Signing her name on the back of his business card, she tipped him generously and breathed a sigh of relief when he left and she could close the door on the rest of the world. As the last of the daylight faded, she limped through the downstairs and flipped on lights.
While she had a cell phone, she kept a landline too, and as she passed the answering machine, she punched the PLAY button.
Julian’s rough, deep voice filled the room. “Melly, pick up. I know you’re avoiding me . . . this is important, damn it.”
Her stomach lurched, and she almost picked up the phone before she remembered she wasn’t speaking to him, and besides, the message was an old one, about the stupid trade agreements, and Xavier had already handled it.
“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath.
She played the message again, just to hear the sound of his voice, that rough, low voice of his that would brush over her skin like crushed velvet. . . .
How many years had it been since they’d tangled together, wrapped in nothing but a sheet and their own passion?
How pathetic was she?
It was a good thing she couldn’t stand him anymore.
She jabbed the DELETE button and stopped the message replay, in case one of the other messages was him again.
Then she limped toward the liquor cabinet.
Vodka. Vodka vodka vodka.
Her doorbell rang. She almost ignored it, except she lived in a gated community, and there were only so many people who had access to her front doorstep.
With a sigh, she changed course and went to open the front door.
Justine stood outside, her beautiful face wreathed in a warm smile. “Hi, Melly. I hope you don’t mind me stopping by unannounced.”
“Justine, what on earth are you doing in Malibu?”
“I came down to LA to meet with your mother, and I just had to take a detour to say hi.” Justine opened her arms.
Melly stepped across the threshold to give her a hug.
When she would have pulled back, Justine’s grip turned to iron. “I’m truly sorry, my love,” Justine said in her ear. “Your mother and I have known each other for a long time, and I really enjoy you. But things haven’t gone so well for me lately, and you’re much too valuable a piece of leverage for me to ignore right now.”
Struggle as she might Melly couldn’t break Justine’s hold. The Vampyre was too old, too Powerful.
Taking her by the chin, Justine forced Melly to look into her gaze. Melly couldn’t look away.
The world went black.