Her eyes widened as she glanced uneasily over her shoulder. "What if one of your friends gets hungry?"
"I will kill them," he promised with stark sincerity. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Her gaze returned to meet his determined expression before she gave a slow nod. "Okay, but hurry."
"I will." Brushing his lips over her forehead, Dante turned and made his way toward his friend. Stopping at Viper's side, he waited until the vampire turned to regard him with a lift of his brow. "Viper, a moment please."
Flicking a glance toward the waiting Abby, Viper pushed away from the wall and folded his arms over his chest.
"I wish you would make up your mind, Dante. First you insist that your beauty be protected from my wicked clientele, and now you parade her about like a tempting fruit. Unless you desire a riot, I would suggest you take her out of here."
"Things have changed," Dante retorted, swiftly revealing the latest attack upon Abby in clipped tones.
A growing frown marred Viper's brow as he listened in silence. When Dante at last finished, he breathed out a furious curse. "Who would dare loosen such a creature?"
"A reckless fool."
"A human, no doubt," Viper gritted, never one to hide his disdain for mortals.
Dante shrugged. For the moment he didn't have the luxury of time to ponder who might be behind the attack.
"Perhaps. At the moment my only concern is keeping Abby safe."
Viper narrowed his gaze. "A worthy task; however, I hope that you have a miracle or two tucked up your sleeve, Dante. At the moment your companion is the Holy Grail for every creature in the underworld."
A miracle? Dante smiled wryly. The closest to a miracle he had was the fact that Abby was still alive and he hadn't yet ended up on the wrong end of a stake.
"No miracles, but I do have a plan," he reluctantly confessed.
"One that includes disappearing for the next few centuries, I hope."
"I'm taking her to the witches."
A sharp, disbelieving silence descended before Viper was abruptly grasping Dante's arm and pulling him into the darkest shadows of the hallway.
"Have you completely lost your mind?" his friend growled with a smoldering fury. "The last time you encountered those bitches they leashed you like a dog. This time they might very well kill you."
Dante shoved his hands into his pockets. Hellfire, he wasn't an idiot. Or at least not a complete idiot. He was fully aware that if it suited the witches, he could be back in shackles, if not worse.
"I have no choice," he said stiffly.
"Why?"
"They are the only ones who can remove the Phoenix from Abby."
Viper appeared far from impressed by his perfectly reasonable explanation. Instead he stared at Dante as if he were considering a straitjacket.
"Now I know you're mad," he seethed. "Why would you allow yourself to be bound to another? This woman at least cares for you."
Dante grimly closed his mind to temptation. He wasn't by nature noble. Or self-sacrificing. He took what he desired and to hell with morals.
But somehow the rules had changed. Abby had seen to that.
"It isn't her burden."
"It's not yours either," Viper countered with lethal softness. "Not by choice."
Slowly Dante turned his head to the slender form hovering anxiously by the door. His lips twisted in a wry smile.
"It is now."
"You will risk everything for this woman?"
"Everything," Dante admitted in low tones.
There was a short silence before Viper heaved a resigned sigh. "Madness. What can I do to help?"
Dante turned back with a determined expression. 'Tor now all I need are your keys."
Chapter 8
Hours later, Dante continued his hunt through the silent fringes of the city. At his side, Abby sat in rare silence as she reluctantly swallowed the herbs he had insisted she drink.
Too silent, he realized as he glanced toward the delicate profile that was tinted silver by the moonlight
Although Abby was always careful to keep others at a distance, it was unlike her to withdraw so completely. If nothing else, she should be complaining of their futile search for some hint of the witches. Or chastising him for possessing lethal ex-lovers. Or at least telling him how he should be driving.
Instead she slouched in her seat, drinking her herbs and…
Dante's frown abruptly deepened. Was she humming?
Devil's blood. There was something definitely wrong with the woman.
Slowing the car, Dante carefully cleared his throat. "Abby?"
"Mmmm?"
"Are you okay?"
"I was just thinking."
Well, that didn't seem so awfully bad. At least she hadn't tumbled into some catatonic state.
"What were you thinking?"
"Do all vampires have Porsches?"
He shot her a swift glance of puzzlement. That was what she had been brooding on? The preferred form of transport for vampires?
"Of course not," he said slowly. "I know several vampires who prefer Jags and even one who wouldn't be caught dead in anything but a Lamborghini. Pun intended."
"Ah." She wagged her finger in his general direction. "I knew there was something suspicious going on. I just supposed that the very rich had sold their souls to the devil. Instead they are all demons."
'Yes, it's all a vast conspiracy."
She actually giggled. Giggled. Then, taking another deep drink, she turned her head on the soft leather seat and regarded him with half-closed eyes.
"Whatever happened to the days when a vampire would skulk through the sewers and live in a damp crypt?"
He arched a brow. "I think they ended about the same time mortals decided to crawl out of their caves."
"Still, you should at least turn into a bat or have a bumpy forehead. Something vampirish."
Okay. It was official. Mortal women were without exception the most unpredictable, erratic, insane creatures ever to roam the earth.
And this woman was the champion of champions at driving a vampire insane. One minute she was terrified, the next she was angry, and then, bam, she was all soft and vulnerable.
Still, this giggling, almost giddy mood was a distinct change. He might have thought she was drunk as a skunk if it weren't…
Oh bloody hell. Dante's eyes narrowed as he watched her down another large gulp of her drink.
That was it.
It had been so long since Selena had become the Phoenix that he had forgotten the effects of the potent herbs. Over the years, she had become accustomed to the concoction, but for a time she had reacted with precisely the same woozy silliness.