He was quiet on the ride up to the fifth floor where Banner’s office was located but he seemed to fill the entire elevator with his presence. Or maybe it was just that he was so big. I had an idea that some major muscles were lurking under his beautifully tailored charcoal gray suit and I couldn’t help but remember the strength of his grip on my hand. I tended to stay away from my own kind and after living exclusively among humans for so long, it seemed strange to find someone who was physically stronger than me.
Not that I go around flaunting my physical power or anything but I was used to being careful around the fragile people who surrounded me. I’d forgotten my own strength once to disastrous circumstances—but I preferred not to think about that. And I was really glad Jude Jacobson hadn’t seen it or heard it or whatever the hell it was he did. That particular dark secret was worse than failing the Bar exam and my status as a non-shifter put together. And I was fairly certain I would have done more than growled at Jacobson if he’d mentioned it. There was nothing worse he could have known about me except— I cut off that line of thought abruptly. No point picking at old wounds, especially ones as ancient as that one.
To my relief we got to Banner’s office without any further conversation. I nodded the vampire inside politely and prepared to take a seat to the attorney’s left, beside his desk. Besides acting as a bodyguard, I was supposed to be taking notes and assisting him and believe me, Banner needed the assistance. I had looked over the case thoroughly before Jacobson arrived and I knew all the particulars. Unfortunately, I didn’t think the same could be said of the attorney. Banner had gotten a big head the moment he’d been given a corner office and a nod toward partnership and he’d been coasting on his reputation for a while now.
But as I was about to sit down, the attorney frowned at me and shook his head. “That’s all, Velez, you can go.”
“I was told to stay,” I said as neutrally as I could, still hovering over the chair.
“And I’m telling you to go,” Banner shot back. “I’ll let you know if I need anything.”
“Fine.” I stood up and turned toward the door. Let the asshole fend for himself—both legally and physically. If Jude Jacobson decided he wanted a little midnight snack, that was just too damn bad.
“I would prefer it if Ms. Velez stayed,” the vampire said quietly before I could even take a step.
“Well, now, we don’t need to bother this little gal anymore.” Banner pasted a big, fake, shit-eating grin on his face. “I mean, she’s just an assistant, really. It’s not like she knows anything about your case.”
Asshole. I bit my tongue, fuming silently. I was willing to bet my next paycheck I knew the case better than Banner.
Jacobson gave him a level look. “She is here for your protection, not mine, Mr. Banner. I advise you to let her stay.” There was a hint of danger in his voice—the barest glimmer of his predatory nature showing through the smooth outer façade.
Banner’s grin slipped for a moment but he recovered quickly. “Well, whatever makes the client happy, I always say. Sit, Velez.”
I did a little more silent fuming at being treated like a trained dog but somehow I managed to hold my temper and sit down.
“Now then, maybe we can get down to business. Derek Banner, at your service but you can call me DB if you want.” Banner leaned across his desk and offered a hand.
Rather reluctantly, I thought, Jacobson took his hand and shook it exactly once before releasing it. “Jude Jacobson,” he said.
“All right. And can I call you JJ?” Banner was big on the whole Southern hospitality, just-folks bullshit and he always spread it on thick with the VIPs. But this time it didn’t work.
“I think not,” Jacobson said shortly. “Mr. Jacobson will be fine.”
Banner’s smile slipped another notch. “Well, all right then. Let’s get down to business.”
“Please.” The vampire made a slightly impatient gesture with one large hand as though to say that he had been waiting to do that exact thing.
Banner shuffled the papers on his desk and cleared his throat. “So. You’re interested in buying a piece of property that is currently owned by another, er, non-human person—”
“You may say vampire if you wish. I won’t be offended.” Jacobson’s composure was complete but somehow he managed to convey a subtle displeasure. Maybe it was the fact that his green eyes were glowing slightly, but whatever it was, it seemed to make Banner nervous.
“Er, yes, thank you.” He cleared his throat again. “So you want to buy and develop this land, as I understand it.” He waited for the vampire to nod before he moved on. “Well, I’m happy to tell you that we’ve checked into it thoroughly and there are no living relatives of this other, um, vampire around so we can move ahead with the deal.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Excuse me,” I murmured to Banner, as discreetly as I could. “Can I talk to you outside?”
There are a lot of weird laws governing vampire acquisitions, especially property. They’re so slick and powerful and downright scary the human powers that be are afraid they’ll take over everything. So one of the rules is that they aren’t allowed to buy property from another vamp—one who’s been turned into a vampire by a bite anyway—if there are any human relatives of the seller still living. That makes sense if you think about it. Otherwise vampires could just bite anybody they wanted to and influence them to sell their property—not so good in the grand scheme of things. For the humans, anyway.
Banner was aware of all this and he’d had a thorough check of the property done. But I guess he’d only read the preliminary report and thought it was good enough. The final report, which had come in just that afternoon, clearly stated something else entirely. Whatever the case was, he was not happy about my interference.
