Leigh owns a restaurant and bar in Kansas City. Lucien
Argeneau is a hunter of vampire rogues. When one of those
rogue vampires takes Leigh, Lucien ends up with her after
he attempts to kill the rogue and clean out the nest he's
making. Lucien plans to turn Leigh over to someone else to
teach her what she needs to know to survive as a vampire,
but when no one else is available, Lucien is left with the
job.
Since Lucien's been a vampire for thousands of years, he
knows what it's all about. However, he has no interest in
anything having to do with the heart -- he's been there,
done that -- and lost it all when Atlantis sank beneath the
sea. Fate may have something else in mind, though. The
rogue who turned Leigh has survived and is determined to
get her back, so Lucien may have more to worry about than
love.
BITE ME IF YOU CAN is the third installment in Ms. Sands'
Avon series about the Argeneau vampire family. I loved
Lucien
and the freshness of Leigh and how they help each other
grow. The familiarity of the Argeneau family is great; it
brings warmth to the story that blends very well with the
humor -- and the passion. This is a treat to curl up with
and enjoy. A good read.
BITE ME IF YOU CAN is the sixth
vampire book about the Argeneau family. Since they are
issued by two publishers a complete list is provided on Ms.
Lynsay Sands page.
One minute Leigh is walking home in the early hours of the
morning, and the next a vampire is sinking his teeth into
her neck. Turns out it was a rogue vampire marked for
termination, but it does Leigh little good because the
damage has already been done. Sheโs become one of them.
Lucian Argeneau, hunter of rogue vampires, has been alive
for over two thousand years, and thereโs very little to
excite him anymore. Food has become tasteless, sex is
ordinary. Then Leigh drops into his life. Suddenly he finds
himself craving coffeeโฆ and imagining the sassy brunette
atop the black satin sheets on his nice big bed. Itโs
Lucianโs job now to enlighten Leigh on the inner workings
of being immortalโฆ and tutoring her is igniting a fire in
him that hasnโt burned in centuries.
But until they stop a renegade bloodsucker from destroying
the human race, the passion will have to wait!
EXCERPT
Chapter One
Leigh was only a block and a half from home when she
noticed the footsteps echoing her own. At first she didnโt
think anything of it. This was Kansas. Nothing ever
happened here, especially not at five in the morning. Even
Dorothy and Toto had to get picked up by a tornado and
dropped somewhere else for adventure to come their way.
Of course, this was Kansas City, not some backwater town.
There was crime in the city. It was also five oโclock in
the morning, and she was a lone woman walking down a dark
street that โ while a residential area of old houses with
families โ was also only a couple of blocks from the
downtown core where the homeless and druggies tended to
concentrate.
A shiver of unease crept up Leighโs spine as she became
aware that the footsteps behind her had picked up speed and
were drawing nearer. Sheโd walked this route hundreds of
times over the last five years and never once felt
uncomfortableโฆand didnโt like that she now was. Telling
herself to stay calm, she tried to recall what sheโd been
taught to do in self-defense class, but, of course, now
that she needed it, her brain was blanking on her.
Wasnโt that always the way?
She felt her muscles begin to tense as the footsteps
continued to draw nearer, and feared if she didnโt do
something soon, it might be too late.
The thought spurred her into action. Changing direction,
Leigh cut toward the curb to cross the street, casting a
nonchalant glance back as she did, as if looking for
traffic. The glance didnโt reassure her. The person
approaching was a man; tall, slender, and dressed in dark
clothes. She couldnโt see his face, however; it was in
shadow, thanks to the hood of his jacket. All sheโd managed
to do with her quick glance was make herself more
uncomfortable, more on edge. More scared.
Acting as if she werenโt troubled by his presence, Leigh
started across the street, her mind now considering and
discarding possibilities of what she should do. A glance
around the dark house-lined street ahead told her she was
on her own, there wasnโt a car or pedestrian to be seen. No
help there.
She really should have taken a taxi home, she acknowledged,
but had never had a problem before, why should she have
thought this morning would be any different? Besides, it
was too late for regrets, they werenโt if going to get her
anywhere.
Leigh felt her heart squeeze tight as the footsteps
followed her across the street. Now her gaze was sharp as
she scanned the houses she passed, searching for any sign
of life, trying to deduce which she should approach for
help. This was a quiet residential street, the houses in
darkness, people having long retired for the night and not
yet rising. She appeared to be the only person in this area
who worked late and was still up.
