Where Darkness Lives(33)

“You’re sure?”

“She’s not the brightest bulb,” she said dryly. “With a little prompting she confessed to writing the notes and leaving dead animals and slashing my tires. Oh, and throwing the brick through my window.” She made a sound of disgust. “Bitch.”

He nodded. He’d pegged the nymph for the childish pranks, but it was nice to have it confirmed.

“And the attempts on your life?”

“She was clueless.”

“You believe her?”

“Yes.” She nodded without hesitation. “She might be a flake, but she’s not bloodthirsty enough to try to kill me.”

“So there are two separate enemies.” Luc felt a piece of the aggravating puzzle slide into place. It wasn’t that the harassment was escalating. It was that they were traveling separate paths. “One mystery solved.”

She tilted back her head to regard him with a lift of her brows.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“You were the one who insisted that I host this ridiculous shindig,” she tartly reminded him. “Did you learn anything besides Cindy’s bust size?”

“Cindy?”

“The mortal who was worshipping at your feet.”

“Ah.” He allowed his fingers to trail over her lower back, male enough to enjoy her pique. “Was she the brunette or the redhead? They all start to look alike.”

“You ...”

He pressed a finger to her lips, halting her furious words. “I’ve started the process.”

She shook off his hand, her eyes narrowing. “What the hell does that mean?”

He reached into the side of his Speedo to pull out a small key.

“This.”

She snorted, unimpressed. “A key?”

“I lifted it from Kirsten when she was trying to stick her tongue down my throat,” he explained.

If looks could kill, he’d be dead on the spot.

“And why would you need her key?” she managed to ask between gritted teeth.

She was beautiful when she was jealous, he decided.

Eyes glowing with emerald fire. Her hands clenched. Her br**sts heaving as she struggled against her wolf.

Of course, she would be even more beautiful stretched across the nearby bed, her body softened with pleasure and her legs spread in invitation, he acknowledged.

His hands brushed up and over her bare shoulders. “Once it’s daylight I intend to search her lair.”

“She couldn’t have shot at me.” Her voice became husky as his fingers followed the plunging neckline of her bikini top. “The sun was out.”

“She could have an accomplice,” he said, already having considered the fact that the vampire could be using a less-flammable partner to throw them off track.