When I came up to the vampire that looked the closest to taking his companion on a one-way stroll, I didn’t even bother with small talk. I just elbowed the pretty blonde he’d been speaking to aside and slapped my panties on his chest.
“As soon as I saw you,” I purred, “I knew I wouldn’t be needing these.”
That got his attention. He glanced down at my panties, then put them to his nose and took in a deep breath. Eww, I thought, but my smile never faltered. Then he shoved his protesting companion aside.
“Never mind,” he told her.
“Bitch!” she hissed at me before stomping off.
Jeez. I’d just saved her life, and that was the thanks I got?
I linked my arm in his, being sure to rub my breast against him. “You’re not the conversationalist type, I hope?”
His reply was to begin propelling me through the throngs of people. I didn’t see Bones, but that didn’t concern me. If I didn’t see him, then neither would the other vampires. I might not trust my emotions with him, but I had no hesitation about trusting him with my life.
We were down the hall and almost to the first hidden room when my companion stopped and took in a questioning sniff.
“What the—?” he began.
I didn’t let him finish. My hand whipped down the front of my dress and I rammed a silver blade into his heart before he had the chance to form another word. It was simple, really. He’d had his back to me, never suspecting the danger.
Then I dragged him quickly inside the room, muttering and trying not to leave a blood smear. Thank God vampires didn’t spurt blood like in the movies, but even a few drops outside would be too much with their sense of smell.
While in there, I checked on the other two girls. They were still passed out, but Bones had said their pulses were steady enough that we could attempt our sting operation. I noted how pale they were and frowned. The last two vamps had to be taken care of quickly. Those girls needed to be in a hospital, not lying in this horror movie of a room with bodies everywhere.
A shocked gasp whipped my head up. In the doorway, the female vampire stood perfectly still, but her human male companion didn’t. He gasped again, then started to scream.
“Aw, shit,” I sighed.
She swatted him across the head so hard, he was unconscious before he hit the floor. Then she sprang at me with blurring speed, her fangs extended murderously.
I let her come, rolling back at the last second and then kicking out with my legs. Her momentum plus my maneuver had her smashing into the wall behind me. I leapt onto her before she had a chance to regroup, driving my knife into her heart and giving it two rough, satisfying twists.
“Kitten, outside!”
I was out the door and down the hall moments after hearing Bones’ yell, but still barely in time to see him chasing after the last vampire, who was hightailing it out of the club. So much for a nice, stealthy execution of the trio.
I shoved past people with nearly the same blurring speed he had. Once in the parking lot, I only paused long enough to snatch a cell phone away from a person unlucky enough to have one pressed to his head while I galloped by.
“Thanks!” I called out, then said, “He’ll call you back!” and hung up on whoever was on the other end. I dialed while keeping one eye on Bones as he zigzagged after our last perpetrator. He was about fifty yards ahead of me and gaining. Goddamn, but I’d forgotten how fast he was.
“Tate,” I gasped as soon as he answered. “Can’t talk, but we need a containment group at the GiGi Club, stat. Got vamp bodies, human bodies, three victims still breathing, and a hell of a lot of witnesses.”
“What are you doing at the GiGi Club?” Tate barked. “That was supposed to be with us, tomorrow night!”
I jumped over a fence, ripping my borrowed dress, and played a brief game of speed Frogger as I darted across a busy street.
“Can’t talk now,” I repeated breathlessly. “I’m chasing down a vamp; I’ll call you later!”
Then I threw the phone aside and pulled out one of my knives instead.
I couldn’t see Bones anymore. He’d dashed out of my line of vision while I was concentrating on not getting hit by oncoming traffic. I kept running full out in the same direction, however, cursing my heels and debating whether it was faster to stop and take them off—damn ankle straps!—or keep running with the potential neck breakers. Wouldn’t that make a charming epitaph? Here lies Cat. Killed not by fang, but Ferragamos.