And whatever she was saying was pissing Graham off.
“Look, I know Ryan works here, so you might as well just call him up and tell him I’d like to see him.”
Graham sighed. “Your name?”
“Detective Faith Connelly.” She pulled a badge from her pocket and flashed it at Graham. A policewoman. That was where she got her air of authority. “And while you’re at it, tell him Jessica is here to talk to Rosamund Fairfax.”
Now, that was interesting. He glanced at the girl. She had a fragile look and a bleakness in her eyes.
Graham spotted him. He swallowed and gave him a brief nod before turning back to the woman. “I’m afraid Mr. Ryan is in an important meeting right now, Detective.”
Yeah, the “important meeting” Asmodai was no doubt late for. Christ, he was part of a committee.
How had he sunk so low?
Well, when you made a deal with the devil, you had no choice but to pay his price. And if this was the sum total of his bill, then he’d gotten off lightly.
“If you leave a number,” Graham continued, “I’m sure he’ll call.”
“You are?” the woman replied. “Unfortunately, I’m not. We’ll wait if you don’t mind. Just tell him we’re here.”
“I’ll tell him,” Asmodai said from behind her.
She whirled around, her eyes widening as she caught sight of him. Her gaze ran over him a couple of times, and those pretty lips turned down in a frown as though she didn’t like what she saw. “You know Ryan?”
“Yes, I know Ryan. I’m Ash,” he murmured and held out his hand. “Ashton Delacourt.” She stared at his hand for a moment as though it might bite. Then she reached out slowly. Her palm was cool, which was odd, as warmth flooded his body at her touch. Nerves—long dormant—tingled into life. He closed his fingers around her and held on until she tugged free.
“You’re here for the meeting?” Graham asked him. “They’ve already started. I’ll get one of the security guards to take you down.”
Asmodai nodded and turned back to the woman. “I’ll tell Ryan you’re here, Detective. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see one of his old colleagues.”
“You might be sure, but I’m not,” Detective Faith Connelly replied.
Chapter Two
“Holy freaking moly,” Faith muttered.
“Is that the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?” Jessica spoke in hushed tones from beside her.
“Very probably,” Faith replied without thinking.
Jess giggled, sounding for once like the schoolgirl she was. Faith leaned her butt on the reception desk, folded her arms across her chest, and watched as Ash Delacourt walked away. He moved with the grace of a big cat, almost flowing across the marble floor. He had to be six five, and long and lean in black leather pants and a full-length coat.
He turned as he reached the elevator and caught her gaze. Her breath quickened.
Yup, it was official. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Though beautiful wasn’t quite the right word. His skin was pale, shadowed over his jaw, his cheekbones sharp, his eyes dark, and his lips full.
Definitely worth a holy moly or two if you went for the bad-boy type, which Faith didn’t.
Even so, she couldn’t take her eyes from the vision of raw masculine power until finally the elevator doors closed behind him and she breathed again. Someone coughed and she turned to see the receptionist watching her, a flash of amusement in his eyes.
“What?” she muttered.
He shook his head. “Nothing, Detective.”
“Good.”
“Would you like to take a seat? I can get you some coffee, tea…a double brandy?”
Obviously, she was looking as shell-shocked as she felt. She sniffed and mustered her dignity. “No, thank you. I’ll just wait over here. Come along, Jessica.”
…
Piers Lamont, current head of the Order of the Shadow Accords, glanced up as Asmodai slipped into the room. “You’re late,” he snapped. “And who the fuck invited you anyway?”
“I did.” Christian rose to his feet, probably sensing an imminent fight. Oh goody. Asmodai had been bored recently, restless. This might actually be just the diversion he needed, and with the added incentive of a chance to get close to Tara. After casting him a blatantly disinterested glance as he’d entered, she’d pointedly turned away. She was stubborn. Like him.
“We have representatives from all the main races,” Christian continued, his tone reasonable. “I asked the Demon Council, and I guess this is who they thought most appropriate. And they’re right. Of all of them, he’s the one who has had the most contact with mankind.”
It was strange to hear Christian defending him. At one point Asmodai’s whole existence had focused on destroying the vampire and everyone he loved and cared for. But if his daughter loved him, then Asmodai would put aside his own need for revenge.