“Ah.A rebel,” she teased.
I snorted a laugh.Yeah, a rebel.An apt description considering my bloodline.I was Lucifer’s daughter, after all.
“Then what made you agree to help me here tonight?”Eliza asked.
“The money,” I admitted almost instantly.“I, uh, have a date on Friday night.And a friend of mine is insisting on taking me shopping beforehand.My bank account rests perpetually in the three digits range.”I grinned and shook my head.“Gotta admit, it’s easier to knock a guy’s socks off if you have the cash flow to buy a sexy black dress.”
Eliza lowered her head, her shoulders shaking with laughter.“All this, for a guy?”
“Oh, there are other things I need, and money is required to, you know,buystuff.But he’s a good guy,” I told her.“At least, I think he is.He rescued me from a rude customer yesterday.Not many people would have done that these days.”
“Oh, got a savior kink, do you?”
My eyes popped wide, and I stared at her.“A savior kink?”
“Sure!Every girl dreams of being rescued by Prince Charming.”
I rolled my eyes.“If that’s a kink, I must’ve missed the memo.”
Eliza grinned, then pulled her hat lower, ensuring it covered her ears.“So, what’s his story?This Prince Charming of yours.”
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted.“But for once, I want to find out.”
“Well, I hope it goes well,” she said, her voice soft.She glanced at her watch and sighed.“When is this vampire going to show up?”
A good question.The ground was bone-chillingly cold and making me yearn for a hot shower or maybe a mug of hot chocolate.
“Are you sure this is her lair?”I asked, forcing myself to ignore the discomfort.
“Positive,” Eliza said.“I’ve been tracking her for a few nights.She’s usually back by now.”
I frowned.“Think we scared her off?”
“Anything’s possible,” Eliza said with a shrug.“But we’ll keep waiting.We don’t have anywhere else to be, right?”
Nodding, I forced my attention back onto the surrounding area, straining my ears for any hint of movement.Hopefully, our target made an appearance before sunrise.I would hate for a human to catch us mid-hunt.
Time stretched endlessly.Every now and then, Eliza shifted her weight beside me, her breath visible in the frosty air.I caught her wincing a few times, and it made me wonder what the cold was doing to her.I knew very little about siren physiology.
Just when I was beginning to think the vampire might have given us the slip, I heard it—a faint rustling in the distance.
I tapped Eliza on the arm and pointed toward the sound.She nodded, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the source of the noise.
Moments later, someone appeared.I couldn’t see her face, but from the back, I noticed a long, swinging black ponytail.She moved with an almost feline grace as she glided through the shadows, slinking toward the mine entrance.
Definitely a vampire.And hopefully ours.
I reached for Inferno’s Kiss, my fingers curling around the hilt.But Eliza shook her head and signaled for me to wait.
I raised a questioning brow, but she just shook her head again and pointed up the road.There, someone stood on their porch, dressed for what looked like a run.
My jaw dropped.A run in the middle of winter, this early in the morning?I shook my head—humans constantly astounded me.Usually, at this time of day, I’d already tucked myself into bed, and no amount of anything could get me out.Especially notexercise.
I turned my attention back to the vampire, watching as she pulled the boards away from the entrance, then ducked inside and closed the entrance, disappearing from view.
“That’s our mark,” Eliza confirmed.“We’ll wait for the human to leave, then we’ll follow the vampire inside.Fewer witnesses, and less risk of her escaping.”
I nodded, though the anticipation was nearly killing me.It didn’t take long for the runner to pass by, completely oblivious to the two of us crouched on the ground nearby.Once we couldn’t hear their footfalls anymore, we rose from our position and crept toward the mine entrance.
