Claris wanted to make Andreas an unsung hero, that was fine with Ari.
Claris leaned over and hugged her friend. “You haven’t been happy. Maybe Andreas can change that. The night Yana died, he was the only one able to help you. That’s when I began to wonder if I’d misjudged him. Maybe we both need to give him a chance.”
Ari’s throat was tight, and all she could do was nod. She didn’t remember much from the night her mentor was murdered, except the overwhelming grief and the safety she’d found in Andreas’s arms. Ari returned her friend’s hug. Claris sometimes understood her better than she understood herself. Or at least, before Ari owned up to things. But that’s what a best friend was about.
“So, is there more to tell?” Claris asked. “Where do you go with this?”
“Well, no, yes. I kind of lost it when I thought Andreas was dead. Made an ass of myself by shouting at Marcus. Poor guy. It’s embarrassing to think about now. My feelings were kind of hung out there. So Andreas and I talked. He said he’d missed me.”
“And?” Claris smiled. “What did you say?”
“‘Me, too.’ Or something equally stupid. Then, I suggested we stay friends.”
“Friends? Bet that went over big.” Claris cut off a laugh.
“Um, not exactly, but somehow he maneuvered that suggestion into something else. He’s very good at getting his way. So, now, I guess we’re dating.” Ari stopped and shook her head in disbelief. “At least I can go back to the club again and listen to him sing. We’re meeting there tonight. Oh yeah, before he left last night he convinced me to go to a concert this weekend. I’m not sure how this all happened.”
Claris laughed, clearly entertained by her friend’s confusion. “Well, duh. He talked you into exactly what you wanted.”
“I guess. So why am I so edgy about it?”
“Isn’t that part of the attraction?” Claris asked, with a knowing grin. “You’re drawn to the mysterious bad boys. While I prefer them steady and reliable.”
Hence Claris’s attraction to Brando—and Ryan. Ari grinned. She should have known Claris would find a way to accept it, whatever Ari did. In this case, they’d arrived at the same place. Not that there had been a lot of thought process on Ari’s end. More hormones, maybe. Or family history. Or magic.
Or even fate.
* * *
Club Dintero at mid-afternoon appeared deserted. The vampire staff was asleep and the club wouldn’t open for another three hours. Sporting a smirk on her face, Lilith let Ari in the front door. Ari ignored the look and headed for Andreas’s office.
“Hey, Russell.”
The wiry werelion jumped to his feet and gave her a brief, awkward hug. “Good to see you,” he muttered.
It was like old home week. Ari wished the rest of the team were there—big Mike and cute, flirtatious Benny, but someone had to watch the Prince’s back. She was glad to have the werelion husband-wife team. “You’re looking good,” she said. “Life must be treating you all right.”
“Can’t complain,” Russell responded. “Had a cushy time these last months, compared to the days you were around.”
Ari smiled. “Surely you’re not blaming me for that mess. I didn’t start it.”
“No, but together, we finished it,” he stated with satisfaction.
“For a while. These vampire feuds never seem to end. But let me explain the current problem.” Ari perched on the edge of the desk. “I can’t identify the enemy for you. We’ve had two vamp murders. One male victim, one female. Two separate incidents. Possible, but not proven, shootings. The forensics are inconclusive on the weapon. But there’s no doubt a handgun was used yesterday afternoon. Andreas saw it.”
She sketched out the details of the investigation so far, even mentioning the weird vibes at the second murder scene. “Recently I’d been thinking we were completely off track, looking for the wrong weapon, the wrong kind of killer. Until yesterday.” She let out an exasperated breath. “Andreas clearly saw a handgun.”
“You think it’s the same person?” Russell asked.
“What are the odds it’s not?”
“Small. But it’s not impossible.”
“No, not impossible.” She sighed. “That makes it more difficult to predict what will happen next. The pattern we had breaks with the attack on Andreas. That’s why you need to watch his back every moment. The shooter could be anyone.”
“You got us on this now,” Lilith said, patting the pistol in her right holster. “No one gets near him without us checking them first.”
“I’m counting on it.”
Russell scratched his chin. “How’d these