“Oui?”
“Taunt me again and I’ll rip off those wings and shove them down your throat.”
“You have hostility issues, you know that, vampire?”
“Just keep her safe.” And with that, Jagr turned and melted into the shadows.
Regan leaned against the brick front of a local antique shop, too weary to be angered at Jagr’s mysterious disappearance, or even at being passed off like a used car. Once she had the opportunity to gather her strength, she would rid herself of her intrusive guardians. Until then…
Well, she’d endured worse.
Worse in an epic way.
Her heavy lids drifted downward as she relaxed against the wall, trusting her keen sense of smell to warn of any approaching danger. Five minutes passed, and then another five. At last Levet, who clearly possessed the attention span of a gnat, could stand the silence no longer.
“Sooo…you’re Darcy’s sister,” he murmured. “The resemblance is remarkable.”
Regan lifted her heavy lids, ignoring the biting anger that flared through her heart at the mention of her sister. Family issues? Nah. Not her.
“I thought gargoyles were bigger?” she said, more to change the subject than to be insulting.
Levet’s tail twitched. “I might be vertically challenged, but I assure you that I’m a highly respected warrior among the vampires. Indeed, I’m something of a Knight in Shining Armor. I can’t count the number of damsels I’ve rescued from imminent death and dismemberment, which, of course, is why I was sent to rescue you.”
A reluctant smile touched her lips. He looked more like a lawn ornament than a Knight in Shining Armor.
“Why would you help the vampires?”
“It’s a way to pass the time until I land my dream position.”
“Dream position?”
“Well, I’ve given up on the whole Vanna thing since Darcy pointed out that I’m not quite tall enough to reach the letters of the puzzle, so I’ve decided to take over Deal Or No Deal. Now that would be a sweet gig.”
Regan choked back a laugh. Culligan had been a television junkie, rarely turning off the thing when he was in the RV. Not that Regan complained. It at least offered her a glimpse of the world beyond her silver cage.
“Does Howie Mandel know he’s about to become unemployed?” she demanded, shaking off the savage memories.
“I thought I would keep it on the down-low for now. No need for him to go all Britney Spears before I’ve actually been offered the job.”
This time Regan couldn’t stop her chuckle. “Very thoughtful.”
“That’s me, a heart of gold. It’s both a blessing…” Dramatic pause. “And a curse.”
“Yes, I can imagine.”
A silence descended, broken only by the song of crickets and distant frogs. It was a comfortable silence. So comfortable that Regan was astonished to discover she didn’t mind the gargoyle’s company. In fact…
No. She swiftly squashed the treacherous thoughts. She didn’t want or need a companion. Not Levet, who could make her laugh, and certainly not Jagr, who could piss her off one moment, and the next, wreak sensual havoc with a single bite.
Against her will, Regan found her gaze searching through the darkness, her senses seeking some sign of the MIA vampire. She told herself she didn’t give a damn if Jagr had run off and gotten himself killed. One less vampire in the world couldn’t be a bad thing. Her only concern was…was…finding a place to sleep before the humans began filling the streets.
Yeah.
That was it.
Absolutely.
“You can trust him, you know.”