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"Yes, ht this way, Ms Yellowrock," the wo ue Vamp, blood, sex, vampvampvaic on the air And if the vas well enough to identify them Just the stink of vamp that made me want to sneeze I opened uised curiosity I narrowed my eyes at her and she took a step back fast I flipped a hand, indicating I was ready to continue, and it was a moment before she turned on a heel and ledWe went up a floor and down a hallway, to a rooe She opened the door for me and the air that whiffed out smelled heavenly, of beef and pork chili with beans, rice, and beer Yummy I also smelled humans, human blood, human sweat, and blood-servants, scents that were axiomatic anywhere vamps laired

I entered and stood to the side of the door, inside the spacious roo, e-screen TV a ga shoas on the other The clack of pool balls breaking, an exhaust fan, and lots of voices filled the space, as potent as the sh some of the occupants were in business black, most were dressed casually in jeans and tees, boots, barefoot, souys in shorts and no shirt, one of the women in camo, boots, flak jacket, weapons, the works The eyes of the men followed her around the room, which allowed me to watch them, unobserved

My eyes fell on one familiar face, one that shouldn’t be here, no way, no how Blond, blue eyed, sassy, elegant, and gorgeous, Adelaide Mooney hadn’t told o in Asheville

I put two and two together with the info about Leo’s hostages frorin try to split my face apart, but I held it in and sauntered across the room I drew on Beast’s stealth senses to help ed here Which I did, sorta I was nearly on her when Adelaide turned to me and lifted a delicate eyebrow I so wished I could do that one-eyebrow thing, but it wasn’t soenetic

It was odd to look directly into the eyes of a woman At six feet, I overtoppeddirectly at Adelaide Mooney always eous, and since she was a blood-servant, that was funny on all sorts of levels

"My mother said hello, and to remind you that she owes you one," Del said, rather than a more conventional hello

I blinked I hadn’t expected her to lead with that I had been part of the team that saved Dacy Mooney’s life, but the researcher who developed the vaccine cure for the vaet her treatment until the meds were ready, but somehow Dacy seemed to think it was all me and this wasn’t the first time she had sent thanks "Okay Sure Whatever" Man, was I charain"

That got"Buy you a beer?"

She laughed, that feminine tinkle-bell sound so many women could do, which I never had erated ice-filled bucket, one with beer labels on the sides, and pulled out two cold German ones She twisted off the tops and I accepted mine We clinked bottles and sipped The breas rich andall ware?" I asked

"In a , yes Luther Astor and I He’s the Mithran donation, but it’s all very proper and polite I get ht"

"Who went to Asheville in your place?"

"Dominique and a human named Winston Beavers"

I paused with the beer halfway to oire’s heir, and with Grégoire in Atlanta, that left a hole in vae hole in Clan Arceneau’s leadership If I wasn’t mistaken, that meant that one of rinned--was in the leadership of one of the city’sfor had been on the way to that clan ho Guilbeau’s--in a car with a redhead Said archenemy was redheaded Of course, I hadn’t actually talked to anyone who had seen them at the clan home party All I had was indirect evidence and I knew better than to trust that Well Wasn’t that ducky? I wondered why I hadn’t been inforht I wasn’t hanging around varunted, and sippedin town?" I asked

"No I’h I’ht," she said, "so I’ I’ll be on security sohed with me She was a lawyer, not a shooter, and all I could think of was her stopping an intruder andhim I drained my beer and dropped the bottle into the e clink-clank "Just to cover my bases, my friend Molly is in town and she went off with sonize by scent" And that felt all kinds of wrong to say aloud "She wasn’t happy about leaving with the Yet Do you know anything about her?"