“You’re a whole lot prettier than Kyle.”
Cassidy struggled to keep herself from blushing as his words sent a rush of pleasure through her. He thought she was pretty. And then she scolded herself for being an idiot. She refused to be kept out of this just because she was a woman.
“If you don’t think I’ll get in your way, then I’m going with you,” she said. “I can help you avoid Savages, and you’re better off having someone who can watch your back than to go in there blind.”
Dante drummed his fingers on the table as he studied the set of her jaw. Beautiful and stubborn, it was a deadly combination, but it intrigued him.
“Okay,” he said. “But at the first sign of danger, we are out of there. I’ll return on my own.”
Cassidy didn’t argue or point out that she was a pureblooded vampire who was probably faster and stronger than him. She was stronger and faster than Kyle since reaching maturity on March seventh, the day of their twenty-first birthday. Kyle was pissed when she finished aging before him; she found it hilarious.
“Then we should go,” she said as she rose from her chair. “We have to find the place.”
Chapter Nine
The back seatof the taxi was more cramped than Cassidy would have guessed before they climbed into the cab. Dante sat a few inches away, but his warm body heated hers until she had to resist tugging at her collar to cool off. His leather scent was subtle, but the coconut air freshener hanging from one of the vents wasnot.
Between the stifling car and the overwhelming odor, she wanted out of the taxi so bad she was eyeing the door handle. Why had breathing become so difficult?
She glanced over at Dante and almost scowled when she saw him focused on the passing scenery. Apparently, she was the only one experiencing any difficulties. She had to resist punching him in the arm; it was his fault the car felt so stifling, and he was utterly oblivious to it.
Dante kept his focus on the passing scenery as he tried to ignore the tantalizing scent of cherries. If he looked at Cassidy, he’d move closer, and then the driver was sure to get a whole lot more than he bargained for when he picked them up.
As much as he craved knowing what her lips tasted like, and what she would sound like as he took possession of her, he didn’t think giving the driver a show and most likely causing the man to crash into a pole was the best way to start their night. So, he kept his attention focused on the scenery he didn’t quite see; it was safer that way.
Cassidy turned to stare out the window as they passed people and buildings. She wouldn’t think about the man sitting beside her; she wouldnotthink about the fact they were so close she could lower her hand from her lap and touch his.
The idea of such a tantalizing possibility made her breath catch, and she tugged at the collar of her jacket. Maybe this was a bad idea. She hadn’t stopped to think about what she was getting herself involved in when she volunteered to help him.
Maybe going into one of these clubs and spending more time around Dante wasn’t the best idea, but she couldn’t let him go alone. If something happened to him… Cassidy bit her lip and closed her eyes. She barely knew the man, but the idea of something happening to him caused her stomach to twist into knots.
For all Cassidy knew, he might not be a killer, but he could be a complete asshole. However, she didn’t think that was true. He seemed nice, and total assholes didn’t spend their lives hunting down missing people for their loved ones. As a human, he had to work to support himself, but as a vampire, he could skate by on his abilities; he’d chosen not to do that.
No, he wasn’t an asshole. Still, it wasn’t like her to take off with a stranger. Her family didn’t know where she was, but she could handle herself. If he turned out to be a prick, then it would suck for her if he was her mate, but she’d kick the crap out of him if he tried anything.
When Dante shifted beside her, she glanced over at him. He’d removed Julie’s picture from his pocket and was staring at it with a look of steely determination. She didn’t see how anyone so determined to reunite a family could be an asshole.
Cassidy glanced at the smiling blue eyes of the pretty girl in the picture. She didn’t know why Julie got tangled up in whatever mess she had, but she was too young and too mortal to understand some things weren’t pretend. There were some vampires out there who would love nothing more than to destroy an innocent girl.
“Here we are,” the driver said in a thick Boston accent as he pulled to the side of the road.
“Thank you,” Dante said.
Leaning forward, he handed the man money for the fare as Cassidy opened her door. He almost grabbed her back, but she was already out of the car. Dante didn’t bother with his change as he slid across the seat and stepped out to stand beside her on the busy Dorchester street.
The setting sun created waves of color across the twilit sky, but he couldn’t see where the sun touched the horizon as buildings blocked his view. In front of them was a brick building with a brand-new, purple awning proclaiming it as Lavender Moon in black lettering.
A sign for tarot reading hung in one of the tinted, plate glass windows beside the large, wooden door. On the other plate glass window was a sign for tattoos. No chunks of brick were missing from the building, and the door had a fresh coat of black paint on it. He had no idea what to expect from the place, but the owner took pride in their business.
“What is this place?” he asked.
“I’m not entirely sure,” Cassidy admitted. “When I asked Kyle about how he found the parties, he told me he went to Lavender Moon in Dorchester and asked for Opal.”
Dante had seen how overprotective Kyle was of his sister; he couldn’t picture him spilling all these details to her. “Whydid he tell you this?”
“He was a little drunk when he got home, and I might have decided it was a good time to learn all I could about the clubs he visited. Of course, he never expected me to go looking for Opal, but he did reveal alittlebit too much.”
“When was the last time Kyle came here?”
