Pretty When They Collide (Pretty When She Dies 0.50)

Jostling her bags, she shook it awkwardly. “I’ll be waiting.”

The guards didn’t even look in her direction, so she slid out of the car without saying goodbye to them. They rarely spoke in her presence anyway.

Hurrying into the airport, again Cassandra felt a shiver of unease sidle down her spine. Looking around nervously, she studied the many faces surrounding her. No one seemed to be paying any particular attention to her. A few men glanced in her direction, but in the appreciative way she was used to.

Something was wrong. She felt it to the marrow of her bones, but she couldn’t put her finger on what was digging at her. Heading toward security, she tried to ignore the wild lights of the flashing slot machines and the endless noise.

It wasn’t until she was on the plane a few hours later, high above the desert, that she finally relaxed. With Las Vegas falling swiftly behind her, she felt safe again. It had been an unsettling job, and she was anxious to return home and put the whole strange trip behind her.

Tucking her earbuds into her ears, she closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. Her fingers lightly caressing her still tingling hand, she tried not to think of the woman with the mesmerizing blue eyes and long hair.

Chapter 6:

Witch Battle

Aimee was amused at Frank’s utter disdain of the flip-flops she was wearing under the hem of her very expensive evening gown. The second they had climbed into the limousine she had shed the high heels he’d forced her to wear. He probably hated the big floppy silk daisy that decorated the strap, too. That thought, coupled with the relief the shoes brought to her aching feet, made her smile.

The traffic to the airport was heavy despite the late hour, so Aimee spent the slow-paced trip admiring the sparkling strip. She had never been to Vegas before and it fascinated her. She was particularly enthralled by the Luxor’s pyramid and the sprawling beauty of The Venetian. Frank always had an agenda, so prowling around like tourists had been out of the question even though it would have been fun to explore the city at a more leisurely pace. She had considered cajoling Frank into an extended holiday, but the vampire’s paranoia about being in one location for too long made the plea a pointless endeavor. During the course of their extended travels, they had been attacked more than once by Frank’s enemies, so his fear really wasn’t without merit. Still, she would have loved to walk along the strip and watch the fake exploding volcano with a crowd of people instead of just catching a glimpse of it from afar.

Yet, if she was honest with herself, she knew she wouldn’t enjoy spending time in Vegas with Frank. The time since she had admired him was long past. What she truly desired was her independence. T

o be on her own, away from Frank, away from his guards, and free to do as she pleased was the cry of her heart. Yet, she knew the chances of that happening were very slight. She was bonded by blood to Frank and he would never allow her to escape.

Beside her, Frank texted furiously. Frown lines tugged at the flesh between his eyebrows and his dark eyes glowered behind his red-tinted glasses. She was rather glad she didn’t know what had him so upset, though if she had to guess, she suspected it had to do with the possible dhamphir that had robbed him.

Aimee’s fingers traced over her evening bag. The clip-on extension was tucked inside. The few strands of chestnut brown hair clinging to the small clip had instantly made her think of the sultry-eyed woman she had seen at the elevator. The mere thought of the stranger created feelings within her she wasn’t even sure how to process. She was used to magic existing within her life, but what she had felt the instant she had touched the woman’s hand was entirely different from anything she had ever felt before.

“Utterly ridiculous,” Frank muttered angrily next to her.

Glancing toward him, she studied the strong lines of his profile. He was handsome and possessed the vampire allure, but she no longer felt the pull she once had long ago when she had been young, foolish, and desperate for a fairytale ending to her difficult life. At one point she had thought of Frank as the prince that was saving her from the evils of the world, but now she saw he was one of the evils of the world and that she had to save herself.

“You’re staring at me, you know I don’t like that. Unless you intend to finally tell me what the fuck is your problem of late,” Frank said shortly.

“I was thinking how handsome you are,” Aimee said, but did not divulge her other thoughts.

Preening under her gaze, Frank obviously sensed the truthfulness of her words. The angry cast to his features dissipated as he said, “Well, yes, I am. And you’re lovely tonight.”

“Thank you,” Aimee answered, before directing her attention outside.

The limousine slid through the gate that led to the private hangers. Frank’s jet sat like a white swan spreading its wings on the tarmac. They wouldn’t be home by sunrise, but the jet was specifically designed to carry Frank about without fear of the sun.

“You know what I despise about these trips?” Frank’s words were clipped short by his irritation.

“No, what?” Aimee asked.

“It reminds me how many enemies I have,” Frank answered, staring out the window.

Aimee became aware of the four figures moving out of the darkness toward the limousine seconds before Frank grabbed her and tumbled to the floor of the car.

The black magic spell hit like a tidal wave, washing over the vehicle and sending it spinning on its wheels. Aimee’s protection spell held, but the black magic tore at it like a savage beast. The putrid acidity of the magic made her cringe, but she poured her white power into her personal shields and snagged her magic bag from the overnight case she had left on the floor.

“My guards? The pilot?” Frank cowered next to the seat, listening to the savage clawing of the spell ripping at the car.

Aimee closed her eyes, cast out a quick net of her power, then shook her head. “Dead. All of them. Suffocation spell.”

“Glenn can fly it,” Frank said briskly, motioning to one of the guards in the front seat. “What about the second car?”

Directing the net behind the limousine, she found the SUV with the four guards within. Her protection spell held there, too, but the guards were panicking. The black magic spell was feeding off their fear and would break through that vehicle more speedily.