Page 79 of Vipers and Vendettas

‘I’m not sure a warning is going to do you much good now, human.’ The Irish voice is velvety and baritone.

Shiiiiiiiiiiit!

I almost don’t want to see what’s in front of me, but I have to know what I’m up against. I open my eyes and find myself looking into the eyes of a vampire, and not just any vampire.

Sheamus fucking McCathrie.

He kept Daemon in the basement, sold his body to supes and humans so they could get high. Did other things to him, too, if Pierre wasn’t lying. I want to launch myself at the fucker and kill him the way I did Pierre, but thedemon thingisn’t manifesting the way it did before.

Great. Just when I needed a demon side, she’s not coming out to play.

I stand up slowly, taking stock of myself, making sure Jellybean and I are still in one piece.

I’m in a nicely appointed sitting room. The coven leader is sitting on his couch, treating me the way a mouse would a cat. That in itself would be bad enough, but there are about ten more of the undead fuckers watching me with that same expression. If I’m not very careful, it’s going to be shark week in here in about five seconds flat.

‘Pierre told me to come here,’ I say.

McCathrie grins, his canines elongating. ‘A gift? He’s so thoughtful.’ Then, he frowns at the others in the room. ‘And you all wonder why Kermit is my favorite. Really?’

He turns his attention back to me. ‘Come here, kitten. Let me stroke you.’

‘I’m afraid I’m not a gift,’ I say. ‘Kermitpromised to turn me.’

Sniggers run through the room.

‘Did he?’ McCathrie stands up slowly. ‘Well, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, poppet, but a vampire’s promises are a bit like human’s spirits.’ He stands in front of me. ‘They’re made to be broken.’

Cue laughter from the undead around me, but I don’t cower.

Instead, I smile. ‘Good one. But Pierre told me to come here. He said you’d see whatever it was in me that he saw,’ I grin at him. ‘Besidesblood,’ I joke. ‘And you wouldn’t bleed me.’

McCathrie’s eyes move over me. ‘All I see is one scared andpregnanthuman.’

He grins. ‘Is that why he sent you? Because he knows my proclivities for fucking human women with life growing within them?’

His knuckles brush against my stomach, and I take a step out of his reach. ‘Yikes, I really wouldn’t dothat,’ I murmur as I feel something unfurling in me at his threats to Jellybean.

I’m pretty sure McCathrie has just uncovered one of my demon’s trigger points, and I’m not going to let anyone see that ace just yet. I don’t know anything about my demon side except that she is very protective. I’m in a den of vamps. The new information suddenly has me feeling a lot better about being a succubus, though. I thought Jellybean might be in danger from the demon side, but now I’m getting the feeling that keeping the baby safe is her top priority.

‘You would try to tell me what to do in my own house?’ McCathrie growls, turning around.

His voice takes on an almost melodic tone. ‘You will come here and sit on my knee, kitten.’

I roll my eyes. ‘Behold the reason Pierre told me to come to you,’ I say, staying still. ‘He thought you’d be intrigued by my little parlor trick.’

The low chatter that erupts from the other bodies in the room tells me that being able to resist the vampy charm is a bit more than a ‘parlor trick’, however.

‘Indeed,’ McCathrie says, and he does look more interested now. ‘And where is my beloved Pierre?’

I shrug. ‘Said he needed something to eat and he’d be here shortly. He told me to come here first, but I can go out and find him if you like. I’ll bring him back, and he can tell you himself why he wanted you to meet me and not eat me.’

As if by unspoken command, one of the nearby vamps is suddenly grabbing me while another is patting me down.

I struggle as my arms are pulled behind my back, but I don’t let the fear in. It’d be like ringing the dinner bell to these fuckers.

‘Hey, do you mind, guys?’ I mutter.

One of them grabs the link key that was in my pocket and throws it over to McCathrie, who raises a brow at me.