Night Play (Dark-Hunter 5)

They forced Nick out the door, then turned to face Vane with hands on their hips. It was a good thing Vane wasn't a goose. Even so, he felt thoroughly cooked when two women looked at him like that. He had a distinct feeling he was in for it.

"All right. You want to date a human?" Amanda asked.

He nodded.

"Then come with us and listen well."

Bride checked her watch. It was six on the nose and there was no sign of Vane.

"He'll be here," she told herself as she checked her hair and makeup again in the mirror while trying not to see anything below her chin.

If she did, she'd want to change clothes, and it had taken her a long time to get up the nerve to wear the low-cut, revealing dress Vane had liked. She opened the front door of her apartment only to find no sign of either Vane. Her wolf hadn't been back since he'd run off on her.

She hoped that wasn't a bad sign.

"Get a grip," she said to herself. She hadn't been this nervous in years.

But then she hadn't been this crazy over a man.

Ever.

Someone beeped a horn in front of her gate.

Bride frowned at the silver Jaguar that was idling there. Was that Vane's car? She grabbed her purse, locked the door, and crossed the courtyard to see a man in the driver's seat she didn't recognize.

"Can I help you?" she asked as she drew near.

Around her own age, the man was extremely good-looking, with about a day's growth of beard on his face. Dressed in a tacky blue Hawaiian shirt, he had dark brown hair and a charming grin.

"Are you Bride?" he asked.

"Yes."

He got out of the car and pulled his sunglasses off to show her a set of beautiful blue eyes. "Nick Gautier," he said, holding his hand out to her. "I'm your chauffeur, sort of."

"My chauffeur?"

"Yeah, Vane got tied up, and they told me to get my butt over here and make sure you got to the restaurant on time with no waiting. He said he'd meet you there." Nick walked to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her.

Bride got in and adjusted her dress while Nick came around to the other side. "Do you work for Vane?" she asked as he slammed his door shut.

Nick laughed out loud. "Nah. But I've learned not to argue with my boss's wife. She might look all nice and sweet, but she's a nasty thing when you get her riled. Amanda said for me to do this, so here I am not making her angry."

He threw the car in reverse and almost gave her whiplash as he spun it around and stomped on the accelerator.

Bride suddenly had second thoughts about being in the car with Nick. He was an odd man.

Who couldn't drive.

He drove them a few blocks over to Royal Street, which was now open for traffic, and pulled up in front of Brennan's Restaurant.

Bride expected Nick to get out again and open the door for her, but he didn't. "He said he'd meet you inside as soon as he could."

"Okay." She let herself out.

Nick took off, tires squealing, the minute she was on the sidewalk.

Okay he must have had something else to do.

Bride adjusted her beaded shawl around her bare shoulders and glanced about, hoping for a sign of Vane.

There wasn't one.

Gathering her failing courage, she opened the door and went inside. A young woman dressed in a white blouse and black skirt was at the mantre d' stand.

"May I help you?"

"Um, yes. I was supposed to meet someone here for dinner. Vane Kattalakis."

The girl looked over her ledger. "I'm sorry, we don't have a reservation for anyone by that name."

Bride's heart sank. "Are you sure?"

The woman turned the ledger to face her. "It's with alright?"

Bride scanned the names. Her stomach tightened even more when she spotted a familiar name.

Taylor Winthrop.

She wanted to die right there in the foyer. Brennan's was her favorite restaurant and Taylor had refused to bring her here. He'd always said it was too pricey for him and that he couldn't see spending that kind of money on a single meal.

What he'd meant was that he didn't want to spend it on her.

She was a fool.

"Thank you," Bride said, stepping away. She balled her hands up in her shawl as she debated what she should do.

All of a sudden, she felt like she was fifteen again, waiting for her prom date to show.

He never had.

He'd found someone else to take and hadn't even bothered to tell her. She'd learned about it the next day from a friend. And when Tabitha had found out, she'd put liquid heat in the guy's jockstrap and a poison-ivy potion in his underwear.

Bride loved Tabitha to this day for that.

But there was no Tabitha here tonight to make it better. Surely Vane wouldn't be so cruel.

Would he?

Had this all been some kind of set-up?

No. He'd be here.

Her stomach in knots, she waited a full ten minutes before the door opened.

Bride turned, hoping to see Vane. Instead, it was Taylor with a tall, black-haired woman. She wasn't overly pretty, but the woman had the body of a brick house.

Taylor pulled up short the instant he saw her.

Bride derived a small, evil bit of satisfaction to see that he had a black eye from his earlier encounter with Vane.

He raked her with a sneer. "Meeting your parents here, Bride?"

"No," she said. "I'm waiting for my date."