Embraced By Darkness (Riley Jenson Guardian 5)

"Yes, which is why we also employ vamps and shifters. Werewolves are never booked for the moon phase."

"Sensible." Though I'd imagine employing vampires could be just as dangerous. It would only take one to sip more than he needed, and there'd be a whole heap of trouble. Still, I wasn't here to lecture him on his business practices.

"So... Callie Harris's party?"

"Ten strippers, and a two hour contract for sexual services afterward. A good earner."

"Who studded Callie?"

"Ramjet."

I couldn't help grinning. "Are you serious?"

"He's a big boy, you understand." His voice was solemn, but the twinkle in his eyes belied his seriousness. "And he has little finesse, but some like it that way. Ms. Harris apparently was one of them."

"And he hasn't seen her since?"

"There is a no philandering with the customers rule here, Ms. Jenson. It is strictly adhered to." He hesitated, and I felt the heat of his desire roll over me again. "You however, are not a customer."

"No, I'm a guardian on duty. Did any of the men present on the night see or hear anything unusual that you know of?"

The scent and heat of his lust increased, swirling around me, filling my senses with his rich spicy aroma, making the low-down ache even fiercer. Part of me wanted to take what he was offering, enjoy the moment and this big strong wolf, but things weren't that simple anymore. Not with Kellen in my life.

"One of the vamps reported a brief mind touch, but it was gone before he could trace the source. Unfortunately," he added, before I could say anything, "he's on vacation for the next two weeks, and isn't available for questioning."

Conveniently? Or was I just being overly suspicious? Certainly there was nothing in Shadow's words or manner to suggest lies. "Did he say if it felt more feminine or masculine?"

"Masculine. I did wonder if it was a husband - or husband-to-be - especially after Ms. Harris's murder."

"So the source of the probe was external?"

"He wasn't entirely sure. As I said, the touch was apparently very brief."

Which didn't exactly help me decide whether it was important or not. "Do you know whether Callie Harris was drunk or sober?"

He raised a dark eyebrow. "That's an unusual question, is it not?"

"Not when I'm trying to find out if her encounter was deliberate or alcohol-induced."

He smiled. "It was very deliberate, trust me."

"Ah." So Callie's sister had been finding excuses to explain Callie's behavior. I wondered if Callie had used the same excuse with Liam. And whether he'd believed it.

I gulped down the remainder of my coffee, then rose and gave him a card. "If anyone else remembers anything, please give me a call."

He took the card, then reached down for one of the pens sitting on the coffee table and scrawled a number on the back of it.

"I know how to contact the Directorate," he said, handing the card back. "So I have no need of your number. However, should you wish anything else of me, please ring that number. It's my private, not business, line."

I smiled as I took his card. "I seriously doubt I could afford your rates."

He raised a hand, his fingers brushing my cheek, a featherlight caress that might as well have been a sledgehammer, so strongly did my body react. "Lust burns between us, Ms. Jenson. Should you ever wish to pursue it, it would be my pleasure. I do have a private life beyond managing this club."

"But I'm not sure I have a life beyond that of a guardian." I stepped away, and tried to ignore the frustrated screaming of my hormones. "Thanks for your help, Shadow."

He smiled. "I'll await your call, Ms. Jenson."

I didn't reply, just got out of there while I was still in control of my desires. Once back in the car, I turned the AC onto full cool, and wondered what the hell I should do next. The guardian training I'd undergone tended to concentrate on the other side of a guardian's life - the killing and surviving. The actual hunting bit was, in many ways, left up to individual instincts.