I grinned. "I needed information fast."
"I'm not saying don't ring for information. Just asking if you'd be less of a bitch when you do so."
"In case it's escaped your notice, I am a bitch. Born and bred. Just shag her, Jack, and get it over with."
"I don't suppose telling you to mind your own business will do any good?"
I chuckled. "Not in the least."
"Wolves," he muttered. "Make sure you report in after the date tonight."
"Will do, boss."
I hung up and headed home.
I had a towel wrapped around my body and was standing in front of the wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear, when Rhoan finally came home.
"Hey, sis," he said, plopping inelegantly down on my big old bed. "Hot date?"
"A hot date that's a possible lead." I pulled out a black dress and showed it to him. "Jack told me earlier that your investigation turned out to be a regular kill. You sure?"
"That dress is too formal. You want something that has him thinking about your bod and what he'd like to do with it rather than the questions you're asking." He pushed up from the bed and walked over to stand beside me. "And yeah, the case isn't connected to our Cleaver case. Peri actually thinks we've got a couple of baby vamps working as a team to feed."
"Like we need that right now," I muttered. "Why can't bloodsuckers keep their kids under control?"
"Most do. It's really only a few who run free of the leash."
"That's a few too many if you're one of the victims."
He shrugged and reached into the wardrobe, pulling out a lime-green ruched dress that had leg slits, a super low-cut front, and open back. "Where are you going?"
"Riceni's. And I'll freeze my tits off in that." Not to mention glow neon bright under the subdued lighting.
"Not if you work this right, babe. He'll be throwing off so much heat and desire, you'll burn."
"That doesn't negate the glow factor of the dress."
"God, the older you get, the less adventurous you get."
"That is a good club dress, not a reserved Italian restaurant dress."
He put the outfit back. I crossed my arms, watching him flick through more dresses. It was annoying to note that most of the ones I'd bought were quickly glossed over. But then, my tastes did tend to be a little more conservative than my brother's.
"So, what did Jack have you doing today?" He pulled out a dark green, stretch-satin dress with long sleeves and cutouts on the shoulders and sides, and held it against me. "Perfect. Sexy without being too revealing."
"Checking out a source, which turned out to be a crime scene." I took the hanger from him and walked over to the bed. "The little girl we found turned out to be the daughter of the source's girlfriend."
"Both dead?"
"Yep. And Gautier was the cause."
His gaze met mine, cold and angry. "We will get that bastard, you know."
"I know." I wriggled the bottom of the dress over my hips and smoothed down the material. Stretch satin wasn't something I would have picked myself, but I had to admit, it felt smashing against my skin.
"Very nice rear view," Rhoan commented. "I'd skip the undies and the stockings if you can stand the draft. As Liander would say, we don't want ugly parity lines marring the outfit."
I snorted softly. "Liander's not the one who has to put up with the aforementioned drafts." I slipped my heels on. "And speaking of Liander, have you seen him lately?"