to do.”
Sophie squirms in her chair, then leans forward. “Jonathan had this brilliant idea to make money. As if we need more.” She bites off the last words as if aiming them right at Jonathan. “We’d write a vampire book. Based on his experiences. I’d be the public face of the book and he’d provide the material.”
It was a great idea
, Jonathan interjects.
Just check out the best seller lists today. Charlaine Harris has made a bundle on her Sookie Stackhouse books, Richelle Mead and her Vampire Academy is a perennial best seller. Imagine how much better I could do? A real vampire with the inside track and a hundred plus years of experience to draw from? It was a sure thing.
“So what went wrong?”
Jonathan grows quiet. Sophie’s face grows dark with anger. “The genius here decided his first story will be about how he was turned. A brilliant story of love and betrayal. The very first editor it was given to accepted it immediately. Should have suspected right then something was wrong. But Jonathan just chalked it up to his dazzling writing style.”
Jonathan starts to interrupt but Sophie shuts him down with a quick follow-up. “The editor brought me to New York, wined and dined me, all the while pumping me for more details. Details, of course, Jonathan could provide. He offered us a huge advance, a national marketing campaign, all the things Jonathan had hoped for. The only catch was that he wanted me to accompany him to the scene of the story, to gather background info to add realism to the book. We, of course, agreed.”
Her last words drip sarcasm.
“I take it the trip didn’t go so well.”
“Haven’t made the trip yet but as soon as I got back to Denver from New York, the first incident occurred.”
“Incident?”
“At the airport. We’d chartered a jet for the trip. Another of Jonathan’s vanities.”
Joanthan growls.
Didn’t see you complaining when we skipped those irritating security lines.
Sophie ignores the mocking aside.
“I was getting into a taxi to go home and someone took a shot at me. The bullet missed, but smashed the cab’s rear window. The police are still investigating but are inclined to chalk it up to a random crazy. I was so grateful to be alive, I accepted the theory.”
“But you don’t now?”
“Not after it happened a second time. This time I was out riding on the property. And this time, the bullet missed me, but not my horse.” For the first time, her face softens, her mouth wilts in sadness. “He killed my horse.” The flicker of sorrow is gone as quickly as it appeared to be replaced once again by stony anger. “I could have been seriously injured when he went down, but of course, those vampire genes kept that from happening.”
Something she’s yet to thank me for.
“Don’t hold your breath. None of this would have happened if you weren’t such a greedy bastard.”
Sophie is on the verge of a full-blown tirade. I stave it off by jumping in. “I don’t understand. Why do you think Jonathan’s book has anything to do with the attacks on your life?”
Sophie sits back in her chair, spine stiff, hands gripping the arms of the chair with white-knuckled ferocity. “You want to tell her, genius?”
Jonathan lets a groan come through.
I couldn’t have foreseen this in a million years.”
My patience is growing as thin as Sophie’s temper. “Foreseen what?” I snap.
“He used real names in his book,” Sophie snaps right back. “And locations.”
“So?”
Jonathan’s tone at last shows a modicum of regret.
The editor who bought the book is the great-grandson of the vampire who turned me.
CHAPTER TWO
I suppose I should have been surprised. But after all I’ve experienced in the time since I became vampire, it’s damn hard to be surprised by anything. So instead of reacting with shock or incredulity, I ask the logical question, “And just how did you determine that the editor is the great-grandson of the
Sophie squirms in her chair, then leans forward. “Jonathan had this brilliant idea to make money. As if we need more.” She bites off the last words as if aiming them right at Jonathan. “We’d write a vampire book. Based on his experiences. I’d be the public face of the book and he’d provide the material.”
It was a great idea
, Jonathan interjects.
Just check out the best seller lists today. Charlaine Harris has made a bundle on her Sookie Stackhouse books, Richelle Mead and her Vampire Academy is a perennial best seller. Imagine how much better I could do? A real vampire with the inside track and a hundred plus years of experience to draw from? It was a sure thing.
“So what went wrong?”
Jonathan grows quiet. Sophie’s face grows dark with anger. “The genius here decided his first story will be about how he was turned. A brilliant story of love and betrayal. The very first editor it was given to accepted it immediately. Should have suspected right then something was wrong. But Jonathan just chalked it up to his dazzling writing style.”
Jonathan starts to interrupt but Sophie shuts him down with a quick follow-up. “The editor brought me to New York, wined and dined me, all the while pumping me for more details. Details, of course, Jonathan could provide. He offered us a huge advance, a national marketing campaign, all the things Jonathan had hoped for. The only catch was that he wanted me to accompany him to the scene of the story, to gather background info to add realism to the book. We, of course, agreed.”
Her last words drip sarcasm.
“I take it the trip didn’t go so well.”
“Haven’t made the trip yet but as soon as I got back to Denver from New York, the first incident occurred.”
“Incident?”
“At the airport. We’d chartered a jet for the trip. Another of Jonathan’s vanities.”
Joanthan growls.
Didn’t see you complaining when we skipped those irritating security lines.
Sophie ignores the mocking aside.
“I was getting into a taxi to go home and someone took a shot at me. The bullet missed, but smashed the cab’s rear window. The police are still investigating but are inclined to chalk it up to a random crazy. I was so grateful to be alive, I accepted the theory.”
“But you don’t now?”
“Not after it happened a second time. This time I was out riding on the property. And this time, the bullet missed me, but not my horse.” For the first time, her face softens, her mouth wilts in sadness. “He killed my horse.” The flicker of sorrow is gone as quickly as it appeared to be replaced once again by stony anger. “I could have been seriously injured when he went down, but of course, those vampire genes kept that from happening.”
Something she’s yet to thank me for.
“Don’t hold your breath. None of this would have happened if you weren’t such a greedy bastard.”
Sophie is on the verge of a full-blown tirade. I stave it off by jumping in. “I don’t understand. Why do you think Jonathan’s book has anything to do with the attacks on your life?”
Sophie sits back in her chair, spine stiff, hands gripping the arms of the chair with white-knuckled ferocity. “You want to tell her, genius?”
Jonathan lets a groan come through.
I couldn’t have foreseen this in a million years.”
My patience is growing as thin as Sophie’s temper. “Foreseen what?” I snap.
“He used real names in his book,” Sophie snaps right back. “And locations.”
“So?”
Jonathan’s tone at last shows a modicum of regret.
The editor who bought the book is the great-grandson of the vampire who turned me.
CHAPTER TWO
I suppose I should have been surprised. But after all I’ve experienced in the time since I became vampire, it’s damn hard to be surprised by anything. So instead of reacting with shock or incredulity, I ask the logical question, “And just how did you determine that the editor is the great-grandson of the
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