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“Whatever it is, I’ll take it. I could use an advantage with as many people who try to attack me.”
Rook and Wulf frown matching sexy frowns. Beside me, Ren lets out a soft sigh and releases enough of his incubus pheromones to make everyone in the room shout at him to knock it off.
“Don’t worry, Nora,” Rook says, still glaring at Ren. “Give me some time, and I’ll whip you into a proper badass.”
I’m still trying to catch my breath from Ren’s little lust roofie, but I grin at the idea of me in some tight leather outfit, throwing punches and wielding a Katana sword like the heroines in all of those urban fantasy books. I wouldn’t mind being a badass. Not that I’d go looking for fights, but they certainly have a tendency to find me.
“Every woman should know how to defend herself,” Cecile chimes in, in her singsong voice. “But don’t worry too much, Nora. Because after this party, everyone in the city will know and love you. You don’t mind if we move the location from my penthouse to Terrance’s club, do you?”
My eyes narrow at the sweet smile she shoots me. I don’t believe her innocence for a second. “Why would we need to do that? You promised this thing would stay small.”
She waves me off. “Smallis a relative term, darling. There are a lot of underworlders in this city, and word about your party has gotten out. I’ve got people ringing my phone nonstop, asking for the details.”
“Just tell them it’s private.”
Cecile cocks an eyebrow at me. “The point is to make people like you, and denying them invites to the party of the year would hurt their feelings.”
I groan. “Ugh, whatever. I’ll talk to Terrance about it.”
Cecile beams a victorious smile. “Thank you, dear. And don’t worry, you’re going to love it. I promise.”
“If you say so.”
Oliver, who’s once again sitting back letting the others do the talking, shares a secret smile with me, knowing I’m going to hate this party. I’m so glad he’s promised to come. He said he’d hide out with me somewhere, but I know that’s only wishful thinking. Cecile is never going to let me escape the spotlight. But I’m still glad Ollie will be there. Seeing him in the crowd, just knowing he’s there if I need him—like right now—always calms me down.
I make my way to my quiet friend and bump his shoulder with mine when I sit down beside him. Since he knows how much I hate hugs and handshakes, shoulder-bumping in greeting has kind of become our thing. “Thanks for coming,” I tell him. I’ve made sure to tell him thanks each time he’s shown up. He’s my only friend who’s been at every single session. “You don’t have to come to them all, you know. If it’s too much…”
“I don’t mind.” He pats the computer in his lap. “I can do my homework from anywhere.”
I eye the computer with doubt. “Homework? OrDragon Quest X?”
He chuckles, flashing me the cutest guilty smile. “Always a little of both.”
He closes out of his homework and sobers up. “What is it?” I ask, startled by his grave expression.
“I spent the week looking through FUA records for cases that sounded like your mom’s.”
My stomach leaps up into my chest. “And?”
His face falls. “I found nothing. I’m sorry, Nora. I looked at everything over a five-year span, and there wasn’t a single report about rogue vampire killings.”
So much for that. I don’t know what I expected anyway. Finding out the people who killed my mother were caught wouldn’t bring her back. “Thanks for looking, at least.”
A pained expression crosses Oliver’s face, and he bites his bottom lip. “Nora…”
“No, it’s okay. I’ve been dealing with not knowing for nearly twenty years now. I’ll just have to make peace with it going unsolved. Maybe I really do need this vampire party.”
“There are other ways we could look into this. I could hack the Detroit PD’s database. Maybe there were other cases like yours, and the FUA just never flagged them. I mean, you fell through the cracks somehow. What’s to say others didn’t, too?”
I swallow hard. Part of me really wants to look into this deeper, but another part feels it’s a hopeless case and a useless cause. Finding my mother’s killers might give me closure, but it wouldn’t make me fear vampires any less. “No,” I say with a heavy sigh. “It’s all right, Oliver. You’re awesome for trying, but it’s probably best just to move on. Case closed.”
Oliver hesitates, but then gives up and nods. “If you’re sure.”
I hesitate, too. “Yeah. I’m sure. Thanks, though.” I shake off my melancholy and force my attention to my small group of friends busily plotting my demise—or, my underworlder coming-out party, but it feels like the same thing. “So!” I clap my hands and smile with false cheer. “Who are all these decent vamps that I’m not going to be scared of?”
“Why look for others when you’ve got the best of the best, right here?” a velvety voice says.
I’m startled to see Parker walking toward me. What’s he doing here, and who spilled the beans of my schedule to him? I want to ask, but the words stick to the roof of my mouth. All I can croak out is a small, “Hey.”