Cocoโs, the restaurant/bar she owned, closed at 3:00 a.m..
Well, the bar closed then, the restaurant area closed much
earlier. Leigh managed the bar at night. Once the last
customer trundled out and the cleaning crew set to work,
she retired to her back office to do paperwork; filling out
the work schedules, checking time cards, writing up orders,
checking the day's receipts, and so on. She was usually
done about the same time as the cleaners. Otherwise, she
waited for them to finish, saw them out, locked up and
headed homeโฆalways between 5:00. and 5:30 a.m., that dark
predawn time when most criminals were tucked in bed.
Just as everyone on this road appeared to be, Leigh
thought, her heart sinking. Then she spotted a porch light
pop on several houses up. A moment later the front door
opened and an older lady in a housecoat appeared. The woman
didnโt notice her coming up the street, her attention on
the German shepherd who slipped past her to pad eagerly
down the steps onto the front lawn.
โWaking me up before dawn.โ The womanโs annoyed mutter
carried clearly in the near silence. โYou should have gone
when I took you out for your walk earlier.โ
Leigh's heart lifted. A safe port in the storm. She could
seek shelter from the woman and call the police, or maybe
just a taxi. Surely the dogโs presence would discourage the
man following her from making a nuisance of himself?
She put on a burst of speed and opened her mouth to call
out, but that was as far as she got. She never heard the
man behind her pick up speed, never realized heโd rushed
forward. Suddenly he was there before her, forcing her to
an abrupt halt.
โHello, Leigh.โ
The sound of her name made her pause with confusion, then
the man shrugged the hood off his head, revealing his face.
โDonny?โ She said with surprise, relief coursing through
her. Donny Avries had worked the bar at Cocoโs for a year.
He was always eager to please and a hard worker. Milly --
Leighโs friend, and her day manager in the restaurant --
claimed he had a crush on her and had begged for steady
night shifts to be near her, but Liegh thought that was
nonsense. They just got along well as friends. She'd been
terribly upset when he'd gone missing more than a week ago.
Usually prompt, and often even early for his shift, Donny
simply hadn't shown up on Monday night. Leigh had tried
calling his apartment, but thereโd been no answer. When he
hadnโt shown up the next night, sheโd called again, then
grown concerned and called his landlady to have her check
on him.
The woman reported that while everything looked fine in his
apartment, his cat was obviously hungry and the litter box
had been overflowing, suggesting he hadnโt been home for a
while. While there were no signs that heโd left on a
planned trip, sheโd talked to people in the neighboring
apartments, and no one had seen Donny since heโd gone out
Saturday night with some friends. Theyโd decided to call
the police.
Now, a week later, the police had been to the restaurant
twice, asking questions and admitting that he appeared to
have disappeared. They told her to contact the station if
she heard from him.
โWhere have you been?โ Leigh asked, anger replacing
concern. Sheโd been worried sick about the man, and here he
stood, apparently fine and well.
Donny hesitated, then said simply, โYouโll see.โ
Leigh blinked at his answer, not finding it acceptable
after all her concern. And frankly, the words -- as well as
the odd smile on his face -- were creeping her out. There
was also something strange about his eyes.
โNo, I wonโt see,โ she said firmly. Her fear had now fully
turned to anger, and she was no longer in the mood to hear
what he had to say for himself. Turning on her heel, she
continued in the direction sheโd been heading. โYou can
explain yourself tomorrow when you come by to pick up your
severance pay.โ
She'd taken only a few steps before, unaccountably,
stopping, her body going limp. She heard the soft thud as
her purse slid from her lifeless hands and landed on the
grassy verge along the sidewalk, then found herself slowly
turning back. Donny was no longer alone; another man stood
beside him. He was tall and lanky, with long, straw-colored
hair that hung in greasy strips around a thin pale face. He
also had yellow-brown eyes that seemed to glow.
If her sudden lack of control over her own body hadnโt been
enough to scare her, one glimpse of this manโs dead eyes
was enough to make her blood turn to ice.
โHello, Leigh. Donny's told me a lot about you.โ He smiled,
and she saw his two canine teeth slide down and forward to
form two pointed fangs.
Some part of her mind shut off at the sight, telling her it
wasnโt real, that it wasnโt ready to accept it as real and
it was going to sleep now. But she snapped back with horror
when the man abruptly swooped forward, enveloping her in
the darkness that seemed to surround him. She felt a pinch
on her throat, then excitement and pleasure rushed through
her like a drug.
