With that mysterious smile, Viper offered his fellow vampire a faint bow before moving toward the door.
"I shall leave the two of you to rest. Don't worry that you'll be bothered. I promise to keep the wolves, or in this case the demons, at bay."
Left on their own, Dante paused a moment before he moved to take the hand that Viper had so recently caressed.
"You must forgive my friend," he said with a wry smile. "He believes himself to be irresistible to women."
Smothering the urge to reach up and touch the sculpted face, she offered a distracted shrug. "He is rather fascinating,'' she felt bound to admit. Surely not even a babbling idiot would believe she was utterly indifferent to the beautiful fallen angel?
"You find him attractive?"
"In an undead sort of way."
His expression hardened. "I see."
Abby shivered. "He also terrifies me. I think he would destroy anything or anyone in his path if it suited his purpose."
A smile touched his lips. "He will not harm you. Not as long as I am near."
"Where have you been?"
He gave her fingers a slight squeeze before moving back to the suitcase he had left on the sofa and sweeping it open.
"To Selena's to retrieve a few belongings I thought we might need." He pulled out several pairs of jeans and casual cotton shirts that had once belonged to her employer. "They might not be a perfect fit, but they should do."
She heaved a sigh of sheer relief at the thought of clean clothes. A small slice of paradise.
"Thank you."
He reached back into the suitcase to pull out a small plastic container. "I also brought you this."
"What is it?"
"Something I believe you shall soon have need of."
Hoping against hope that it was a hot fudge sundae, she took the container and slowly pulled off the lid. Her nose Wrinkled at the foul smell that wafted from the green goo that most certainly was not a hot fudge sundae.
"Ugh. This is that vile stuff Selena used to drink."
"It will give you nourishment."
She hastily put the container onto a nearby table. "So will a cheeseburger and fries, and without any icky green aftertaste."
"Abby." Oddly Dante turned to pace across the large room, his fingers running a restless path through his long raven hair. "There is something you need to know."
Her blood froze at his raw tone. She might not know jack about vampires, but she did know that tone. It meant trouble. It always meant trouble.
"What?"
Slowly he turned to study her with a somber expression. "When Selena was dying, she touched you."
Abby reluctantly recalled those horrible moments in Selena's charred bedroom. It was something she had tried to put from her mind.
She gave a nod of her head. "Yes, I remember. Her fingers were moving, and then she grabbed my arm. It hurt."
"That was because she transferred her powers to you."
"Her… powers?"