Forsaking (Vampire Assassin League Book 26) by Jackie Ivie Page B

lips. Scrambled most of his wits. He didn’t know the rest of her expression. He didn’t dare look.
    “I do apologize for the interruption, Bramwell, but things have changed on our end. Lizbeth? You on?”
    “Yes, Sir.” A female voice replied.
    “Who is it?”
    Marielle asked it and snagged his attention. She lifted a long lock of hair and studied the ends as if looking for something. His ears starting experiencing a lot of buzzing. He shook his head to clear it.
    “What?” Bram asked.
    “Who is calling?” she repeated.
    “Akron.”
    “And who is Akron?”
    “My boss.”
    Akron spoke in Bram’s ear. “I am afraid I can’t give you more time for your courtship, Bramwell. You have a window of opportunity that is rapidly closing and I have an antsy client who has called our line three times. He has excellent internet skills, too. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to find our new numbers so rapidly. Needless to say, he is flirting with a regrettable accident. I won’t even charge anyone.”
    “You have a boss? Does that mean you work? Vampires have...jobs?”
    Marielle laughed. Her breasts bobbed with it. Bram tightened his butt and thigh and ab muscles. The buzzing intensified. He groaned. Akron spoke again.
    “I understand your disappointment, but it isn’t a difficult hit. You should be able to handle it in a matter of minutes and then return to...whatever it is you’re doing. Lizbeth is sending the file to your computer. Any trouble receiving?”
    He wasn’t near his laptop. He kept that in his office. He wasn’t thinking of moving there, either. “Can’t you just tell me?”
    “Very well, but you really should read the file. Lizbeth?”
    The female voice spoke up again. “Your assignment is a Missus...Stimson. Yes. Here it is. Susan.”
    “Susan Stimson,” he repeated. “Got it. Anything else?”
    “What about her?” Marielle asked.
    His attention got snagged by Marielle’s movement more than her question. She shoved one side of her hair over her shoulder, putting all kinds of emphasis on her perfect torso. He was finding that mating could be problematic at times. This was one of them. It took a few seconds for her question to penetrate.
    “What?”
    “You mentioned Susan Stimson. What about her?” Marielle asked.
    “Oh. She’s the hit.”
    “She’s the
what
?”
    Her voice was sharp. High-pitched. It should have warned him.
    “I’m an assassin. A member of the Vampire Assassin League. We kill for profit. She is my assigned hit.”
    “You’re a
what
?”
    This time her question was close to a scream.
    “Assassin,” Bram replied. He turned back to the phone. “Uh. Akron? Sir? I may have a complication on this end.”
    “This call is close to the time limit anyway. We’ll call you right back.”
    The line went dead. Bram pitched it to the bottom of the mattress somewhere. Snagged another cell from the pack. Slid the front open. Hovered his thumb over the connect button. Marielle was staring at him openmouthed. Wide-eyed. A dark flush stained her pristine skin. He watched it consume her shoulders, throat. Lower jaw. She had a very set look to her entire frame, too. Bram didn’t know what to say. Do. Act.
    “Did I hear right? You
kill
people?”
    He waited a moment. Moved his glance upward. His heart jerked painfully as their gazes connected. And then he nodded.
    “And you didn’t think that was important enough for your ‘I am a vampire’ spiel?”
    “I was going to tell you.”
    “Oh, really? When exactly? After another lovemaking session? Where you break down my resistance some more?”
    He shook his head.
    “Bramwell!”
    Oh.
Hell.
Her voice was stained with emotion. He was afraid she might cry. His heart felt like a cannonball was shoved against it and pressing harder with each continuing beat.
    “You can’t do it. You can’t. Not Susan.”
    “You know this person?” he asked.
    “She’s a little shit that drives people crazy. A kid. She’s just a kid! Barely