“Dante…” Nix would like to have drinks with Dante, but only as a friend. She didn’t want to send him mixed signals, though, so she shook her head in refusal even as the fleeting thought of using Dante to make Tobias jealous flitted through her mind. It would be a waste of time, because she knew Tobias wouldn’t care one way or another. After all, he’d been the one to leave her. Plus it would hardly be fair to Dante to use him like that. “I can’t,” she told Dante. “We’re friends. I don’t want to mess that up.”
He blew out a sigh. “I figured you’d tell me no again. Can’t blame a guy for trying though, right?”
She touched him briefly on the arm. “No, I can’t.” Not knowing what else to say, she glanced at her watch and murmured, “I have to make my report to the council.”
“Sure.” He gave an easy shrug and started back toward the crime scene. Nix fell into step beside him. As they walked, Dante said, “I’ve been thinking about trying out a new place. Well, new to me anyway. You ever been to the Devil’s Domain?”
“It’s only the hottest, trendiest place to hit town in the last twenty years.” She stared at him, grateful he’d so easily changed the subject, and seemed to not be bothered by her refusal to go out with him, but she was a little concerned about his choice of bars. “You do realize it’s owned by Maldonado, right? And that prets hang out there? A lot of them.” Most nights it was packed to capacity and looked like the United Nations of the fanged and furry.
“Oh, yeah, I know. I just…” Dante gave a lopsided grin. “Lately it seems the only time I see EDs is when they’re dead. Or killing someone. I guess I’d just rather see them in more normal circumstances.”
Nix slid a sidelong glance at him. While his attitude was commendable, he obviously still had a lot to learn about the preternatural community. Most of them had a bit of nasty worked into their DNA, which meant they could get really cranky really fast. Even cute, flirty little pixies could be deadly when riled or drunk. There was no such thing as “normal” when you were talking about prets.
Not sure she wanted to dispel his hopeful outlook, she still felt the need to warn him. “You’re not likely to see prets at their best when they’ve had a few too many drinks, you know.”
He grinned and patted his gun. “I can handle myself.”
Nix bit back a sigh. Dante was still so naive about prets. A vampire could stand motionless ten feet away and then be at his throat before he ever had time to draw his weapon. Werewolves and the cat shifters were almost as fast. The only consolation with Dante going to the Devil’s Domain was that security was high and the bouncers would protect humans as well as prets who might be under threat from someone else.
They stopped a few feet away from Tobias, who she knew had heard the last of their exchange. She waited for him to make some sarcastic remark, but, with his gaze on Dante, all he said was “One of your techs wants a word with you.” With a lift of his chin he motioned toward one of the men standing at the opposite side of the crime scene.
Dante glanced down at Nix. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He walked away to talk to the man in blue coveralls.
In the silence that remained, Nix shifted air from one cheek to another and then blurted, “He asked me out.” Some small measure of satisfaction filled her in imparting the information. She couldn’t help it. At least Tobias would know someone was interested in her even if he wasn’t.
“I didn’t ask.”
Nix stiffened at the complete unconcern and lack of interest in his voice. Hurt shafted through her again, then she got angry at herself. She shouldn’t care that he wasn’t bothered that Dante had asked her on a date. At least now she knew when he was tossing those damned pheromones her way he was only being a jerk. She propped her hands on her hips. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that? Just how long did you say you’ve been back in town?”
“Got in this morning. And since I was here, like I said, the council asked me to look into these murders.” He stared at the blood on the pavement where Amarinda’s body had lain. “I wouldn’t be back now, except she called me.” His voice was soft and full of regret.
Nix focused on his last statement. “She called you? About what?”
“She wouldn’t say.” His lips firmed. “All she told me was that she had something she wanted to talk to me about, but she didn’t want to do it over the phone.” His steely gaze cut back to Nix. “Guess now I’ll never know.”