Kiss of the Vampire(47)

“Skills she has no business utilizing anymore.” Tobias’s disapproval fell on her like a sodden blanket.

“I did it for a reason,” she muttered. She flipped open the wallet and pressed her lips together. It wasn’t who she’d thought it was. “I thought I knew him, but I was wrong. It’s not the guy.”

“Well, then, you can give it back.” He held out one hand. “Or I will.”

She wasn’t sure which infuriated her more, when he treated her like some sort of pariah of the preternatural world or as if she were a recalcitrant child. “I’m perfectly capable of giving this back to him and apologizing for taking it,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster. Before she could head toward him, though, a hand clamped onto her shoulder.

She smelled vamp and without thinking grabbed the hand and twisted, putting the person on his knees with his arm straight back behind him. She drew his arm higher, exerting pressure on his shoulder. Then she realized who she’d just put on his knees.

It was the bartender. With a bottle of wine in the hand that wasn’t being driven between his shoulder blades. Aware that the people around them had become silent, Nix pressed her lips together and let him go with a lame, apologetic smile. “Sorry.”

“I figured you wanted one of these. You usually do.” He got to his feet and handed her the bottle. His pupils were dilated so that only the faintest bit of green circled them. Elongated fangs peeked out over his bottom lip.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks.” She was lucky he hadn’t spun out of her grip and ripped her throat out. As he rotated his shoulder, she gave him another tentative smile. “Sorry,” she repeated.

He lifted his chin. “I’ll put it on your tab.” He started to turn away.

Nix stopped him. “Wait.” She handed him the wallet. “It belongs to that guy,” she said, pointing toward the human man in the navy blue pinstripe.

The bartender rolled his eyes and took the wallet from her. “I’ll return it to him, but you really need to stop doing that.” He walked toward the man.

Nix turned back and looked at Tobias and Dante. One stared at her with censure and disappointment, the other with humor and a little bit of admiration. She refused to admit how much Tobias’s opinion of her mattered and how much it hurt that he thought so little of her.





Chapter Eight





Tobias had thought Nix had outgrown her penchant for pickpocketing, a necessity picked up from living on the streets for a couple of years after her grandmother had died. But without a pause or flicker of forethought, she’d lifted that man’s wallet with the ease of a professional.

Some habits died hard, he guessed. He should know. Nix was a tough habit for him to break.

“Let’s go,” she said now, her cheeks rosy. Whether from anger or embarrassment he didn’t know.

He turned and saw Victoria Joseph standing a few feet away from MacMillan. The female werewolf wore a slinky black dress with a neckline that plunged almost to her navel and a hem that ended at midthigh, her makeup more pronounced than he’d ever seen it. She looked sexy, very different from how she looked on the job. She gave him a wink, then checked MacMillan out from behind, lust filling her eyes.

Nix spotted her as well and called out, “Hey, Tori!”

Victoria walked up to them. “Nix. Tobias.” She glanced at MacMillan. “Won’t you introduce me to your friend?” As always, her voice was calm, in contrast to her appearance that undoubtedly ruined the composure of just about every male in the place.

Tobias was glad Nix was still in her work clothes. He was sure seeing her in something sexy like Tori’s dress would erode his calm beyond repair. “This is Detective Dante MacMillan, a member of the Special Case Squad.” He motioned toward the female werewolf. “Dante, this is Victoria Joseph, another council liaison.”

Victoria held out a fine-boned hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Detective.”

MacMillan looked like he’d been struck by lightning. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. He pressed a slow kiss to her knuckles. “The pleasure’s all mine, Ms. Joseph.”

“My friends call me Tori.” She looked at him from beneath long, silky lashes.

MacMillan drew in a breath. “My friends call me Dante, but you can call me anything you’d like, darlin’.” His eyes glittered with carnal interest.

MacMillan’s smooth talk seemed to work on Victoria, but Tobias thought he might throw up. “Nix, what do you say we get out of here and let Dante and Tori get acquainted without us.”

Nix glanced at him, then her gaze shifted over his shoulder and her eyes narrowed. “What the hell…!” She took off at a fast trot.