“Velez, if I want your opinion I’ll ask for it,” he growled out of the corner of his mouth before turning his attention back to the vampire. “Now, as I was saying, since there are no living relatives in question—”
“Mr. Banner, if you could just give me a minute out in the hallway,” I said, still hoping to save face even though I was pretty sure vampire hearing was acute enough that Jacobson would be sure to hear what we were saying.
This time Banner completely ignored me and just kept talking to the vampire as though I didn’t exist. “We can move ahead with the deal. Now I have some paperwork here—” He started to shove a sheaf of papers toward Jacobson but the vampire held up a hand.
“A moment please. I would like to hear what Ms. Velez has to say.”
Banner’s face began to turn red. “As I said before, Mr. Jacobson, she’s just an assistant. She doesn’t have any idea—”
“A living relative has been found,” I cut in, my voice flat. “Mrs. Ida Delong. She’s currently a resident at the Restful Shores nursing home up in the panhandle. She’s eighty-five and has Alzheimer’s but she is still alive.”
“So it appears that the sale cannot go through at this time.” Jacobson’s voice was neutral but his eyes were flashing and a hint of fang was showing beneath his sensual upper lip. “I must say, Mr. Banner, I think you could have informed me of that over the phone instead of wasting my time tonight.”
“You…I…you…” Banner seemed at a loss for words.
The vampire’s eyes were glowing coal red now and I felt a shiver go down my spine—the night might end in a bloodbath yet. It was obvious that Jude Jacobson wasn’t used to dealing with incompetence.
I was pretty sure I was no match for him but this was part of my job. Standing on shaky legs, I took a step toward the angry vamp. “Dawson, Levine and Taber regrets this error, of course, Mr. Jacobson,” I said, trying to sound apologetic instead of scared to death. “If you’ll give us a chance, I’m sure we can make this right for you.”
To my mixed feelings of relief and terror, Jacobson focused on me instead of Banner. His eyes flickered from red to green and he seemed to relax. “The one good thing about this
incident is that I was able to meet you, Ms. Velez,” he said, giving me a slow, lazy smile that seemed to make something inside me clench. “For that happy accident alone I will forgive Mr. Banner his utter ineptitude.”
“Hey, now! I resent—” Banner began to bluster.
“It’s regrettable that we had to end like this,” Jacobson cut him off. The vampire rose to his full height soundlessly. “Goodbye, Mr. Banner. I believe I’ll consult a different law firm for my needs in the future.”
“Wait!” The lawyer was on his feet but the vampire had already turned and walked out of his office. Banner turned to me, his face scarlet with fury. “You little cunt! How dare you contradict me in front of a client?”
I couldn’t believe his ingratitude. “I just saved your ass, Banner—literally. Or did you not notice he was about to rip into your worthless hide?”
“Everything would have been fine if you had just kept your mouth shut,” he snapped.
“Oh sure.” I put a hand on my hip. “Fine for now. But what about a week from now when Jacobson found out you’d screwed up his deal? You’d be getting a midnight visit from a very pissed-off vamp. It’s better he found out now before he signed the paperwork and tied up his money in useless red tape.”
“I’m telling you, I had it handled. I didn’t need your fucking interference—especially in front of the client!” This seemed to be his main point—as though it was all right for him to be an idiot as long as I didn’t point it out to anyone.
“I tried to get you to come outside the office with me,” I said, hanging on to my temper grimly. “If you’d read the final report—”
“I know my business,” he snarled.
“Apparently not. Or you wouldn’t have given the client erroneous information.”
“He only listened to you because you’re like him—a freak,” Banner spat at me. “Well, let me tell you, Velez, I’d rather be normal and human any day.”
Now he was getting into dangerous territory. “Being human isn’t exactly a recommendation in your case, Banner. If I were you I think I’d rather be able to brag that I was a competent attorney.”
He got a malevolent light in his beady little eyes. “At least I am an attorney, unlike you. How many times did you fail the Bar exam, Velez? Four? Five?”
“That’s it, I’m leaving.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I could feel my temper boiling over and I knew I had to get out of there now or do something I’d regret. Turning on my heel, I started for the door only to feel Banner’s pudgy fingers gripping my shoulder.
“Don’t you turn your back on me when I’m talking to you, bitch,” he growled.
At that point I did a little growling of my own. There was a full moon overhead outside and just because I couldn’t change didn’t mean I couldn’t feel its pull. “Take your hand off me now,” I told Banner. “Or I’m going to break your fingers.”
He knew I could do it but he was either too stupid or too angry to listen. Instead of letting me go he spun me around to face him. “Now listen to me—”
“I’m done listening,” I said. “I’m done with this whole fucking place including you.” To hell with losing my job. I ripped his hand off my shoulder, gripped three of his fingers in my fist and squeezed.
I could feel the small bones inside his fingers grinding together as I pulverized them but I didn’t let go. I’m not normally a violent person but a red rage like nothing I’d ever felt before was on me and I couldn’t stop. It almost felt like I could change then and there and rip out his throat, the way a real werewolf would have.
Banner’s face turned a dirty yellow shade of pale and he let out a high-pitched shriek that died off into a sick-sounding gurgle. The noise disgusted me and I let go of him abruptly. He staggered and fell to his knees, holding his useless hand out in front of him. He looked up at me. “You…you…”
“I told you I’d do it.” I nodded at his hand. “Consider that my notice.” Turning, I stalked out of the office and took the elevator down to the DLT lobby for the last time. I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do for money but there was no way I was ever coming back here again.
