“But all the same, I think for safety's sake, that Nikki should go home and stay there." Jake stood quickly, forestalling her anger with raised hands. “Vampires I can handle. This is beyond me. I'm off to eat.” He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. He reached for the door handle, then paused and looked at Michael. “I wish you luck. After a statement like that, you'll need it." Michael restrained the automatic urge to stop Jake's retreat. As much as he'd counted on having the other man's support, any sign of psychic intrusion would only inflame Nikki further. As the door slammed shut, he took a sip of coffee, then braced himself to face the storm brewing on the other side of the desk.
"Who in hell do you think you are, telling me what to do?” She glared at him, cheeks flushed.
"You're a liability,” he said flatly. A liability he willingly used, granted, but that didn't mean he was willing to risk her safety merely to catch the teenager. “Monica is not Jasper, and in many respects, she's more dangerous because her behavior cannot be predicted."
"So? I managed to survive her fury last night. I can do it again. Jake's more a liability in that respect than I am."
"Yes, but Jasper's not after Jake. He's after you."
"So I'm supposed to cower at home while you take care of the problem? I don't think so." He couldn't imagine her cowering anywhere, but that wasn't what he was asking her to do. “We could walk into a trap, Nikki."
"And you'd rather risk Jasper getting his hands on Jake than on me.” She snorted softly and sat back in her chair, amber eyes narrowed. “You're a cold bastard, you know that?" Yes. And had been told it, many times. “Are you so eager to die, Nikki?"
"No."
She hesitated slightly, and something flashed through her eyes. Death, he thought, was no stranger to her, and perhaps something she would welcome, were it not for the possibility that Jasper would use her.
"And I'm even less eager for Jake to die in my place."
"I have no intention of letting that happen.” If only because he didn't trust Jake's sense of honor—an honor that lay with the client, not with him. He wouldn't put it past the man to step in and stop the killing stroke in some vague attempt to reconcile the girl with her father. “I plan to use him as a guard, nothing more."
"Then why not take me? My abilities make me more useful in that department. At least I'd be able to sense the zombies before they approached."
Michael rubbed the back of his neck. She was making perfectly good sense, and they both knew it.
“Nikki, I had a premonition—you come with us today, and you could fall into Jasper's hands."
"At last, some honesty.” She hesitated, face grim. “How safe am I at home? Jasper may not be able to cross a threshold uninvited, but the zombies can, can't they? What if he uses Monica as bait to lure you away?"