Page 79 of Hoofin’ It

None of us said a word the rest of the way to my apartment, although I caught Marian staring at me more than once, her expression thoughtful.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Debts and favors ruled a vampire’s world, which meant I spent twenty minutes haggling with Larry. Ultimately, I paid more than I would have to any other cabbie to make sure I won the round; Larry got a big tip along with the owed fare.

I’d lost the previous round to Ernesto and his preemptive strike of arranging for dinner, which made us even. Larry chuckled and took my money, shaking his head. “Will you and Papa ever learn?”

“Probably not,” I admitted, sliding out of the cab, closing the door, and thumping my palm to the roof. “Drive safe.”

“When do I not?”

“Let me count the number of speeding tickets I’ve written you over the years…”

“Please don’t. Papa counts them for me, and he laughs when he does so.”

Chuckling, I headed for the entry, where Marian waited, her eyes narrowed to slits. “What was that all about?”

“I forced Larry into accepting his fare plus a twenty dollar tip. Ernesto wanted the ride on the house. If I’m going to owe a vamp, it’s going to be for something more than cab fare.”

“What about our dinner?”

“I kneecapped Ernesto and gave him some extra love taps. We’re even there.” I chuckled, shook my head, and guided Marian upstairs to my unit. “More accurately, by kneecapping him and shooting him with a few extra rounds, he’ll need to feed extra tonight to repair the damage, which will let him work with his youngest fledglings more than usual. He’ll probably take Kelly and an incubus out in case she grows her wings.”

“You’re serious.”

“Don’t let Kelly fool you. She just looks young. I’ve always suspected she was a succubus, but I wasn’t certain until today. He’ll probably go to a bar, let the incubus go to town, and have a few drinks during the festivities. No one should get hooked. If he’s feeling charitable because he likes you, he’ll pick a strip club over a random dive. It could go either way with him.”

“So he’d be causing a party like the one at the nightclub.”

“Except public and everyone gets to play. He’ll pay a fine of a thousand per person for his incubus losing control. Everyone will know he did it on purpose, but since everyone walks away a bit wealthier and a bit happier, everyone will turn a blind eye. Kelly’s a bleeding heart, so there’ll be some celebrations in the next few weeks.”

Marian had no trouble keeping up with me as I climbed the steps, taking them two at a time, although we were both breathing hard by the time we reached my door. “What do you mean?”

“She’s a an empath, and I’m pretty sure she’s attuned to sexual relationships, so she can tell at a glance if a couple is having trouble conceiving. She’ll cry to the incubus, and the incubus will take matters into his own hands.”

“You already knew incubi could control reproduction! You’re seriously telling me I didn’t have to explain that?”

I held my hands up. “In my defense, I didn’t know how that club operated and had no idea what to think.”

“You sly bastard.”

Testing my door, I discovered it was unlocked, which warned me I still had company. I peeked inside to find Amy sprawled on my couch wearing my satin sheets and a smile. “Oh, look. It’s trouble. Good evening, Amy.”

“You’re not even surprised. How unfair,” the succubus complained.

“Larry told me Ernesto sent over dinner.”

“That tattler. You’ve turned gray. What were you two doing to be panting so hard? Making out in the stairwell without me?”

“Running up the steps,” I corrected, heading for my kitchen to see what sort of dinner Ernesto thought was appropriate for two starved humans. Enough sushi for six waited on my counter, a treat I never would have bought for myself. The round went to the vampire, and I’d have to pay him back later. “You like sushi, Marian?”

“Love it.”

“He must think we’re going to die of malnutrition. Are you having any, Amy?”

“No, it’s for you love birds. He thought it would be an appropriate snack for you to feed each other when you’re catching your breath in bed.”

Of course the succubus would assume I’d sleep with Marian. While the idea appealed a great deal, I couldn’t see myself begging for a repeat, at least not until I got a better idea of how she’d react to having her basic principles tested by Ernesto and his extended family of vampires and demons. “There’s easily enough sushi here for six people.”