Bittersweet Blood by Nina Croft

out but her hand dropped back before she touched it. “Can you open it?” she asked.
    Tara flicked open the catch. Ella stared at the contents, her eyes widening in surprise.
    “What can you tell us?” Piers asked, sounding impatient.
    “Not a lot. It’s powerful, but what it’s doing is shrouded, part of the magic. Where did it come from?”
    “That’s what we want to find out. Can you tell us who made it?”
    “No. For once there’s no signature, which is strange in itself. As though the maker didn’t want to be identified, but there aren’t many powerful enough to make this charm.”
    “Could you do it?” Christian asked.
    Ella shook her head.
    “So how many could?”
    She tilted her head. “Three or four, maybe.”
    “Can you make us a list, find out where they are, who’s the most likely.”
    “I suppose I could. Are you going to tell me what this is about?”
    “You don’t need to know,” Christian replied.
    Ella’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not my boss anymore, Christian.” She glanced at Piers, but he said nothing, and she shrugged again. “I’ll let you know.”
    “Ella, I want this kept private.”
    She looked ready to argue but turned and stalked from the room. The door slammed behind her, and Tara released the breath she’d been holding.
    “Nice lady,” she said.
    Piers chuckled. “No, she’s not. She’s neither nice or a lady.” He turned to Christian. “I think you may be right. It’s time for her to go.”
    “She’s a dangerous woman to leave around,” Christian said.
    “Oh, I don’t plan on leaving her anywhere,” Piers replied with a grim smile.
    “Well, don’t do anything before she gets my information.”
    Were they calmly discussing killing Ella? Maybe she hadn’t understood the conversation. Then she remembered the evil lurking behind the woman’s face, and shivered.
    Christian’s arm curled around her shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”
    She nodded. She wanted to go home. She wanted her pajamas and a cup of hot cocoa and Smokey purring on her lap. She wanted to pretend everything was normal, but the normal world she wanted seemed farther from her than she could ever have believed possible.
    Piers said, “Keep me informed. I want to know what happens.”
    Christian nodded and led her from the room. She tried to keep her eyes focused ahead, but something made her glance to the side. Ella stared at the two of them. She smiled as she caught Tara’s gaze, but her eyes were filled with such malice that Tara’s steps faltered, and she stumbled against Christian.
    Her eyes were on Ella, and Christian followed her gaze.
    “Ignore her,” he murmured. “She can’t do anything to you.”
    Tara wanted to believe him, but she felt the other woman’s eyes bore into her as the elevator door closed behind them.

Chapter Nine
    Christian opened the passenger door for her. “I’ll take you back to your apartment.”
    “That’s okay. You can drop me off at the train station.”
    He shook his head. “I want you to pick up some things. You’ll be staying at my place tonight, and tomorrow we go to Yorkshire.”
    Neither proposition sounded appealing right now. “I’ve had my fill of vampires for the night, thank you, and I’m not ready for the whole basement thing.”
    “You can sleep in the penthouse.”
    “You have a penthouse?” She tried not to sound impressed.
    “Yeah,” he answered dryly. “It’s at the top of the building.”
    However desirable she found Christian, she just wanted to go home. She wanted her pajamas, her cat, and that mug of cocoa. She craved the safety of the familiar. “I want to stay at home.”
    “It’s not an option. I told Piers you wouldn’t be a problem, which means I have to make sure you’re not.”
    Her mouth tightened. “I’m not going to tell anybody. Your secret is safe and all that crap.”
    “Don’t make this difficult.”
    “Or else what? Are you going to order me? Hey, didn’t you forget something? It