he wanted to respect her wishes and not behave like a stalker. Besides, tomorrow night, assuming this was about blood... well, then he had something for her, didn't he.
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She was going to drink from him.
When the waitress came back with more Scotch, Rehvenge showed up at the table with her. The male's massive body blocked out the view of the crowd which meant Butch couldn't see the guy's security officer.
Which meant he could take a deep breath.
"My people keeping you wet enough?" Rehv asked.
Butch nodded. "Very wet."
"That's what I like to hear." The Reverend slid into the booth, his amethyst eyes scanning the VIP section. He looked good, his suit black, his silk shirt black, his mohawk a dark cropped stripe that ran front to back on his skull. "So I want to share a little news."
"You getting married?" Butch tossed back half the new Lag. "Where you registered? Crate and Bury 'Em?"
"Try Heckler and Koch." The Reverend opened his jacket and flashed the butt of a forty.
"Nice little poodle shooter you got there, vampire."
"Put a hell of a-"
V cut in. "You two are like watching tennis, and racquet sports bore me. What's the news?"
Rehv looked at Butch. "He has such phenomenal people skills, doesn't he."
"Try living with him."
The Reverend smirked, then grew serious. As he spoke, his mouth barely moved and his words didn't carry far. "The Princeps Council met night before last. Issue was mandatory sehclusion for all unmated females. The leahdyre wants a recommendation passed and submitted to Wrath ASAP."
V whistled under his breath. "A lockdown."
"Precisely. They're using my sister's abduction and Wellesandra's death as the rationales. Which is some powerful shit, as it should be." The Reverend locked eyes with V. "Word to your boss. The glymera is pissed off at these civilian losses all around town. This motion is their warning shot across Wrath's bow and they are dead serious about passing it. The leahdyre's all up in my grill because they can't hold a vote unless every member of the council is in the room, and I'm a consistent no-show. I can put off the meeting for a little while, but not forever." At that moment, a cell phone went off in the Reverend's jacket and he took the thing out.
"And what do you know, here's Bella now. Hey, sister mine-" The male's eyes flashed and his body shifted.
"Tahlly?"
Butch frowned, getting the distinct impression that whoever was on that line was a female and not of the sister kind: Rehvenge's body was suddenly throwing off heat like a banked fire.
Man, you had to wonder what kind of woman would tangle with a piece of work like the Reverend. Then again, V was obviously getting laid, so those kind of females were out there.
"Hold on, tahlly." Rehv frowned and got to his feet. "Later, gentlemen. And drinks are on me tonight."
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"Thanks for the heads-up," V said.
"I'm such a model fucking citizen, aren't I?" Rehv sauntered down to his office and shut himself away.
Butch shook his head. "So the Reverend's got a chippie, huh?"
V grunted. "Pity that female."
"For real." As Butch's stare drifted, he tensed up. That hardass female with the men's haircut still had her eyes on him in the shadows.
"Did you do her, cop?" V asked softly.
"Who." He kicked the tail end of the shot.
"You know exactly who I'm asking about."
"None of your biz, roommate."
As Marissa waited for Rehvenge's voice to come back on the line, she wondered where he was. There was a din coming over the connection-music, voices. A party?
The noise cut off sharply, as if he'd closed a door. "Tahlly, where are you? Or did Havers get his phones really encrypted?"
"I'm not at home."
Silence. Then, "Are you where I think you are? Are you with the Brotherhood?"
"How did you know?"
He muttered something, then said, "Only one number on the planet this phone can't trace, and it's where my sister calls me from. Now you're pulling the same no-show thing for an I.D. What the hell's going on?"
She glossed over the situation, telling him only that she and Havers had argued and she'd needed somewhere to stay.
Rehv cursed. "You should have called me first. I want to take care of you."
"It's complicated. Your mother-"
"You don't worry about her." Rehv's voice smoothed out into a purr. "Come stay with me, tahlly. All you have to do is materialize to the penthouse and I'll have you picked up."