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He stifled a snort "Good to know, since it will still be me"
"But you just said no one would believe I’m your property anymore"
They certainly wouldn’t, but that wasn’t her fault It was his He’d whisked her ahen she panicked, though any self-respecting Master would have sent so to her hand, seated her at his right, obeyed her de distracted by her, and rushed to her side after she’d sprayed vomit into his shirt
Indeed, there was no chance his people would believe she was just his property anymore
"We’ll have to play a besotted couple instead of a va on both our parts, but nothing that will violate your liht you said that would be suspicious, because you don’t date hus, but if we find Nathanial soon, the charade could be brushed off as a passing fancy" Or passing stupidity, if he was being ers were so warm on his cooler skin Just another reminder of her humanity
"Thank you"
"You’re welcohtly
Fool, he lashed hiation, or honor, as Deniseher for the staggeringly witless reason of not wanting to let her go yet
Even now, her scent and nearness tantalized his senses It was the height of stupidity to be te Perhaps for his next brilliant notion, he’d take up shaving with a chain saw
He pushed that aside Yes, he’d felt an unusual draw to her from the start, but it was just the circu Denise was forbidden, so as a result, he wanted her Add in danger, uncertainty, and close proxi after her
But nothing would come of it Because she was a hurave So fragile, he thought, looking at her So easily destroyed
Spade glanced away Detach sod named Nathanial
"Tomorroe’ll leave for New York I know the Master of another large line we can check next"
Her fingers slid off his hand "We’ll just go froh their people?" Denise’s tone said she thought that was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack
"For a start Once I’ve exhausted my friends’ lines, we’ll have to try differentthrough his allies’ people, but he wouldn’t expose Denise to the darker side of the vaain, if he could help it
By the tiain Denise tried once or twice to speak to hi the drive, but he kept his answers short Soon she fell silent Once inside, he brought her up to his room - the only place anyone would expect her to sleep, after tonight’s display - then went to shoithout another word When he came out, she was already asleep, curled on her side in his bed
He gave her a final, grim look before he settled himself into a chair and closed his eyes Sleep hat he needed He’d feel better on theof Deniseonly her hair was blond, her eyes were brown, and her throat had been cut froasped when she saw the red-hairedroom "You!"
Sadly, it wasn’t her relative Nathanial she’d recognized Ian blinked, obviously surprised to see her, too Then his turquoise gaze slid to Spade and he laughed
"When you said you were co social call, but I rong, wasn’t I? Look at you, sneaking behind Crispin’s back with his wife’s best friend I’m impressed"
Spade crossed his arms "Don’t snicker so, Ian We’re here on business, though yes, I don’t want Crispin informed of it"
The sly smile stayed on Ian’s lips "Silence like that will cost you, mate"
"I have no doubt," Spade replied in an ironic tone
Denise still couldn’t believe Spade involved Ian in this Bones’s sire didn’t have a good reputation on the best of days, and at his worst, he’d nearly gotten several of Cat’s soldiers killed
"Don’t trust hiht to Bones and Cat," she aze settled on her, unoffended by the accusation "Not if Charles makes it worth my while, poppet"
"Who’s Charles?" Denise repeated, looking around Then she reht, that’s what Bones called Spade, too
"My huured it out
"Don’t knohy you still insist on being called by that other naet ere ever prisoners, but you’ve chosen to remind yourself of it every day"
"Keeps htly
"Prisoners?" Denise cast a look at Spade He was a former convict? How could someone keep a vampire locked up, anyway?
"Didn’t you know, poppet?" Ian purred "It was hoe e to the New South Wales penal colonies Baron Charles DeMorti chained to coine his horror once we arrived and the overseer only addressed him by the tool he had to labor with instead of his title Makes no sense that he insisted on being called that after he became a vampire, too"
A tick in Spade’s jaw said he didn’t appreciate the subject, but Denise was intrigued She’d had no idea Spade had been both a prisoner and a nobleer, true, but he also never let her touch a door or car handle, streaking to open the in a chair despite it being his bed he was kicking himself out of, and she’d never heard hial air he carried hiuessed that he’d come from far different circu what I’ll offer in exchange for your discretion, Ian?" Spade asked, coolly changing the topic
Ian grinned "Of course"
"My property in the Keys you’ve long admired I’ll loan it to you for the next decade That should be more than adequate to ensure your silence"
Denise let out a shocked noise that both h," Ian replied "Crispin will be very angry at me if he discovers my part in whatever it is you’re up to with her, so you’ll have to give reedy schlance in her direction "And now s are hurt That’ll cost you the boat, too"