Bitten by Cupid(7)

Tiny appeared to be thinking along the same lines, for he was already closing the notepad and slipping it back into his pocket. He shined his flashlight up the tunnel, saying, “We’d better get moving. We go this way past three offshoots and turn right at the fourth.”

Mirabeau lifted her skirts a bit and nodded as she turned in the direction they were to head. “I’ll lead. Stephanie, you’re in the middle. Tiny will bring up the rear.”

“Do you need the flashlight?” Tiny asked, then smiled wryly when she turned back to him. She guessed her eyes were glowing bronze in the darkness as they caught and reflected what light there was down there because he muttered, “Right. Of course not. Lead the way.”

Deciding he was smart for a mortal, Mirabeau turned away and started up the tunnel, careful to keep her skirts out of the sewage surrounding them.

They walked in silence, Mirabeau leading them through two of the turns into offshoot tunnels before it occurred to her that if there was trouble, it was likely to come from behind and that perhaps leaving Tiny, who was mortal, to guard their back wasn’t the smartest move. Aside from the fact that she thought it would be a shame for such a fine-looking mortal male to die, she figured Marguerite would be upset if she let it happen. Unfortunately, Mirabeau suspected Marguerite would be upset if she insulted the guy too. The woman was pretty fond of him. The problem was that mortal males could be so touchy about their manhood and appearing strong and capable. She was going to have to come up with a lie to get him to trade places with her.

When they had reached the third offshoot, Mirabeau paused and turned back.





Chapter Three


Tiny was considering Marguerite’s suggestion that he might be a life mate to Mirabeau. Now that he’d met the woman in question, he found the possibility a fascinating one. He was trying to recall all the reasons he shouldn’t feel that way when Stephanie suddenly stopped in front of him. His nerves immediately on the alert for a possible threat, he glanced to Mirabeau to find she’d stopped and was walking back toward him. Tiny relaxed when he saw her expression. She looked neither grim nor urgent with warning. In fact, Mirabeau’s expression was almost pained, and her words stilted as she said, “I was thinking…perhaps it would be better if you lead the way after all. It is very dark in here, and you have the flashlight.”

Tiny glanced down at the flashlight in his hand, then back to Mirabeau. He had no doubt she was lying about the reason for wanting him in the front. He had spent enough time around immortals to know his weak little beam wasn’t needed by them to see. Hell, he thought, it was probably as bright as daylight in there to the two females. He just didn’t understand why she suddenly wanted him in the lead.

“She’s worried you’ll get yourself killed at the back of the pack, and Marguerite would never forgive her. She’s spooked herself with visions of you being attacked from behind and beheaded or something,” Stephanie said with a teenager’s amusement, answering the question he hadn’t asked. “She’s just crap at coming up with a lie to get you at the front of the group.”

Mirabeau scowled at the girl, then glanced to Tiny. “It did occur to me that I would have a better chance of hearing if we were approached from behind, and since that’s where the trouble is most likely to come from—”

“Enough said,” Tiny interrupted, managing not to visibly wince at the reality behind her words. Despite her efforts to ease the blow, his ego had taken a hit. At six-seven and two hundred eighty pounds of pure muscle, he wasn’t used to being considered the weak member of the herd. In fact, it was only recently that he’d been forced to face the fact that he was…at least among immortals. For ten years, Tiny’s partner had been a female who was mortal like him. Jackie had been a tiny little thing, and while he’d always known and respected that she could handle herself, he’d still been the brawn in the partnership. But when Jackie had met Vincent and gone off to be his life mate, Tiny had found himself partnered with Marguerite Argeneau for a European case, and his vision of himself had been altered with a vengeance. That little lady, nearly a foot shorter and less than half his weight was beautiful, sweet, and could tuck him under her arm and run down the road as if he weighed no more than a child. And Tiny didn’t doubt for a minute that either of the two delicate flowers of womanhood before him could do the same thing.

He was still big and brawny, but Tiny was the fragile one who needed looking after. How depressing was that? Tiny pondered the question as he started to ease around Stephanie to get to Mirabeau’s side, but quickly forgot it when Mirabeau suddenly gave a choked cry of surprise.