โAh,โ Donny complained from somewhere beyond the shoulder
blocking her view. โI wanted to be the one to bite her.โ
Leigh blinked at the whiney sound to his voice, even as the
pleasure invading her faltered and the man before her
muttered something against her throat.
โWhat?โ Donny asked. He moved into view as he tapped the
manโs shoulder. โWhat did you say?โ
The man muttered again, something again that came out
sounding like, โโHuh-uh!โ Then he lifted his head with an
impatient tsk and glared over his shoulder at Donny.
โShut up!โ he snapped, and some part of Leighโs mind
thought, Ohhh, thatโs what heโd said.
โI am the master vampire,โ he went on. โI am the one who
sires new children of the night.โ
Leighโs eyes widened at his words. Vampires?
She supposed it was hard not to accept that when the guyโs
fangs were flashing with every word and there was blood on
his tips. Hers, she presumed. She could feel warm liquid
running down her throat and dampening the front of her
white blouse. It was coming from the spot where heโd nipped
her, and she suspected it was blood, soโฆa vampire? Okay.
But โchildren of the night?โ That sounded a bit corny and
too late-night-movie to her.
Thatโs when she realized that she might have lost it.
Having such thoughts in the midst of this situation just
didnโt seem all that healthy. Unfortunately, she realized
it wasnโt just her body she couldnโt control. Her mind felt
woozy, as if sheโd been given a tranquilizer. Her thoughts
were her own, but she couldnโt seem to work up much concern
over what was happening. While her mind was urging her to
scream her head off, she just couldnโt seem to work up any
fear, or the energy to even yell.
โThat is because you are under my control,โ the man holding
her announced, as if heโd read her thoughts, and Leigh
supposed he had. Werenโt vampires supposed to be able to
control their victimโs minds? Of course, they were also
supposed to be irresistibly attractive and suave.
Unfortunately Donny was just your average red-haired,
freckle-faced guy, and Mr. I-Am-the-Master-Vampire wasnโt
particularly handsomeโฆor charismatic either, for that
matter. Really, it was all rather disappointing when she
thought about it.
A low growl drew her attention to Mr. Master Vampire, and
she noted with some concern that he looked kind of pissed
off.
โYou will change your mind,โ he growled, staring into her
eyes. โYou will want me uncontrollably, desire me beyond
all others, obey me without question.โ
It was the obey thing where he lost her. Leigh wasnโt big
on the word. It had been her ex-husbandโs favorite orderโฆ
usually just before he tried to use his fists to convince
her. It was the main reason he became an ex.
โHey, Morgan,โ Donny protested, his voice again
whiny. โWhat are you doing? Weโre supposed to be turning
her for me.โ
โShut up, Donald,โ Morgan snapped. His eyes were narrowed
on Leigh, and she suspected he was beginning to realize she
wasnโt completely under his spell. She knew for sure she
was right when he asked, โHow can you be thinking? You
shouldnโt be thinking, but I can hear your thoughts.โ
Leigh had no idea why, either. If sheโd been able to, she
would have shrugged in response. Unfortunately, while her
mind was somewhat her own, her body was not.
A growl distracted Morgan and he glanced down to the side.
Leigh still couldnโt move her head, but her eyes did angle
down and she caught a fuzzy glimpse of a dog. She
recognized it at once as the German shepherd sheโd seen
come out of the house up the street. For a moment she
thought the animal might yet save her, but then Morgan
flashed his fangs in a sort of half hiss, half growl, and
the dog backed off, head low, teeth bared, but his own
growl losing some of itโs strength.
โMorgan,โ Donny began nervously, eyeing the German shepherd
who was still close enough to be worrisome.
โOh, do shut up, Donald,โ the Master Vampire said with
exasperation. Then, to her surprise, he scooped her into
his arms and started back across the street.
Donny followed. He was muttering under his breath with
resentment, Leigh noted, glancing over the shoulder of the
man carrying her. Then her view was obstructed as Morgan
carried her around the back of a black van. She'd crossed
the road just two car lengths before the van earlier, and
now suspected it was where Morgan had appeared from. She
was sure it had only been one set of footsteps following
her up the street. Donnyโs. Morgan, she supposed, had been
waiting in the van, and if she hadnโt crossed the street,
the side door of the van probably would have opened as she
passed and sheโd have been dragged inside.
