of appreciation and delight in him. Then it vanished in a flicker of worry.
“Don’t try to bespell me,” I said as I got off him and extended a hand to help him up. “You don’t have enough undead blood in you to manage it, and you’ll only embarrass yourself.”
“Apparently,” Pike muttered as I yanked him up and let go of his hand the instant I could.
“Pike, was it?” I said as he dusted off his jacket, looking both irate and chagrined. “I fully understand and appreciate Constance’s schedule, but I’m not coming up with excuses because I don’t want to meet her. I simply don’t have time on such short notice. I’ve already made plans, and I need this afternoon to get ready. Shower, do my hair, practice a few new curses.”
Pike frowned as he glanced at Jenks polishing his sword. “She’s going to be Cincy’s master vampire. This is more important than a date.”
Things had shifted. My back was to the door, and he was on the outskirts in the sun. It gave me a confidence I hoped wasn’t a delusion. “I really wish it was a date,” I said as I hiked my bag back up my shoulder and put a hand on the door as if dismissing him. “Suffice it to say, I’m working, and I can’t meet with her today. Please give her my apologies.”
“You can take ten minutes—”
He was almost asking now, instead of demanding, which meant he was going to endure some pain for coming back without me even if I did knock him down. Vampire power structures sucked.
“It’s not the ten minutes that it would take to go down and meet Constance, but the six hours after that I’d be spending with the I.S. after I smack her up to impress upon her that I will not be her underling. Maybe in a few days after I finish taking care of the baku.”
Pike’s expression hardened. “The baku is not your responsibility.”
I glanced at Jenks, and the pixy snorted. Curious, though, that Constance knew about it. Knew and was doing nothing. “It’s in my city, isn’t it?” I said as I opened my door. The scent of vampire slipped out, making me wonder how long he’d been in there: waiting for me, going through my things, taking measurements for curtains. “Look, I’m sorry if this is gets you into trouble.”
“Trouble . . . ,” Pike echoed, and Jenks dropped down to land on my shoulder.
“Tell Constance that if she wants to see me, I’d be more than happy to meet her. But not today, and certainly not in the same room where I downed her predecessor. Tell you what.” Head bowed, I fumbled in my bag for one of our old cards. “Here’s my cell number,” I said as I extended it. “Call me in about a week. I’ll probably have healed from whatever damage bringing in the baku is going to cause by then, and we can get together somewhere nice and neutral. Like the zoo,” I added flippantly. “Or a coffeehouse.”
Pike looked at the card, eyebrows going high at the wasp-waisted silhouette that Jenks said looked like a hooker. “You never downed Cormel.”
“I was talking about Piscary. Cormel was too much politician and not enough mob boss to control the city. You know that, or Washington wouldn’t be looking to replace him.” I backed up into the boat, feeling safer though I wasn’t. “It takes a firm hand to keep Cincy in order. We’ve been given free rein to police ourselves for a long time, and if you push them too hard, upset the status quo too far without an obvious, clear benefit, they will take you out. Or try to.”
My thoughts went to my church, and I stifled a sigh. Misunderstanding or not, it was still gone. “I’ll give Constance that for free. I’d hate to see her be responsible for losing a Cincy landmark like Pizza Piscary’s because she couldn’t respect another professional’s time.”
Pike was silent, and I resisted the urge to cover my neck as he stared at its unmarked smoothness. Ivy’s scar was there, as was Al’s, both invisible, both like vampire candy. How many licks does it take . . . ?
“Would you please get off my boat?” I said as a trill of sensation dropped to my groin from just the weight of his gaze. “I have too much to do today already.”
Pike took a step back, unhappy and twitchy. “You have three months,” he said,