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Yugi nodded then, looking relieved. "Okay, wel . . . I'd better get back to my desk then. Do you need anything else?"
I shook my head. "No . . . I think we're done for now. Come on." I motioned to Nerissa. "Grab Luke, and let's head out. His truck is at our house, so let's head home so he can get to work. When I go exploring any of these leads, I want Menol y at my back."
As we left the building, I glanced up at the sky. Stil pouring, the silver drops thundered down, fil ing the parking lot and turning it into a pond. I wasn't sure what I was feeling. Sadness. Relief. Wistfulness. Hope. Loneliness.
But in the back of my mind lay the tingle of anticipation. With al that we were facing, I felt like there was something on the horizon--something new waiting for just the right moment to appear.
And that was rather exciting.
CHAPTER 10
By the time Luke pul ed out of our driveway, the sun had just gone down. Menol y should be up I planned on enlisting her help to check out Doug and Saz's places. I had a nasty feeling that I shouldn't go in there alone, and I didn't want to put Nerissa in any danger. As we'd pul ed into the driveway, I was relieved to see Morio's Subaru in the driveway. Chances were everybody was home.
Nerissa and I hustled up the walk, dodging puddles and ducking against the rain that thundered incessantly from the dark sky. We clattered up the steps and both let out audible breaths as we darted beneath the porch roof. She was also feline. Neither of us liked water al that much.
I took off my jacket and shook it before opening the door, and she fol owed suit. As we entered the foyer, the smel of rich beef stew hit us, thick and robust, with onions, wafting through the hal . We never cooked with garlic out of respect for Menol y, but Iris made quick work of every other root vegetable she could get her hands on.
Another scent--fresh corn bread--lingered behind the blast of beef and gravy, and my stomach rumbled, despite al the cookies and crap I'd eaten that afternoon. Pushing through to the kitchen, I saw that Iris was clearing the table, but a big stewpot stil bubbled, and there was a stack of cornbread left.
Menol y descended from the ceiling and strode over to Nerissa, hovering to meet her eye to eye. Nerissa slid her arms around Menol y's waist as their lips met, passionate and searching. The werepuma fisted a handful of Menol y's hair and leaned her back, kissing her deeply as her hands slid around to cup Menol y's back and butt. After a moment, with al of us transfixed on the lovers, they broke apart, eyes glazed, Menol y's fangs ever so slightly descended.
Oh yeah, that was hot, al right. I licked my lips, wondering if it was right that I could get so turned on watching my sister kiss somebody. In fact, the thought ran through my head, maybe I should take a peek at some of Nerissa's friends in the Rainier Puma Pride. I wasn't averse to the thought of a woman lover. The opportunity had just never presented itself before.
Menol y snapped her fingers in my face. "Come on, Kitten. Time to eat."
"Huh? Oh . . . yeah." I slid into the chair and accepted a bowl of stew and a piece of bread from Rozurial, who motioned for Iris to stay seated. "Listen, we have some pretty freaky stuff to tel you."
"Camil e already told us about this morning." Menol y leaned back in a chair, propping her feet on Vanzir's lap. He arched his eyebrows at her with a smirk but said nothing, leaving the stiletto boots to rest on his thigh. "Wolf Briar. Fucking perverse shit. Luke okay?"
"Better than okay. Luke got himself a date," I said, grinning. "Katrina--Nerissa's friend from the Olympic Wolf Pack--took a fancy to him." Between the two of us, we fil ed them in on what we'd found out that afternoon.
"Anybody going out to see Franco's fiancee?" Menol y asked.
"I have an appointment with her tomorrow. But tonight, I want to check out Smith's and Star Walker's places. And I don't want to go alone. Menol y, come with?"
"Fuck. I was going to spend the entire night with Nerissa." Menol y rarely pouted, but now she was doing the ful lip thing.
"'S okay," Nerissa said, kissing her on the cheek. "I need a nap anyway, if we're going out late, clubbing. You help Delilah, and I'l catch a couple hours of shut-eye." She hugged Iris, then grabbed a couple pieces of cornbread. "If you don't mind, I'l eat these while I'm jumping into my jammies. Is it okay if I sleep in your playroom again, Delilah?"
When she was staying here and needed to sleep, I loaned her my playroom on the third floor, where I kept everything that I needed to make my not-so-inner tabby happy.
Since Nerissa had started staying over on a regular basis, we'd fixed up a sofa bed there for her, and for Menol y when they wanted to spend the night together. Menol y wasn't secure enough about her self-control to take Nerissa down to her lair, and nobody chided her for it. With vampires there was always the chance of slipping into the predator without realizing it, and if something during sex set Menol y off, at least this way there'd be a chance we could step in and protect Nerissa.>"You should be," Nerissa said as I eased the car back down the street. "That girl's gonna take you for one hel of a ride. Just jump on and grip tight."
We stopped at the FH-CSI headquarters so I could cal the potential y missing Weres. I could have used my cel , of course, but it seemed like a good idea to let Chase know about the possibility of other missing Weres. However, he wasn't anywhere to be seen when we got there.
"Yugi, can we use a private room with a phone?"
He motioned me into one of the conference rooms. As I pul ed out the piece of paper, Nerissa opened her purse.
"Coke? Candy? I see a couple vending machines out there, and I know you can't stay away from the sweet stuff." She waved a dol ar bil in front of my face.
I pul ed out my netbook--a recent purchase that I loved--and flipped it open, starting it up before I cal ed the first number.
"Mean woman. You're a mean, mean woman. I think I had enough cookies, actual y." I didn't want to admit it, but I was on a sugar high from hel , and my body suddenly didn't like the feeling. "Maybe just some sparkling water if they have it?"
She nodded and headed out the door. Luke pul ed out his cel phone and moved to one side. I heard him mumble something and realized he was checking in at the bar. As he flipped it shut, I glanced at him, and he shrugged.
"Chrysandra says it's going to be a heavy night, but they have things covered for now. I have a little time before I have to check in."
