Vixen (Dark Protectors #11.5) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,28

before. “One of you should think about running for sheriff—if Detective O’Connell doesn’t want to do so. I’ll start a campaign fund right away.” Then she turned and opened the door, her head held high as she exited.

Evan banked a grin and followed her through the reception area and outside, where she ran full bore into Noah Siosal’s arms.

Noah grabbed her up, lifting her, inhaling her scent. “You’re okay?”

She nodded. “I’m fine.” When he let her down, she snuggled into his side.

Evan looked around the quiet sidewalk. “Where’s Tabi?”

Noah shrugged. “She came out a while ago and drove off like hell in the BMW.”

Evan’s jaw set. His nostrils flared. His chest heated and his ears began to ring. “I told her to wait for me, and I believe she agreed.” Oh, she had. They were about to have a serious discussion, once he found her. For now, he focused on Noah. “So. Rumor has it you’re a vampire-demon hybrid.”

Chapter 11

Rain started to fall as Tabi drove sedately home from her factory where the techs would work late. She was so close to mass production, and she was going to make a fortune. She glanced at her phone, which she’d left in the car all afternoon. Yep. Several calls from Evan. Too bad. He shouldn’t have ordered her around earlier that day. The sooner he figured out she was her own person, the easier this transition would be for him. Hopefully Noah had given him a ride home from the station.

She shouldn’t feel guilty about ditching him, so she didn’t. Yet she bit her lip. The poor guy was probably really confused by this new world, and maybe she should help him out a little, considering she’d yanked him into immortality. Maybe she’d look him up in the morning.

Turning into her driveway, she stilled at seeing him leaning against her one-car garage, a badass motorcycle to the side of him.

Her panties turned wet. Plain and simple.

She swallowed and turned off the car. Okay. She could handle this. Keeping her posture ramrod straight, she stepped out of the car, grateful for the four-inch heels on her boots.

He crossed his arms, his gaze a burning blue through the dusk. “Where have you been?”

Irritation prickled up her back while heat flowed down her front. She blinked from the contrary sensations. “I was working at my factory.” Not that he’d know which one was hers—there were many outside of the mainly industrial town, and she’d purchased it using several dummy corporations. “Also, you don’t have the right to question me. You’re no longer a detective.”

“I wasn’t asking as a detective,” he rumbled, the rain dancing lightly over his hair.

Why was he giving her the arrogant immortal act? “You’re human,” she blurted out.

“I’m male,” he countered, the statement firm. “Maybe human, maybe not. I don’t know. What I do know is that I told you to wait for me at the police station hours ago.”

She couldn’t breathe. There had always been something about him, this steel hard core covered by protective instincts and kindness. “I don’t take orders from you,” she said, stopping a couple of feet away from him.

He cocked his head, studying her.

Tingles exploded across her skin, zipping through her body. She set her stance to hide her reaction to him. This was not going according to plan. At all.

“I had quite a nice talk with Noah today. All about vampires, demons, and the rest. All about mating and the rioting feelings that arise.” His voice was low…silky. “You know what I think, Tabitha?”

Her mouth went dry. “I have no idea.”

“I think you mated a human on purpose. Ambitious and independent twenty-five-year-old demonness obviously running from danger finds herself a nice human male to lead around by the nose. Have some fun and then move on, safely mated but with all the freedom in the world.”

There was enough truth in the statement that her hackles rose fast. “I saved your life.”

“That remains to be seen, although I have stopped shaking and feel like I could handle anything.” His arms dropped to his sides. “Including you.”

“That’s doubtful, human.” She tossed her purse back into the car and slammed the door. While only a quarter of a century old, she’d trained to fight almost from birth. If she had to beat the crap out of her new mate and show them both how this was going to go down, she’d do it. “Your stance is the wrong one. Change it.” Her voice trembled just enough to