Vincent assured her, sounding annoyed.
“Hmm,” Jackie murmured doubtfully. “I can’t wait to meet the rest of your staff.”
“The rest of them?” Vincent looked startled. “Why would you need to meet my staff?”
“Anyone in your company could have accessed these employee lists,” Jackie pointed out, gesturing to the papers she’d taken from Lily and still held.
“So?”
“So, that means anyone in your company could find out who was in your New York cast. It makes them suspects.”
“My people wouldn’t—”
“Vincent,” she interrupted patiently. “Someone’s angry enough with you to be causing these problems. They seem to be trying to ruin you.”
He didn’t look pleased, but said, “Yes, but I’ve never deliberately hurt anyone in my life.”
“You’re over four hundred years old, you may have slighted someone, or broken the heart of someone on your staff two or three hundred years ago and not remember.”
“I hardly think this is about slighting someone two or three hundred years ago,” he said stiffly. “And I’ve never broken anyone’s heart. It can’t be about that.”
“Then what is it about?” Jackie asked sharply.
Vincent shook his head, frustration plain on his face. “I don’t know.”
“So, it’s something you’ve forgotten because of its insignificance to you,” she said pointedly.
His mouth tightened. “I’m not an asshole, Jackie. I’d hardly forget something that hurt someone enough they’d do this.”
Jackie shrugged. “Asshole. Immortal. Whatever.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Tiny stepped between their glares and placed a serving dish of chicken on the table.
Jackie blinked at the food. “When did you have time to cook a meal?”
“I wasn’t sure of our schedule so I cooked it this morning while the chili was simmering. I put it in to warm when we walked in,” he explained, then added firmly, “It’s warm. Eat.”
Jackie bit her lip as she took in his grim expression. Tiny obviously felt she’d overstepped and been rude. He wanted her to stick a piece of chicken in her mouth and shut up. Aware that she had been rude with that last crack about immortals and assholes, Jackie sighed and settled into a chair at the table, her mind searching for the words to apologize without making a big deal out of it. She never got the chance though. While Vincent’s nose had quivered over the delicious aroma of the roasted meat, he said, “Thank you, Tiny. It looks delicious. However, I’m afraid I’m not hungry.”
Tiny sighed as the vampire left the room, then turned on Jackie. “He isn’t Cassius.”
She jerked back in shock. “How…? You…”
“Your father told me about Cassius during that last year while he was sick,” Tiny admitted quietly. “He feared the prejudice it caused in you against immortals might someday become a problem, that you might misjudge a case, or something similar. He thought if I knew about it, I could help keep that from happening.”
“I see,” Jackie said stiffly, her emotions in chaos. She was angry that her father had told Tiny, as well as embarrassed that her friend knew how she’d been controlled and used by Cassius. “Are you saying you think I’m allowing my pastexperience to make me misjudge this case? You don’t think it’s a vampire sabotaging Vincent?”
“Oh, I think you’re right about the saboteur being an immortal,” he assured her.
“Then what—?”
“But I think you’re misjudging Vincent,” he added solemnly.
“I—”
“That asshole remark was bitchy,” Tiny said bluntly. “And that isn’t like you. Even when you absolutely detest someone, you’re coolly polite and professional. But you aren’t with Vincent. I think it’s because you’re attracted to him and it scares you because of your experience with Cassius. And, I think you’re being unpleasant in an effort to make him keep his distance.”
Jackie stared, feeling exposed and vulnerable. Before she could
“Hmm,” Jackie murmured doubtfully. “I can’t wait to meet the rest of your staff.”
“The rest of them?” Vincent looked startled. “Why would you need to meet my staff?”
“Anyone in your company could have accessed these employee lists,” Jackie pointed out, gesturing to the papers she’d taken from Lily and still held.
“So?”
“So, that means anyone in your company could find out who was in your New York cast. It makes them suspects.”
“My people wouldn’t—”
“Vincent,” she interrupted patiently. “Someone’s angry enough with you to be causing these problems. They seem to be trying to ruin you.”
He didn’t look pleased, but said, “Yes, but I’ve never deliberately hurt anyone in my life.”
“You’re over four hundred years old, you may have slighted someone, or broken the heart of someone on your staff two or three hundred years ago and not remember.”
“I hardly think this is about slighting someone two or three hundred years ago,” he said stiffly. “And I’ve never broken anyone’s heart. It can’t be about that.”
“Then what is it about?” Jackie asked sharply.
Vincent shook his head, frustration plain on his face. “I don’t know.”
“So, it’s something you’ve forgotten because of its insignificance to you,” she said pointedly.
His mouth tightened. “I’m not an asshole, Jackie. I’d hardly forget something that hurt someone enough they’d do this.”
Jackie shrugged. “Asshole. Immortal. Whatever.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Tiny stepped between their glares and placed a serving dish of chicken on the table.
Jackie blinked at the food. “When did you have time to cook a meal?”
“I wasn’t sure of our schedule so I cooked it this morning while the chili was simmering. I put it in to warm when we walked in,” he explained, then added firmly, “It’s warm. Eat.”
Jackie bit her lip as she took in his grim expression. Tiny obviously felt she’d overstepped and been rude. He wanted her to stick a piece of chicken in her mouth and shut up. Aware that she had been rude with that last crack about immortals and assholes, Jackie sighed and settled into a chair at the table, her mind searching for the words to apologize without making a big deal out of it. She never got the chance though. While Vincent’s nose had quivered over the delicious aroma of the roasted meat, he said, “Thank you, Tiny. It looks delicious. However, I’m afraid I’m not hungry.”
Tiny sighed as the vampire left the room, then turned on Jackie. “He isn’t Cassius.”
She jerked back in shock. “How…? You…”
“Your father told me about Cassius during that last year while he was sick,” Tiny admitted quietly. “He feared the prejudice it caused in you against immortals might someday become a problem, that you might misjudge a case, or something similar. He thought if I knew about it, I could help keep that from happening.”
“I see,” Jackie said stiffly, her emotions in chaos. She was angry that her father had told Tiny, as well as embarrassed that her friend knew how she’d been controlled and used by Cassius. “Are you saying you think I’m allowing my pastexperience to make me misjudge this case? You don’t think it’s a vampire sabotaging Vincent?”
“Oh, I think you’re right about the saboteur being an immortal,” he assured her.
“Then what—?”
“But I think you’re misjudging Vincent,” he added solemnly.
“I—”
“That asshole remark was bitchy,” Tiny said bluntly. “And that isn’t like you. Even when you absolutely detest someone, you’re coolly polite and professional. But you aren’t with Vincent. I think it’s because you’re attracted to him and it scares you because of your experience with Cassius. And, I think you’re being unpleasant in an effort to make him keep his distance.”
Jackie stared, feeling exposed and vulnerable. Before she could
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