I read hetero romances? Her gaze wandered down, over her big body, then up again to study Jorie. "I loved 'A Vampire's Heart,'" Griffin said. She had never met an author who didn't like hearing that from her readers.
Now Jorie smiled, but it was not the pleased expression that Griffin had expected. Instead, it was an indulgent, almost self-mocking smile. "That's kind of you to say, but it was the first book I published, and I know it has its weaknesses."
Great Hunter, she doesn't make it easy. What am I supposed to say to that? Griffin looked her right in the eyes, a gesture that humans interpreted as sincerity. "It had its strengths too. I liked your main character and her wicked sense of humor." Don't let it be said that a cat can't be charming.
Finally, Jorie nodded and accepted the compliment with a more relaxed smile.
* * *
Griffin glanced left and right as they left the diner. Nothing moved. The small side street where she had parked her rental car was empty. Good.
The awareness of being watched made her skin prickle, but Griffin ignored it. She led Jorie over to her car and opened the trunk.
A hulking figure stepped out from behind the car next to Griffin's. He took a threatening step toward Jorie. A knife flashed in his hand.
Jorie froze.
"Your wallet," he said to Griffin. "Hand it over if you don't want me to hurt your friend."
It wasn't easy to give up something that was hers, but Griffin did as she was told, encouraging Jorie to do the same.
"Now you." The man waved the knife at Jorie. "Is your wallet in the backpack?" The wallet wasn't really what he was after, but Jorie didn't need to know that.
Biting her lip, Jorie nodded.
"Give me that," he rumbled and reached for Jorie's backpack.
Jorie's fingers clutched the strap she had slung over one shoulder. "No!"
What? Griffin couldn't believe it. Is she stupid? She forced herself to stay where she was.
The mugger clamped his fingers around the strap and pulled it away from Jorie's shoulder, but Jorie refused to let go. The much bigger man wrenched her forward with a jerk of his arm. His other hand shot up. The knife's sharp tip trembled against the skin of Jorie's throat now. "Give me the backpack," he said again.
Jorie stood still. The scent of her fear hung in the air, but her confident posture didn't show it. Her fingers didn't let go of the backpack. Jorie looked him right in the eye. "No."
Griffin didn't know whether she should admire her for her courage or curse her for destroying their well-thought-out plan. "J.W.," she murmured, reminding herself at the very last second not to call the writer by her true first name. "Give him the damn thing. It's not worth getting killed over."
"Stay out of this!" the mugger snapped at Griffin without taking his gaze off Jorie.
Heat rushed through Griffin as her anger flared up. She saw the same reaction in the mugger. His predatory instincts came alive in his gaze, and she prayed he wouldn't mess up her plan by letting his emotions get the best of him. Like the bears into which they could turn, Maki were famous for their short fuses. Normally, Griffin wouldn't have involved one of them in a mission like this, but she needed someone with enough bulk for him to look like Goliath and make her look like the heroic David in comparison.
The knife slashed toward Jorie.
No! Griffin took an automatic step forward. No! This is not how this was supposed to go. It wasn't Jorie who was supposed to get hurt.
But instead of cutting Jorie's throat, the knife slashed through the backpack's strap. The Maki wrenched the backpack from Jorie's weakening grasp, shoved Jorie back, and ran.
Griffin exhaled. Her plan was back on track. She would give him a few seconds' head start, then take off after him and heroically try to save Jorie's backpack, getting hurt in the process. Blood rushed through Griffin's veins and sent an explosion of power through her muscles as she got ready to run.
A blur shot past her before she
Now Jorie smiled, but it was not the pleased expression that Griffin had expected. Instead, it was an indulgent, almost self-mocking smile. "That's kind of you to say, but it was the first book I published, and I know it has its weaknesses."
Great Hunter, she doesn't make it easy. What am I supposed to say to that? Griffin looked her right in the eyes, a gesture that humans interpreted as sincerity. "It had its strengths too. I liked your main character and her wicked sense of humor." Don't let it be said that a cat can't be charming.
Finally, Jorie nodded and accepted the compliment with a more relaxed smile.
* * *
Griffin glanced left and right as they left the diner. Nothing moved. The small side street where she had parked her rental car was empty. Good.
The awareness of being watched made her skin prickle, but Griffin ignored it. She led Jorie over to her car and opened the trunk.
A hulking figure stepped out from behind the car next to Griffin's. He took a threatening step toward Jorie. A knife flashed in his hand.
Jorie froze.
"Your wallet," he said to Griffin. "Hand it over if you don't want me to hurt your friend."
It wasn't easy to give up something that was hers, but Griffin did as she was told, encouraging Jorie to do the same.
"Now you." The man waved the knife at Jorie. "Is your wallet in the backpack?" The wallet wasn't really what he was after, but Jorie didn't need to know that.
Biting her lip, Jorie nodded.
"Give me that," he rumbled and reached for Jorie's backpack.
Jorie's fingers clutched the strap she had slung over one shoulder. "No!"
What? Griffin couldn't believe it. Is she stupid? She forced herself to stay where she was.
The mugger clamped his fingers around the strap and pulled it away from Jorie's shoulder, but Jorie refused to let go. The much bigger man wrenched her forward with a jerk of his arm. His other hand shot up. The knife's sharp tip trembled against the skin of Jorie's throat now. "Give me the backpack," he said again.
Jorie stood still. The scent of her fear hung in the air, but her confident posture didn't show it. Her fingers didn't let go of the backpack. Jorie looked him right in the eye. "No."
Griffin didn't know whether she should admire her for her courage or curse her for destroying their well-thought-out plan. "J.W.," she murmured, reminding herself at the very last second not to call the writer by her true first name. "Give him the damn thing. It's not worth getting killed over."
"Stay out of this!" the mugger snapped at Griffin without taking his gaze off Jorie.
Heat rushed through Griffin as her anger flared up. She saw the same reaction in the mugger. His predatory instincts came alive in his gaze, and she prayed he wouldn't mess up her plan by letting his emotions get the best of him. Like the bears into which they could turn, Maki were famous for their short fuses. Normally, Griffin wouldn't have involved one of them in a mission like this, but she needed someone with enough bulk for him to look like Goliath and make her look like the heroic David in comparison.
The knife slashed toward Jorie.
No! Griffin took an automatic step forward. No! This is not how this was supposed to go. It wasn't Jorie who was supposed to get hurt.
But instead of cutting Jorie's throat, the knife slashed through the backpack's strap. The Maki wrenched the backpack from Jorie's weakening grasp, shoved Jorie back, and ran.
Griffin exhaled. Her plan was back on track. She would give him a few seconds' head start, then take off after him and heroically try to save Jorie's backpack, getting hurt in the process. Blood rushed through Griffin's veins and sent an explosion of power through her muscles as she got ready to run.
A blur shot past her before she
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