Daemon says smoothly, his eyes focused solely on the vamp in front of me. ‘But please do tell McCathrie I’ll be by to see him very soon.’

‘I will,’ the vamp sneers.

He takes a final look at me that makes me suddenly very afraid he’ll say something about what he thinks he knows in front of Daemon, but he just winks at me.

‘Until next time, chéri,’ he purrs in such a way that I know he’ll do everything he can to ensure thereisa next time.

I smile, hoping it looks natural.

‘Until then,’ I say quietly.

ChapterFifteen

IRON

I’m almost to the bar, cursing Maddox for calling me away from Jules when he’d told me to stay by her side. She was only left unguarded for five minutes, but her face has paled, and I see a member of McCathrie’s coven has already moved in.

Fucking bloodsucker.

I get ready to snap his neck to send a non-fatal message that won’t start a war when I see Daemon swoop in. He touches Jules like she’s ours, giving her our protection by the gesture, and I relax a little. I wouldn’t trust him alone with her, but she’s not in danger in public with him.