Oops. She really should learn how to control her pushing.
“How?” Magnolia’s clawed hand gripped her arm. “How did he know what to do?”
“I told him. And Magnolia? I quit.”
Shocked was not the best expression for her older sister. “You can’t quit, you ungrateful little thorn in my ass. We had a fucking deal. You aren’t allowed to—”
A crowd of vampires and demons suddenly clustered around them, silencing her rant. “Boys,” she cooed. “Did you enjoy the show? Or have you come to pay us for collecting your vampire?”
Rose bit her lip at her sister’s gall. An old, slender vampire in an elegant suit lifted one perfect brow in response. “We’ve come to inform you that you and your sisters will no longer be on retainer as bounty hunters. We require a certain amount of dignity and decorum among those in our employ, and we find we simply cannot allow this irresponsible behavior to go unpunished. Particularly when we were victims of your pointless display of insanity.”
Magnolia took a step back, sneering. “No vampire forbids me to do anything. You aren’t the only one hiring, bloodsucker.”
Rose recognized the short, dark-haired demon that stepped into the circle. Anyone who ran in demonic circles would. “But I can,” he murmured, his red eyes brilliant. “You and Ivy will be coming with me for…let’s call it rehabilitation. I’m going to have a personal hand in your treatment.”
Her sister panicked and tried to run, but she was surrounded. In moments she and Ivy were dragged forcibly off the stage by demons dark and intimidating enough to make Rose shiver.
She almost felt sorry for them. Almost. At least Daisy and the others weren’t included in the punishment.
The demon dipped his head in Rose’s direction. “I do believe you won this competition, young Rose. Though I’ll admit I am disappointed I didn’t get to hear you sing, I’m satisfied with the evening’s entertainment.” He turned as if to walk away, then hesitated. “Tell Saint my debt to him is now paid. In full.”
Saint. She was going to owe him forever. “I’ll tell him.”
She turned to look for Mac and there he was, staring at her intently from the center of the stage as two smaller vampires placed cuffs on his wrist.
“Wait.” She ran toward him, ignoring the shake of his head. “You can’t take him, damn it. Stop.”
Her cousin, looking tousled with a few buttons missing from his shirt, and their shifter friend Thomas both leapt onto the stage.
“I’m afraid she’s right,” Saint agreed genially. “You can’t take Mac anywhere.”
One of the vampires smirked. “And why is that, demon?”
“Because I’ll decapitate and eat the first corpse who tries,” Thomas growled beside her.
“And in case you survive that…” Saint shuddered. “…I’ll empty all your bank accounts and sell your coffins on eBay. That’ll sting, right?”
Rose reminded herself to hug both of them when this was over.
Mac shook his head again, but he was smiling. “Thank you, my friends, but this really isn’t necessary.”
A tall, Nordic-looking vampire suddenly appeared beside them. Rose didn’t want to stare, but she couldn’t help noticing his cape, which whipped dramatically around his shoulders as he spoke. “No, it isn’t. But I suppose here will do as well as any other place we could expend time and energy carting you off to. There are enough of us present tonight to render judgment…and I was the one who initiated the recall for
Mac’s punishment.”
Rose saw Mac squint at the vampire in confusion. “Do I know you, sir?”
“No.” The vampire sighed in frustration. “But I know you. Everyone does. Since the cat’s damn reality show, if you aren’t a gloomy jackass with a red beard and an air of gut-wrenching loneliness in your stride, you apparently aren’t a real vampire.”
Saint snorted. “He does describe you pretty well, Mac.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
The blond shook his head. “I’ve been the head of promotions, marketing and advertising for nearly eight hundred years, and in less than two, the three of you have destroyed all my work.”
Mac narrowed his icy eyes. “That is you’re reason for sending hunters after me? For taking me from my home?”