To my surprise, Jude Jacobson was waiting for me when I stepped out of the elevator.
“Ms. Velez,” he said smoothly.
“Excuse me.” I brushed past him and headed for a chair. I probably should have still been afraid of him but the adrenaline high I’d experienced during the confrontation with Banner was fading and I was beginning to feel sick and shaky. It was a bad combination and I tripped over my high heels and would have fallen if the vampire hadn’t intervened.
One moment I was falling and the next I was being held in his arms like a child. I looked up into his face dizzily, thinking that he had the greenest eyes I’d ever seen. Then I came to my senses.
“Put me down.”
“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “What did he do to you? Did he hurt you?” His eyes flashed dangerously.
I laughed but it came out sounding more like a sob. “I’m afraid I’m the one who did the hurting. Look, can you just let me go? I swear I had nothing to do with your deal being screwed up so please—”
“I have no intention of harming you. You don’t need to fear me.” His voice was soft and reassuring and the way he was looking at me made me feel flustered all over again.
“Well…thank you. And thank you for catching me. But I’m fine now.”
“You don’t seem fine to me.” He carried me out the front door and down the steps of the building with no apparent effort. “Where is your car?”
“In the lot, in the back. But I left my keys and my purse—everything inside the building.” I nearly slapped my forehead in frustration. “And Banner is probably going to be calling the police any second now. If he can still dial a phone, that is.”
“No, he won’t.” Jacobson sounded so certain of himself that for a moment I almost believed him. Then I came to my senses.
“You don’t know him like I do—he’s a vindictive son of a bitch. Plus I pretty much pulverized his hand.”
“No more than he deserved if he touched you in anger,” the vampire said calmly. “I would have done much worse to him if he had somehow managed to harm you.”
“But…” I looked at him in confusion. “You don’t even know me.”
“But I want to. I want to know you very much.” He was giving me that look again, the one that made my insides feel tight.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” I said helplessly. I’d spent years hearing about how evil and manipulative and controlling vampires were. But no one had mentioned how attractive they could be. I suddenly felt like a moth flitting around a dangerous but irresistible flame.
“Then just listen,” he said smoothly. “I have a proposition for you, Ms. Velez, but we can’t discuss it here. I have a car waiting for me. If you’ll allow the driver to take you somewhere we can meet and talk afterward, I’ll be more than happy to retrieve your things and make sure Mr. Banner has nothing to say to the police.”
“You’re not planning on killing him, are you? I mean, not that he doesn’t deserve it but I’m already in enough hot water as it is.” It seemed beyond strange to be having this conversation while he was holding me in his arms on the curb outside my work—excuse me, former work—but what else could I do when he refused to put me down?
“Not at all. I think further bloodshed is unnecessary but I have ways of getting what I want.” He smiled in a way that would have scared me senseless if it was directed at me.
I shivered. “And you’ll do all this just because you want to go talk somewhere? With me?” I still didn’t understand his motivation.
“Yes.” His luminous eyes were steady as he looked down at me and I suddenly felt faint all over again. It’s just the heat and humidity, I told myself with irritation. There was no way I was feeling swoony over a vamp. No way in hell.
“But…why?”
“I will tell you everything if you ag
ree to meet me. Perhaps we could go to the Saffron Room at the Hilton? I believe it’s not far from here.”
“No, it’s just down the road.”
“Then you’ll agree to let my driver take you there and wait while I settle this matter?”
I thought about it. Either I could go back into the DLT offices and rummage around to get my things while hoping I could beat the paramedics and police that were doubtless on the way. Or I could go sit in comfort at a swanky hotel bar and let someone else handle the whole mess. Normally I clean up after myself but then again, normally I don’t go around breaking people’s fingers. In this case it was a no-brainer. Whatever the vamp had to say to me, surely listening to him was worth getting away from the scene of the crime. I wasn’t sure if he could really keep Banner from calling the police but the longer I debated the longer the wounded attorney had to learn to dial with his left hand.
“Yes,” I said at last. “I could use a drink right about now.”
He smiled, showing a dangerous hint of fang. “As could I.”
So that’s how I came to be sitting in a bar waiting for a vampire.
I had chosen a quiet, plush leather booth in the far corner of the elegant, dimly lit bar and ordered myself a drink. I was wondering if he would really show and then decided he’d better since he was supposed to get my purse and keys. How was he going to find them, anyway? Could he have picked the location of my desk out of my head along with everything else he mysteriously knew? Then I speculated on what he was going to do with Banner to keep him from running to the police. That didn’t bear thinking about so I took a drink of my piña colada with extra rum and wondered what he wanted to talk to me about, anyway. What was this “proposition”?
I didn’t have very long to conjecture. He came striding into the bar not thirty minutes later carrying my purse and a cardboard box that appeared to have the entire contents of my desk in it.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he said, putting the box and purse down in front of me. “Your car is parked out front. I got the distinct impression that you were planning on not going back.”