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“No concern. I just want to mentally prepare for the meeting, and I can’t do that with you standing so close to me.”
His mouth twitched. “I’m distracting, am I?”
“Very.”
“Good.”
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. “Thank you for arranging the meeting.”
“Thank you for trusting me enough to ask.”
I walked him to the door, kissed him again, and watched him blend with the night.
I closed the door, chose another Barry White song on my phone, and let myself cry.
A selection of expensive cars greeted me in the parking lot of the Devil’s Playground. Assassins didn’t come cheap.
Sunny loitered outside. The chimera’s eyes glowed in the dark, casting the rest of her two-colored face in shadow.
“Hey, Sunny.”
The creature trotted over to me, and I crouched down to stroke her head. “I wish I had more time to lavish you with attention, but it looks like I’m the last one to arrive.”
Sunny meowed in acceptance, and I carried on. Either there was no bouncer on duty or Larry was on a bathroom break. He’d be sorry he missed me. We were old friends now.
I rushed through the door and straight into the chest of an angry vampire.
“The meeting’s already in session,” Josie hissed. “Where were you?”
“I had a minor setback.” After an intense crying session, I had to search YouTube for videos on how to minimize redness and swelling.
She nudged me forward. “Get in there before they vote to exile you.” She pinched the sleeve of my coat. “On second thought, stay right here.”
“Hardy har.”
I entered the lounge, where the members of the Assassins Guild were already seated in a semicircle. Dressed in designer clothes and holding an array of alcoholic beverages, they looked more like a private party celebrating a successful business venture than a meeting of supernatural killers.
Gun patted the empty chair beside him. It felt nice to be back in his good graces.
Kane gestured to me. “Welcome, Miss Lorelei Clay.”
“Thank you for including me.” I sat beside Gun and tried to relax, but my muscles refused to cooperate.
“We’ve invited you here as a courtesy,” Kane said. “You’ve already signed an NDA, which I’ll remind you is still in effect.”
“I love it when you talk bureaucracy.”
Josie rolled her eyes.
“As you know, given your identity, the guild has officially registered you as a threat.”
I folded my hands on my lap. “So, what’s the process? You want me to assure you that I’m not a threat? Because that’s not a promise I can make.”
The room grew quiet.
“Can’t or won’t?” Vaughn asked.
“Can’t,” I said. “If I could, I would. Believe me.”