Leigh suspected she'd forced them to change plans when
sheโd crossed the street.
โYouโre a clever girl,โ Morgan said as he set her in the
back of the van. โThatโs exactly what happened.โ
He'd obviously read her mind again, Leigh realized as he
climbed in after her. Donny closed the doors behind them,
and a moment later she heard the driverโs door open. The
van shifted a bit on its wheels as he got in the driver's
seat.
โI donโt know why you still have control of some of your
faculties, but it intrigues me,โ Morgan announced, lifting
her into his lap so that she leaned back against his right
arm as the vanโs engine roared to life.
Woo-hoo, she thought dryly. Sheโd impressed a blood-sucking
vampire.
Morgan seemed amused by her thoughts. At least, a smile
curved his lips, but his voice was deadly serious as he
announced, โAnd you shall be a blood-sucking vampire, too.
Will you like me better then, I wonder? Once I am your
sire?โ
Leigh was trying to decide if he meant from the bite heโd
given her or if heโd have to bite her two more times, like
in the books and movies, when he abruptly raised his left
wrist to his mouth and sliced open a vein with one of his
fangs.
Oh, that is so totally gross, she thought.
โYes,โ Morgan agreed as if sheโd spoken aloud. โAnd it
hurts like a bugger, believe me. However, it is necessary,
Iโm afraid.โ
Leigh was still trying to sort out why it would be
necessary when her mouth suddenly opened of its own accord
and he pressed his bleeding wrist to her lips. The tinny
liquid poured over her teeth and across her tongue. She was
forced to swallow or choke on it. She swallowed.
****
Dry grass and dead branches crunched under Lucian
Argeneauโs boots as he approached the van parked in the
trees at the edge of the property. Two men stood by the
open back doors, choosing and checking weapons in the gray
predawn light. Like himself, they were dressed all in black
and were over six feet tall. Both were also muscular and
had short hair, but one was a brunet and the other a blond.
โAre we set?โ he asked, running one hand through his own
short ice-blond hair.
โSet,โ Bricker -- the brunet -- said calmly as he leaned
into the van to grab two cans of gasoline. โHow do you want
to do this?โ
Lucian shrugged, unable to find any real enthusiasm for the
task ahead. Heโd done this so many times over the years
that there was little challenge to it anymore. He found it
more interesting to track down the nests than to clear them
out, but even that was less challenging than it used to be.
It didnโt help that this was Morgan they were going after.
He had been a best friend to Lucianโs twin brother, Jean
Claude, right up until the other manโs death a few years
earlier. The two men had been thick as thieves for
centuries, and because of that, Lucian had counted the man
as a friend as well. So much so that when the first
whispers and rumors that Morgan had turned rogue started,
Lucian ignored them, sure they couldnโt be true. The rumors
had persisted, however, and heโd had to look into the
matter, though not enthusiastically. Now, here he stood,
the rumors confirmed and Morgan marked for death.
โHere comes the sun,โ Mortimer murmured, and then repeated
Brickerโs question, โHow do you want to do this?โ
Lucian blinked away his thoughts and took in the first rays
of sunlight creeping up to drive away the night. This was
the best time to hit. Everyone would be returned to the
nest by now and settling in to sleep the day away.
Because -- of course -- vampires didnโt walk during the
day, he thought dryly as his gaze slid over the surrounding
trees, then finally to the decrepit house where Morgan had
holed up with the pack of rogues he was creating. It looked
bad in this light, but was worse -- he knew -- in daylight,
when the sun baked down cruelly on the flaking paint, the
boarded-over windows, and the weed-tangled lawn.
How the rogues chose to live never failed to amaze him. It
was as if -- once their mind snapped and they decided to
become the scourge of the earth -- they believed normal,
civilized homes were beyond them. Or perhaps they were
simply living down to what mortals thought they were,
hoping to lure and hold their pack members in thrall that
way. After all, if mortals knew how little magic immortals
truly had, they might find it less attractive to be one, or
at least to be their servants.
Shaking off these cynical thoughts, Lucian glanced toward
the other two men and finally gave his answer. โThe same as
always.โ
Nodding, Mortimer closed the van doors, took the larger gas
can from Bricker, and the three of them moved to the edge
of the woods. They paused, their gazes sliding over the
windows once again. There was no sign of movement from the
house, but half the windows were boarded up so that didnโt
mean much.
