Sucker for Love by Kimberly Raye Page B

sacrifice isn’t until next week. There isn’t much we can do until then.”
    What? Anxiety rushed through me, making my heart beat faster. I wanted to jump up, morph into the pink Batmobile and haul ass south to save my friend.
    Merlin, on the other hand, didn’t look in nearly the same hurry. Rather, he was calm, easygoing. As if Esther’s afterlife weren’t hanging in the balance.
    “He’s starving her,” I told him. “You know that, don’t you?”
    “A necessary part of his plan. The ritual is very specific. Each step must be followed to the letter; otherwise, it won’t have the expected results.”
    “But he’s starving her.”
    “There’s no law on the sorcery books involving cruelty against made vampires, Miss Marchette.”
    I had a bad feeling about where this was headed, and Merlin’s next words confirmed it.
    “Until he actually commits the crime, I cannot prosecute him. He must follow through with theritual. I will be there to deal appropriately with him once he makes the sacrifice.”
    “What about Esther?”
    He shrugged. “It’s a small price to pay to eliminate Mordred. She’s a made vampire. Expendable. And not my concern.”
    But she was mine. She was my friend. And she was in this mess because of me.
    My stomach heaved and my knees went weak. I sank down into my chair as the truth crystallized. Esther was as good as dead if I didn’t do something.
    Fast.
    “Knock, knock,” I told Merlin.
    “Who’s there?”
    “Abbott.”
    “Abbott who?”
    “Abbott time you get your butt out of my office so I can get to work.”
    Obviously, being on the receiving end wasn’t nearly as funny. He frowned. “You’re a very odd vampire.”
    Desperate was more like it. “Seriously, I really need you to leave. I’ve got work to do.” If Merlin wasn’t going to help Esther, I was going to have to do it myself.
    “Do not interfere, Miss Marchette.” He nailed me with a piercing stare that made my blood ice cold. “I have been waiting nearly one hundred years for a chance to destroy Mordred. I won’t miss the opportunity this time. And I won’t be nearly as accommodating should you disturb me again.” A wave ofhis hand and a puff of smoke and Merlin disappeared.
    “Nice to meet you, too.” I fanned away the smoke and tried to process everything I’d learned.
    Merlin had confirmed that Mordred was headed for Lonely Fork. Which meant I merely had to pinpoint the exact location, devise some sort of rescue plan, execute said plan, and save Esther. And all before next Friday.
    And why don’t you win the lottery while you’re at it?
    Okay, so I wasn’t the most qualified vamp. I wasn’t a detective and I had zero experience in dealing with murdering sorcerers.
    Still, I had done some pretty courageous things in my life. I’d started my own business with nothing but a Visa and a prayer. Even more, I’d stood up to my mother and proclaimed my independence—no more Moe’s, no more fix-ups, no more personal maid service. She hadn’t listened, obviously (at least when it came to the fix-ups), but the point was, I’d done it. I’d stood up for myself. Embraced a new way of life.
    I was strong. Tough. I could do this.
    I would do this, because I was a good friend.
    And friends didn’t let friends drive drunk or wear light blue polyester pants or date losers or die at the sharp end of a ritual knife.

“Y ou’re going where?” Evie’s voice drifted over the phone when I called her after a frantic online visit to EverythingsBiggerinTexasbuttheAirfare.com .
    “Arizona.” I braced myself for a stab of guilt. I was really headed to Austin and then Lonely Fork, but I wasn’t going to clue Evie in on my real destination. For her own good, of course. If Ty or my mother realized I’d gone MIA and why, they would start looking for me.
    At least I knew my ma would.
    Disappointment did the stabbing this time, but I ignored it and concentrated on the situation at hand. A few seconds alone with