“Imean… I can’t just bippety-boppety, hocus-pocus you back to normal, Prince,” she snapped. “Your curse is ancient, dark, and highly complex—the kind of magic that isn’t even practiced anymore because it’s so damned dangerous. Figuring out what to do about—”
“Are you saying you can’t?” he demanded. The veneer of his control began to crack, genuine worry seeping through.
“Not that Ican’t. Just… Just that it could take a few weeks. Months, even,” she added quickly, buying herself a little more time. “And it’s going to take intensive resources—a lot more than I have on hand. I’ll need all new materials. Herbs, candles, crystals, spellbooks, unrestricted Internet access, an e-reader, a library card, digital library access—”
“Jacinda.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest, the sweater pulling tight across his biceps. His eyes lasered in on her, another warning perched on his lips.
“Make a list?” she asked with a hopeful grin.
After a long, weighty glare, Gabriel finally nodded.
She opened her mouth to thank him, but he held up his hand, cutting her off. “Don’t thank me, witch. I’ve got another job for you yet.”
“On top of breaking a nearly-impossible-to-break curse and tracking down a nearly-impossible-to-find vampire?”
In response, he stalked to the front door and retrieved a small gift bag he’d left dangling from the doorknob. Pink tissue paper poked out from the top.
She knew better than to believe he’d actually gotten her something nice, but she couldn’t help the little flutter in her chest.
“Dorian believes the key to forming lasting peace in our city is winning the hearts and minds of the supernatural communities,” he said. “Convincing them we’re all in this together.”
“You don’t believe it?”
“Diplomacy was never my strong suit.”
“You don’t say.”
That small smile made a brief appearance again, then faded just as quickly. “In my experience, Jacinda, what keeps supernaturals—what keeps anyone, for that matter—from tearing out one another’s throats is leverage.”
Jaci laughed. “Wow. Have you ever thought of working with children? Your cheery disposition is so damned inspiring.”
“I don’t work with children,” he said gravely. “I eat them. Now, as I was saying—”
Jaci gasped, instinctively taking a step backward.
And Gabriel, prince of bastards, cocked an evil grin. “Consider it payback for threatening to turn me into a frog.”
“You are such a jerk! I believed you!”
“That’s what makes it so funny. So… Leverage. The easiest way to gain leverage is to inspire loose lips. The easiest way to inspire loose lips is by furnishing an environment that encourages debauchery, and paying very close attention to those that indulge.”
“So that’s what this whole club thing is about? You’re in leverage extraction business now?”
“We’rein the leverage extraction business.” He handed over the bag, his grin turning cool once more. “Welcome aboard.”
“Aboard? What, like… like a business partner?”
A dark chuckle escaped. “I don’t have partners, witch. I have associates and servants. I’m allowing you to choose which label you’d like to apply.”
She reached into the gift bag. “Has anyone ever told you no?”
“What do the stories say?” His voice was smoky, his eyes lidded, the smear of blood on his forehead making him look wild in a way that had Jaci imagining being chased. And caught. And bitten.
And loving every red-hot second of it…
But then she retrieved her so-called gift, and all the goodwill their teasing had fostered died in a blink.
She unfolded the black cocktail apron, holding it out by two fingers as if she’d just caught a rat by the tail. “Um. You said you were joking about the bartender thing.”
