I pushed him back and took in the sight of his chest. What a waste of a gorgeous man, but I’d learned long ago that the prettier they were, the more they thought women were stupefied by their charm. But unfortunately for him, I was a reformed addict. I lowered my mouth to his, less than an inch away. “I’m more than just a pretty face, Antonio.”
“I agree, you have a body to match.”
I’d considered letting this go a bit further to catch him off guard, but that statement just pissed me off. I bit his lip a little harder than playful and he jolted, only settling back after I licked it.
“You like it rough, mi amor?” he asked, sounding even more turned on.
“Oh, you have no idea.” I leaned forward, kissing him hard as I reached into my boot and withdrew the silver blade, then quickly brought it up to his jugular. Barely lifting my lips, I whispered, “Just how rough, Diablo?”
His body slumped slightly, but there was no anger in his eyes. “I am not your enemy, Rachel.” I was grateful he kept his voice low. He must have quickly jumped onto the same page as me, although that could be to my disadvantage.
“You’re sure as hell not my friend.”
His cocky grin returned. “I disagree. We were pretty friendly a moment ago.” He lifted his hips, pressing against my open legs to show me just how friendly he still wanted to be.
“What’s your part in this?”
“I told you, I work for—”
I pressed the knife harder, drawing a drop of blood to the surface of his skin. “Try again.”
“If Lea worked for Victor, why couldn’t I?”
“Because you’re not a vampire.”
“And do you even know what she did for him? What he paid her to do?”
“He was her benefactor.”
“But what does that mean, mi amor?”
“I’m not your love, so save the bullshit for someone who falls for it.”
“You evaded my question. Maybe you don’t want to believe your friend can’t be trusted.”
“Okay, asshole, tell me why I can’t trust her.”
“She’s a vampire, and vampires by definition are selfish, soulless creatures with one purpose.”
“And that is?”
He grinned. “Okay, maybe two. Fucking and eating.”
“So?”
“They are parasites that must be scourged from the face of the earth. They prey on humans and take without asking.”
“Their blood.”
“Among other things.”
I cocked my head. “Look, maybe the vague bullshit routine works for you with all the other pretty faces you screw, but I have a headache the size of Cleveland, which is making me a little twitchy, if you know what I mean.” I twisted the blade slightly to make my point. “So how about we cut all the bullshit out of this dog and pony show and you just tell me the facts.”
His eyes filled with appreciation, along with a hint of respect. “I worked for Victor so I could keep an eye on the underworld. He had a fascination with vampires and anything supernatural, and he drew them to him. It made my job easier.”
“Why would you want to keep an eye on them? What are you? The underworld police?”
“In a way. Each species has their own enforcers.” He cast his eyes sideways. “The werewolf with your friend was one for his pack.”
That didn’t surprise me. I’d already figured that out from Lea and the werewolves on the train. “If each species has its own enforcers, why are you needed?”
“Everything and everyone needs supervision, mi guerrera. Especially the supernatural world.”
“Who appointed you?”
“A secret society, but your friend knows of them.”
“Why are you interested in Lea?”
“I’m curious about her motives. I’m certain she killed her benefactor, which makes her unpredictable.”
Did he really know Victor was dead or was he fishing? “I know what she’s up to.”
“She’s told you she wants to destroy Stravinsky and bring light to what he’s doing. To protect humankind.”
“Among other things.” I sure as hell wasn’t going to spill her secrets. “So you’re just here to watch Lea?”
He shifted underneath me, showing me he hadn’t forgotten our original plan. “I’ve enjoyed watching other things as well.”
I dug the knife a little deeper, until a trickle of blood trailed down his neck. “I warned you about bullshitting me.”
“If we only had me hooked up to a lie detector, you would see that wasn’t a lie, mi bella. Although I am fairly sure this is a lie detector of its own.”
“Okay, other than watching my ass, what are doing with us?”