are?"
"Antonio Martinez," he said.
"He is my...mentor," Vanessa said, and smiled warmly at him. Mentor was vampire code for the vampire that Changed you, if you are on good terms. So that meant Antonio was even older, and I assume more powerful, than Vanessa. "Antonio, forgive my rudeness. Yes, this is Sable Hart, the infamous Black Heart."
He looked me over, and managed to not smack his lips. I had the impression he wanted to, though. A girl knew when a guy liked what he was looking at. Have to admit, I kinda liked looking at him.
"Perhaps we can get together, Miss Hart, sometime this week," Antonio said. "I'll be here through Wild On."
"Perhaps," I said. "Please, call me Sable."
"Only if you call me Antonio," he said.
We shared a sultry gaze for a long moment. Vanessa gave a little cough to break it up.
"Since you're trying to seduce my mentor, I assume this isn't a staking," Vanessa said.
"I'm not that stupid, despite what some would say," I said. That pleased her. I didn't think she was unstakeable, but she did scare me. All council members did. Both Vanessa and Antonio reeked of power, radiated it like the sun. None of the other vampires around us radiated any power at all. It was the best sign I knew to determine the power of a vampire. "I only wish to ask you a couple questions." I paused, frowned at her. "Has Jeff Howell called you?"
"Why would he call me? To warn me about you?"
"No. I thought since you were partners with him in Nightside Investments he would call to warn you," I said, and shrugged. "Guess not."
Vanessa sat up straighter, her dark eyes more intent. I swear, she was suddenly twice as beautiful. How did she do that? Was it illusion? Or just in my mind? Her eyes slowly narrowed.
"Warn me about what? Something with Nightside?"
"Maybe," I said. How to explain, since I already muffed it up a bit. Shouldn't have mentioned Jeff yet, if at all. "Do you know a Timothy Saxon?"
"Yes. Mr. Saxon works on the Nightside account," she said. "What about him? Is he stealing from us?"
The menace level radiating from her increased exponentially. I stepped back one step. It seemed prudent at the moment, but probably didn't help my dangerous reputation.
"Timmy has been kidnapped, probably by vampires," I said. "His family has hired me to find him, before it's too late. You didn't have anything to do with his disappearance, did you?"
"Don't be stupid," Vanessa said, holding out her hand to one of the blondes at her feet. A diamond encrusted smart phone was handed up. She immediately started punching in numbers. "Jeff knew about this?"
"I told him yesterday."
"Bastard." She also let out a string of words in Spanish that I didn't understand, but it certainly sounded like she was cursing.
I refrained from smiling. I just caused Jeff some unwanted partnership problems. Couldn't happen to a more deserving vampire.
"Why did you go to Jeff first with this?" Vanessa said.
"I knew how to contact him," I said. "Do you want to give me your cell number?"
She just glared at me, holding the phone to her ear. Then she started speaking in Spanish. Very fast. I didn't have the foggiest idea what she was saying. I reminded myself of my life goal of learning Spanish. Someday. Maybe I'll start tomorrow.
"That answered that question," I said. Vanessa wasn't responsible for Timmy's disappearance. No closer to finding him. Vanessa was no longer paying me any
"Antonio Martinez," he said.
"He is my...mentor," Vanessa said, and smiled warmly at him. Mentor was vampire code for the vampire that Changed you, if you are on good terms. So that meant Antonio was even older, and I assume more powerful, than Vanessa. "Antonio, forgive my rudeness. Yes, this is Sable Hart, the infamous Black Heart."
He looked me over, and managed to not smack his lips. I had the impression he wanted to, though. A girl knew when a guy liked what he was looking at. Have to admit, I kinda liked looking at him.
"Perhaps we can get together, Miss Hart, sometime this week," Antonio said. "I'll be here through Wild On."
"Perhaps," I said. "Please, call me Sable."
"Only if you call me Antonio," he said.
We shared a sultry gaze for a long moment. Vanessa gave a little cough to break it up.
"Since you're trying to seduce my mentor, I assume this isn't a staking," Vanessa said.
"I'm not that stupid, despite what some would say," I said. That pleased her. I didn't think she was unstakeable, but she did scare me. All council members did. Both Vanessa and Antonio reeked of power, radiated it like the sun. None of the other vampires around us radiated any power at all. It was the best sign I knew to determine the power of a vampire. "I only wish to ask you a couple questions." I paused, frowned at her. "Has Jeff Howell called you?"
"Why would he call me? To warn me about you?"
"No. I thought since you were partners with him in Nightside Investments he would call to warn you," I said, and shrugged. "Guess not."
Vanessa sat up straighter, her dark eyes more intent. I swear, she was suddenly twice as beautiful. How did she do that? Was it illusion? Or just in my mind? Her eyes slowly narrowed.
"Warn me about what? Something with Nightside?"
"Maybe," I said. How to explain, since I already muffed it up a bit. Shouldn't have mentioned Jeff yet, if at all. "Do you know a Timothy Saxon?"
"Yes. Mr. Saxon works on the Nightside account," she said. "What about him? Is he stealing from us?"
The menace level radiating from her increased exponentially. I stepped back one step. It seemed prudent at the moment, but probably didn't help my dangerous reputation.
"Timmy has been kidnapped, probably by vampires," I said. "His family has hired me to find him, before it's too late. You didn't have anything to do with his disappearance, did you?"
"Don't be stupid," Vanessa said, holding out her hand to one of the blondes at her feet. A diamond encrusted smart phone was handed up. She immediately started punching in numbers. "Jeff knew about this?"
"I told him yesterday."
"Bastard." She also let out a string of words in Spanish that I didn't understand, but it certainly sounded like she was cursing.
I refrained from smiling. I just caused Jeff some unwanted partnership problems. Couldn't happen to a more deserving vampire.
"Why did you go to Jeff first with this?" Vanessa said.
"I knew how to contact him," I said. "Do you want to give me your cell number?"
She just glared at me, holding the phone to her ear. Then she started speaking in Spanish. Very fast. I didn't have the foggiest idea what she was saying. I reminded myself of my life goal of learning Spanish. Someday. Maybe I'll start tomorrow.
"That answered that question," I said. Vanessa wasn't responsible for Timmy's disappearance. No closer to finding him. Vanessa was no longer paying me any
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