Rose might be half demon, but every bit of her was alive. She had feelings. If anything, her kind’s emotions were more intense than most humans…regardless of how they were painted by humanity and other species. Demons had received a lot of bad press over the years—though she would admit that when it came to the pure-blooded demons…and a few of her half-blooded relatives—some of that bad press was deserved.
Vampires, on the other hand, were just cold, sexy corpses who—while claiming to recall the echoes of emotion—couldn’t truly experience anything beyond arrogance, pride and gluttony. At least, the ones she’d met. Yet they were forever romanticized in books and movies and tween television shows. If those teenyboppers knew what the blood-drinkers were really like… Well, they would no doubt still be in love—because the truth was, teenagers of every species were among the stupidest, almost entirely hormone-driven creatures on the planet.
This was a surprise for Rose, though. A first. Vampires didn’t usually sing love songs in run-down, empty bars in the desert. Singing without the intent to seduce or mesmerize. They never did anything without a reason.
She’d done enough of her homework to know Mac was no arrogant showman like his roommates. Before they came into his life, he’d hardly left a footprint in hundreds of years. And from what she’d seen of the vlog, he’d never willingly gotten in front of the camera until that idiotic competition at his castle. Now he was being hunted by her and others like her because of his contribution. By his elders for drawing too much attention to himself. What had possessed him to get on this—on any—stage when he knew they were looking for him?
She noticed him send a look to the couple beside the bar, and the short woman responded with a beaming, watery smile and two thumbs up.
For them? For human strangers? How unusual. That made no sense…
Unless he’d never chosen to suppress the empathy that came with the fangs... Rose shook her head. He was old enough to know better than that. Only a vampire who was young and stupid, or masochistic and suicidal kept that switch on all the time. And he was neither.
At least, she’d been told he was neither.
Maybe she had been told about this weakness. The poor vamp had a hero complex. That might be what this was about. He pretended that he wanted to be alone, that he didn’t care about anyone, but all of his actions belied that pretense. His castle was filled with orphan ghosts, his apartment with paranormal misfits and his life with the kind of trouble that could only come from too many entanglements.
One too many, or her family wouldn’t have been hired.
Speaking of family…
Rose slipped her hand into her jacket pocket, feeling the cell phone’s cool metal against her palm. She should call them. Daisy, Gardenia and the others. Let them know she’d acquired their target.
Her phone vibrated against her palm and she twitched in surprise. Lifting it out of her pocket, she read the text message that appeared.
He’s my friend, little Rose.
Hurt him…turn him in…and I’ll have to act
However you do have my permission to torture him.
I dare you—make him smile.
-Saint
Saint. Shit. She shouldn’t have been so careless. Everyone knew what he could do. How many times had her sisters told her to stay away from Wi-Fi—from all electronics—when she didn’t want Saint to know her plans? And this particular vampire hunt was not one she wanted him to know about.
He’d mentioned several times that she was his favorite from the demon s
ide of his family tree, which is why he kept an eye on her, but that wouldn’t last long if she went through with the plan. Upsetting Saint by collecting a bounty on his roommate could be dangerous.
On the other hand, this could be her last job for the vampires. One last hunt. As much as she liked her cousin, he’d spent too much time with humans on that computer game he’d created. He’d been sheltered. He didn’t know what life as a demon was truly like after the trials. He didn’t understand what she lived with every day. He had it easy…he didn’t talk to his siblings.
So why was she still hesitating? Better her than another hunter. She and her sisters had a reputation for always getting the job done with the least amount of bloodshed. A six-pack of dynamite—each a gifted and sexually charismatic Halfling born of one infamously dangerous succubus and sired by a different human father—they were in such high demand that they could name their price. And the price for Mac was high enough that Rose could finally get out from under her debt to her family and start her own life. Finally be free.
His voice was her problem. His beautiful brooding, bearded face was her problem. His body was definitely a problem. But most of all—his voice.
Damn, it was sexy. Full of longing and loss, passion and regret. At least she knew that vampires couldn’t charm her kind. No creature could. That was why hunting was a valid demonic career choice. High demand and very little risk.
Still, there was no denying her reaction to it, to him. Or the imp riding on her shoulder that told her she could wait a little bit longer to call in the cavalry. He wasn’t going anywhere.
And he was singing one of her favorite songs.
Between Saint’s warning and her reaction, she might have to make some quick adjustments to her original plan.
Adjustment number one was obvious—sex. She was going to have to seduce him. To feel the scratch of his beard across her breasts and hear his voice growling her name as he spread her legs wide and took what he needed. Rose wanted him, so she would have him. When it came to these types of physical urges, she couldn’t deny herself. It was a family trait she’d learned to embrace. She would ride the Scottish vampire until her desire was sated. Feed off his passion as his fangs sank into her soft flesh until they were both consumed.
It could take days.