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Something hard cracked my skull. My teeth rattled, and I sank to the ground, giving in to the pain.
Otto would approve.
I awoke blanketed in darkness. Well, not quite a blanket but a hood. My wrists and ankles were bound to a chair.
“Hello? Anybody there?”
“Finally. I was beginning to think we should douse you with water.”
Someone tore the hood from my head. I squinted at the unwelcome bright light.
Vincenzo Magnarella’s face came into focus, only inches from mine. His fangs were longer than I remembered, or maybe because I hadn’t seen them this close.
“There she is,” he sang.
I resisted the urge to spit. The moon-sized bullseye was too easy anyway. “You sound unreasonably happy to see me. I thought I was public enemy numero uno for you.”
“Perhaps I’m happy because I’m about to get my revenge.”
I peered at him. “No, that’s not it. If you wanted me dead, your goons would’ve done it and left me in the street so it couldn’t be traced back to you.”
“Very well.” He resumed an upright position and swiped a hand through his dark hair. His custom suit was impeccable. He and Kane had that in common, but that was about it. “I’d like to offer a truce.”
“You kidnapped me and held me prisoner to offer a truce?”
“I assumed it was the only way I could get you here for the conversation.”
“Well, I’m here. Care to untie me? As you can see, there’s a bandage on my leg. I don’t want to sit too long and develop a blood clot.”
He snapped his fingers, and an unseen hand removed the bindings from my wrists and ankles from behind the chair. “Now that your hands are free, can I offer you light fare and a beverage?”
“Oh, I’ll take a prosecco and a cheeseboard, please.” I glared at him. “But what I really want is to get the hell out of here.” I rubbed my wrists and stretched my legs.
“Not yet, Miss Clay. Business first. Please.”
It was the ‘please’ that kept me from bolting for the door. Magnarella’s manners had always been beyond reproach, but this version of ‘please’ hinted at mild desperation. My curiosity got the better of me, so I stayed put.
“I’m listening.”
“I’m hosting a gala next week, entertaining potential investors for my new venture. I’d like you to attend with Mr. Sullivan, or another guest of your choosing.”
“You’d like me to attend your fancy party? Are you kidding? Have you forgotten the threatening messages and the assassin you sent to kill me?” Thankfully, Brody had decided to put his nature mage skills to use on my behalf rather than against me.
The vampire waved a dismissive hand. “Water under your moat, Miss Clay. I’d like you to attend the gala as the first step in our new partnership.”
“Partnership? You want me to be your corporate partner in crime? Why would you need me?”
“Like all good things, my previous professional relationships have come to an end. I seek new blood.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Why do I get the sense you mean that literally?”
“Only a metaphor, I assure you.”
“Why would you want to work with me? Because of me, your lab was destroyed, and your elixir research ruined, remember?”
He slotted his fingers together. “I believe you and I would make a formidable team. You’re strong, intelligent, and you seem to have no interest in being the most powerful one in the room, which suits me, since that’s my role.” He flicked his sharp fang.
“And what kind of team are you envisioning? Because my throwing arm is a little rusty for corn hole.”