โDo we give them a couple more minutes to settle in, or--โ
Mortimerโs question died, and they all glanced around as
the sound of a vehicle disturbed the silence. They watched
in silent surprise as a dark van turned into the driveway
and crunched up the gravel lane.
โHmm,โ Lucian said, with his first real spark of interest.
This was different. Usually the โvampiresโ would have been
in-house by now, if not already snug in the coffins they
seemed to favor.
They moved back a bit into the trees to be less visible. As
they watched, the van parked close to the house, then the
driver jumped out and ran around to open the rear doors.
Lucian stiffened as Morgan swept out of the van, a brunette
in his arms. Dressed in a short black skirt and a
bloodstained white blouse, her eyes shot over the house and
yard as if seeking an escape, but the way she lay limp in
Morganโs arms told him that the rogue immortal had taken
control of her body. There would be no escape.
โThatโs Leigh,โ Mortimer murmured with a frown.
โShe works the bar at Cocoโs. The restaurant weโve eaten at
all week,โ Bricker explained and Lucian grunted. Justin
Bricker was young enough that he still ate, and Garrett
Mortimer went along to keep him company and sometimes
picked at food.
Lucian didnโt bother with food, but heโd heard a lot this
week about the "pretty little thing" whoโd served them
their late meals in the bar. They both seemed taken with
her charm and sense of humor, and he supposed this Leigh
was the "pretty little thing" in question. Certainly,
neither man seemed pleased to see her being carried up the
porch steps, obviously about to become Morganโs latest
victim.
โWe have to help her,โ Bricker said.
Mortimer nodded in agreement. โYeah.โ
โShe could be willing,โ Lucian pointed out, though there
had been something in her eyes that suggested she wasnโt.
Both men were silent, their gazes locked on the woman
Morgan was carrying into the house.
โNo. She isnโt,โ Mortimer said with certainty as the door
closed behind the trio. He sounded grim and angry. Mortimer
rarely got angry.
Bricker agreed, โNo, she isnโt.โ
Shrugging, Lucian turned his gaze back to the house. โWe
should give them ten minutes or so to settle in for the
night.โ
โBut the longer we wait, the worse it could be for Leigh,โ
Bricker protested.
"He's already bitten her and given her his own blood,"
Mortimer pointed out, obviously having gained the news from
her thoughts when he'd read her. "There isn't much more
he'd bother doing to her before she finishes turning."
Bricker frowned and glanced at Lucian. "We're taking her
out of there, right?" When Lucian hesitated, he
argued, "She hasn't bitten anyone yet, and doesn't want to
be there. Leighโs a nice lady."
โWe'll see," Lucian said finally.
Realizing it was all heโd get for now, Bricker fell silent,
but he looked worried.
Lucian ignored him and proceeded to examine his equipment.
He gave his crossbow a once-over, then counted the
specially made wooden arrows in the quiver strapped to his
leg. Satisfied that all was in order there, he retrieved
the gun from his pocket, checking to see that it was fully
loaded and the safety was on before putting it back.
Lucian glanced toward the house, impatient to get things
going. Then he forced himself to wait the full ten minutes,
but the moment the digital face of his watch said that time
had passed, his hand tightened on his crossbow and he
started forward without a word.
Mortimer and Bricker fell into step on either side of him
as he emerged from the trees and approached the dilapidated
house. They mounted the front porch as silently as
possible.
โCareless,โ Mortimer murmured when Lucian turned the knob
and the door opened. The red-haired guy hadnโt bothered to
lock it. Lucian wasnโt terribly surprised. If he was newly
turned, the man would see himself as invincible, and none
of Morganโs followers should be more than a month or so
old. That was when the first whispers that Morgan had gone
rogue started.
The three men eased into the house, eyes alert, ears
straining for any sound. As expected, the upper floor
appeared deserted. After setting the cans of gasoline in
the kitchen, they separated to make a thorough, silent
search of the top two floors, just to be sure. Once
finished, they regrouped in the kitchen and approached the
door they knew led to the basement.
Lucian was thorough by nature and had trained anyone who
worked with him to be so, to. They always sought out all
the information they could on a nest before approaching it.
Knowing the layout made things much easier, and this time
theyโd managed to track down the daughter of the previous
owner. The woman had sold the house when her mother died,
but had grown up there and knew it well. From her, theyโd
learned all they could and even got a crude drawing of the
layout before erasing all memory of their visit.
