At Blade's Edge - Lauren Dane Page 0,2

dialed Warren Farrelly, the Scion of Europe. Normally, she’d have reached out to Clive, but this was Warren’s territory and this fledgling needed some protection and right then.

“Hello there, Mrs. Stewart,” Warren answered his phone.

“Stop trying to agitate me.” She told him the story Trevor had told her.

Warren spoke to someone quickly and then got back on the phone. “One of my people is near you. She’ll be there to collect your charge shortly. I appreciate your restraint with him.”

“He’s like a puppy. A twitchy, slightly sketchy puppy. You have a Vampire not only feeding from humans without consent, but making Vampires without consent and abandoning them. You know how that’s going to be dealt with if you don’t get to your fanged lawbreaker first, right?”

A Vampire like that was a big problem. A danger to humans.

Rowan continued, “This is Susan’s territory. I’m going to tell her.” It wasn’t even mildly interesting to her to protect the Vampire Nation at the expense of Hunters and humans.

Warren sighed. “I thought you were done with Hunter Corporation. You’d be a much better Vampire. Work for me. I’ll pay you ten times whatever you make with them and you can work however you want. No questions asked. You’re wasted on humans.”

Rowan was beginning to accept that she wasn’t as done as she’d felt two weeks before. The more thinking she did, the more she realized Hunter Corp. was hers to protect and defend. Because someone, something needed to balance the power Vampires had. She couldn’t do it on her own as well as she could within a Hunter Corp. running at full capacity. The passion and skill level existed if everyone was willing to take out the trash and change things.

Clive would pop a vein if she took a job with another Vampire. As amusing as that was to envision, she had to shut that down.

“Stop stirring shit up. I’m here for another reason so if you handle this on your own, it doesn’t have to involve me at all.”

In the background Warren had been giving orders as he listened. Three minutes later he came back to her. “All right. Bonita will be arriving presently to collect him.” He paused long enough that Rowan was convinced she wasn’t going to like whatever he said next. “I have a few ideas as to who it might be. I’ll have Trevor look at some photographs when we get his statement.”

“You’ve got a rogue on the loose here in London? Is that what you’re telling me?” Rowan demanded. Vampires and their bullshit were always getting in her way. “I’m already cleaning up after the last mess you all made. I don’t have time for this.”

Warren laughed like it was funny. She wanted to kick him in the taint.

“There are always rogues so I won’t insult you by pretending otherwise. This one is a recent problem. We’ll handle it.”

“You’ll need to keep me or Susan apprised.” She hung up as a car eased to the curb and a tiny pixie of a Vampire got out.

“I’m Bonita.” She tipped her chin in Rowan’s direction. Giving her respect as she would have another Vampire of her station.

“Rowan. And this is Trevor.” She handed him over.

Bonita’s brow rose as she took him in. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Trevor? Don’t make me sorry I didn’t kill you.”

He nodded as he yammered his thanks before Warren’s pixie with teeth shoved him into the back seat.

Rowan and David continued their walk home as if they hadn’t even been interrupted.

* * *

“How long did you know I was watching you? Back at Roth’s?” David asked as he indicated the house they’d stopped in front of just three minute’s walk away.

“Not that long. You’re getting much better at surveillance. I’m being serious. You know I wouldn’t lie about something important like that.” When it came to his training she was deadly serious.

Her life—and his because he was her valet—was full of danger of the sort they just dealt with. And worse. He had to be capable of defending himself as well as holding his own on a team.

“You’re avoiding.”

Rowan took a deep breath and let herself really look at the house.

She’d have been lying to pretend she hadn’t already seen it because she’d looked it up online. But in person it was even lovelier. Stately. The kind of home she knew graced magazine spreads.

“I’m going to break something or spill something within five minutes,” she muttered. A nervous flush settled on her cheeks.

“I’m sure that’s not