Sunglasses at Night (Claws Clause 3)

Nope.

Being a recently turned Para made it even worse. He had these new instincts coupled with a lifetime of bad habits that he couldn’t control.

Luckily, Tabby didn’t seem to be put off by his question. Most likely because she was too busy tapping away on her phone, answering this Boone guy.

“Boone?” She spared a quick glance up at him before reading the next incoming message. She tapped back another reply. “Oh. He’s my handler.”

Adam tightened his jaw. “Handler?”

She shrugged. “Boss? I guess that’s a better word for it. I work for him. He assigns the hunts. I told him I was taking the night off since I’d run out of leads in Grayson, but he’s got a gig for me here.”

“In Woodbridge? That’s lucky. How did he know you’d be around?”

She tapped her fingernail against the back of her phone. “He saw my location on this baby.”

“Your boss tracks you? That doesn’t seem right.”

“Boone tracks all the members of his team. If a call for a slayer comes in, it’s up to him to see who’s closest to answer it. It’s fine. I trust him.”

Easy for Tabby to say. She could trust him. Didn’t mean that Adam did.

“What’s he want?”

“There’s a Nightwalker coming in hot.” Adam knew what that meant. Hot, because Nightwalkers’ skin held a chill unless they were gorged on blood straight from the source. “He’s left two partially drained, and he’s not too far from here. He’ll be in his hole by dawn. If I don’t go after him now, he might get another couple of victims before he can be exterminated.”

That couldn’t happen. As much as he wanted to get the elixir, even saving one life would be worth missing out on it.

“Then let’s go.”

Tabby held up her hand. “You stay here. Holly knows to expect you. If I’m not back, tell her I went to take care of some slayer business. She won’t ask.”

“If that’s the case, then why did you insist on coming?”

She didn’t have an answer for that.

“Let me come with you,” he pushed.

“Adam. No.”

“The elixir can wait,” he said. And if Tabby got in trouble while he sat on his ass, waiting for the witch, he’d never forgive himself. “You might need help.”

“I’m a big girl,” scoffed Tabby. She hopped down from the car, determination coming off of her in waves. “Stay here. I’ll be fine.”

He reached out to grab her arm. As a Nightwalker, he was fast.

She was faster.

Tabby managed to evade his grasp, throwing a shoulder at him so that she was blocking him from trying to latch onto her again. She never once lost her sweet smile, though the humor in her voice turned to steel as she snapped, “Adam. Stop arguing with me. We came all this way because you need to talk to Holly. Don’t screw this up. I want my favor.”

“Tabby,” he tried again.

She wasn’t having it.

“I’ve got my phone,” she said, holding it up so that he could see it, “so I can call you when I’m done. If you want to leave without me, that’s fine. I’ll deal. Find out about that elixir, okay? Now I’ve gotta go.”

There was no arguing with her. Adam was beginning to realize that, despite being so petite, Tabby was one hell of a blonde dynamo.

And, damn it, he liked it.