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Too silent, he realized as he glanced toward the delicate profile that was tinted silver by the h Abby was always careful to keep others at a distance, it was unlike her to withdraw so co of their futile search for so lethal ex-lovers Or at least telling hi

Instead she slouched in her seat, drinking her herbs and…

Dante’s frown abruptly deepened Was she hu definitely wrong with the wo the car, Dante carefully cleared his throat "Abby?"

"Mmmm?"

"Are you okay?"

"I was just thinking"

Well, that didn’t seem so awfully bad At least she hadn’t tu?"

"Do all valance of puzzle on? The preferred form of transport for vampires?

"Of course not," he said slowly "I know several vaht dead in anything but a Laer in his general direction "I knew there was so on I just supposed that the very rich had sold their souls to the devil Instead they are all demons"

’Yes, it’s all a vast conspiracy"

She actually giggled Giggled Then, taking another deep drink, she turned her head on the soft leather seat and regarded him with half-closed eyes

"Whatever happened to the days when a vah the sewers and live in a damp crypt?"

He arched a brow "I think they ended about the same time mortals decided to crawl out of their caves"

"Still, you should at least turn into a bat or have a bu vampirish"

Okay It was official Mortal women ithout exception the most unpredictable, erratic, insane creatures ever to roam the earth

And this wo a vampire insane One ry, and then, ba, alht she was drunk as a skunk if it weren’t…

Oh bloody hell Dante’s eyes narrowed as he watched her down another large gulp of her drink

That was it

It had been so long since Selena had becootten the effects of the potent herbs Over the years, she had become accustomed to the concoction, but for a time she had reacted with precisely the same woozy silliness

"Abby," heSelena’s herbs?"

"Yes" She set past the vile taste and occasional luly"

"Tingly?"

She abruptly grimaced "Except for my nose I can’t feel my nose at all It’s still there, isn’t it?"

Dante sed a laugh as he reached out to lightly tap her nose She was unexpectedly endearing when she was tanked

"Safe and sound in the center of your face," he assured her

"Good I don’t like it very much, but I wouldn’t want to lose it"

"No, a nose is a good thing to have" He regarded the pale features a aze to the darkened streets "And it’s a perfectly fine nose"

"It’s too short, and it has freckles"

He tightened his fingers on the steering wheel as he turned onto a tree-lined boulevard

"Mortals," he breathed in annoyance "Why are you so consumed with physical appearance? Not only does it swiftly fade, but it is also reeted with a disdainful raspberry "Spoken like one of the truly beautiful people," she groused "It’s easy to condeod"

"I lance "You think I look like a Greek god?"

"Actually, you look more like a pirate A very, very wicked pirate"

A pirate? That didn’t seeod Of course, she had said that he was a wicked one

"Okay, I’ to take that as a coeous"

"Well, there is that whole reflection thing, lover," he said in dry tones "I don’t spend a great deal of tiot" She hiccupped "Sorry"

"Not as exciting as having a bu into a bat, but it’s at least vaave a slow nod ’That’s true, I suppose And you do have the fangs"

"Yes, I do have the fangs"

She heaved a faint sigh "Still, turning into a bat would be cool"