Now, Mortimer and Bricker moved to the left-hand side of
the door while Lucian moved to the right. Once situated, he
nodded at the other two men, raised his crossbow and
reached for the doorknob with his free hand. That hand
froze an inch away when the knob began to turn on its own.
Lucian jerked his hand back and waited. The door only
opened halfway before the brunette named Leigh slid through
and took a cautious step into the kitchen.
As Lucian stared in amazement, her head slowly turned and
she blinked at the sight of him. He saw fear leap into her
eyes, and moved quickly, clasping one hand over her mouth
and drawing her silently away from the door so that her
back was pressed hard to his chest.
Her body briefly tensed, as if preparing to struggle, then
she abruptly went still. When Lucian glanced down, he saw
that her wide eyes were on Mortimer and Bricker on the
other side of the door. Both men were giving her what he
supposed were reassuring smiles. To him, they just looked
like a pair of idiots, but it apparently worked on Leigh.
As he watched, Bricker placed one finger to his mouth to
warn her to be quiet, while Mortimer stared at her with a
concentration that suggested he was sending her reassuring
thoughts and perhaps also the same silent warning. The
woman relaxed against Lucian, and he found himself
responding as her body molded to his, her bottom
unintentionally nestling his groin.
โI just fell asleep, Donald. I donโt appreciate being woken
up for this.โ
Lucian stiffened as that voice floated up the stairs, aware
that Leigh had gone still. She was actually holding her
breath, he realized, and found he disliked that she was so
afraid.
โIโm sorry, sire,โ someone โ presumably Donald โ responded,
but in truth he sounded more resentful than
apologetic. โBut Iโve searched the basement and she-โ
โBecause sheโs not going to hide in the basement. Sheโs
going to run, you idiot!โ Morganโs angry voice snapped back.
โBut why? Why isnโt she willing?โ Donaldโs voice had turned
frustrated and even whiney.
โNot everyone wants to be a child of the night. I warned
you of that. I told you, you couldn't turn your back on her
for a moment until we have control over her. Not for a
damned moment! I told you that! She isnโt a willing turn.
Until she accepts me as master, sheโll try to run.โ
โI just left her alone for a minute. I-โ
โYou shouldnโt have left her alone at all. Get her back and-
โ
โBut what if sheโs outside? The sunโs coming up!โ
โYou wanted her. Sheโs--โ
The words stopped short and Lucian felt himself stiffen
further. The voices had drawn closer with each passing
moment, and by his guess the speakers were at the bottom of
the steps now. The sudden silence seemed to suggest
something had given away their presence.
Lucian glanced at Mortimer and Bricker, but he was sure
neither man could be seen from below. Then he let his gaze
drop over the woman before him, and spotted the problem at
once. Lucian hadnโt pulled Leigh back far enough. She was
short, the top of her head barely reaching the base of his
throat, but she was generously proportioned and part of her
generous proportions were protruding past the edge of the
door in her bright white blouse.
โIs that a boob?โ He heard Donald ask and Lucian closed his
eyes.
The ensuing silence was so long, he knew that Morgan was
seeking out Leighโs mind and searching for information on
the situation at the top of the stairs. Lucian supposed it
would have been too much to hope that the man would just
assume she was a bimbo bartender too stupid to leave the
house and was standing up here contemplating her navel. No.
Morgan suspected something was up.
Knowing their surprise approach was now over, Lucian
shifted Leigh so he could lean forward and peer around the
edge of the door. On the other side of the door, Mortimer
did the same thing, and they found themselves staring at
two men frozen at the bottom of the wooden steps. Then all
hell broke loose.
Morgan and Donald suddenly spun and sped up the dark hall
below, breaking into a run as they slipped out of sight.
Bricker and Mortimer charged after them, and Lucian pulled
Leigh away from the door and pushed her into a chair at the
kitchen table.
โStay,โ he hissed, his gaze sliding over her face as he got
his first close-up look at her. She was a beautiful woman,
glossy chestnut waves of hair framing large, almond-shaped
eyes, a straight nose, and high cheekbones in an oval face.
She was also terribly pale and swaying in the chair,
leaving him to wonder just how much blood sheโd lost.
He would have asked, but a burst of gunfire from below
recalled him to more urgent matters. Leaving her there,
Lucian turned away and hurried downstairs after his
comrades.
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