When I walked into the living room with a tear-stained face, Colin decided to call it an early day and skip the hand to hand combat. I accepted his apology for the turmoil the Valentinos were putting me through, and he had the decency not to point fingers at any one family member, although it was implied. Before leaving, he said I could visit Rizzo at Mount Sinai tomorrow at eleven, which cheered me a bit.

I spent the next couple of hours preparing an email for Debra at the Governor's mansion and attaching the photos I'd put together. I still needed to get the shots Sylvie took, and I emailed her about that. The day progressed much the same, and when evening rolled around, I felt the need to get away from my apartment and commune with the night people. It was Saturday, and I knew Monica would have something insane planned. I texted her to see what she was up to.

Are you hanging out tonight?

As was typical for Monica, her response came back immediately. I don't think the girl ever put her cellphone down.

Where the hell have you been? I hope your absence means you're getting plenty. We'll be at Mojo's. Come join.

Okay. I'll be there around ten-ish.

I knew Vincent would go ballistic if I didn't tell him about my intentions, so I sent him a text as I began my prep in front of the bathroom mirror.

I'm meeting friends at Mojo's. Wearing black. Taking a cab. I will observe maximum safety awareness.

The phone rang a second later.

"I'll meet you there," he said.

"Really? Are you sure it will be safe for us to be together?"

"I won't deny you a night with your friends, but I am not taking any chances with your safety. In fact, I will send my friend Scooby to pick you up. He drives for Uber when he's not piloting a helicopter. He'll be in a white Range Rover. I'll tell Colin to drop in on you as well. I think he plans to hang out with Adam and Emile. I have to meet with Sergio Lassiter at ten, so I'll be at the club not long after that."

Geez. All that for a night out with the girls? "Okay. Will you dance with me?"

"It will be my pleasure."

Yes. I was going to see Vincent tonight, and I smiled into the mirror as I hung up. Rummaging through my make-up kit, I pulled out a pair of false eyelashes to create a dark and dangerous look. I had given myself a full hour to get ready, choosing to wear a black thigh-length dress and black leather boots, the recommended color of my dark and dangerous boyfriend. This night just got one hundred times more fabulous.

Scooby pulled up in his white SUV, and once he'd jammed it into park, he hurried around to the passenger door to open it for me. This wasn't typical behavior for Uber drivers, and it made me wonder if Vincent gave him specific instructions for how to handle his special needs girlfriend. Scooby looked to be in his mid-fifties, fit, and very talkative. He entertained me with stories of his daring helicopter escapades, one involving the rescue of a gollum who had torn a wing while navigating too closely to a mountain.

We arrived at the club by ten-twenty, and Scooby once again gave me the royal treatment, pulling into the valet lane and slipping money to the bouncer to ensure my safe passage into the club. The bouncer detained me there until the club owner, Jim, arrived and escorted me inside to help me find my friends. I located Monica and Jen standing at the bar, both nursing plastic cocktails. The music was poppin', which had my pulse racing, but I knew the real reason for my excitement was knowing Vincent would be joining me later.

"Since when do you know the owner of Mojo's?" Monica asked as she watched Jim fill my Shirley Temple order.

"I don't, but I figure his helpfulness has something to do with my overprotective boyfriend." I sipped casually on my drink as I prepared for Monica's next inquiry.

"Oh? Tell me about this overprotective boyfriend? Is he the reason you've been unavailable to party for the past two weeks?"

Wow. Had it only been two weeks? It felt like an eternity.

"Yeah, sorry about that. We've gotten pretty serious."

"And...? I need details girlfriend." She tossed back what was left in her cup and motioned to the bartender to fill her up again.

Of course, Monica would be interested in knowing the deets, and I limited them to Vincent's supreme hotness and wealth. Fortunately, she didn't ask his name. I wasn't eager to advertise my involvement with one of the city's most notorious playboys. She would find out soon enough.

In the middle of Monica's interrogation, I got a whiff of heady cologne mixed with sour rags, and I turned in my seat as a pair of bulked-up guys walked by. Demons, guaranteed. Were they here because of me or was it coincidence? I recognized both from the night at Dungeon Masters. They were the guys Vincent and Rizzo clashed with. I think one of them went by the name Christoph, and I watched as he and his buddy walked the perimeter of the club. Thankfully, neither of them saw me looking, and I quickly fished for my cellphone to give Colin a heads up.

I've got demons on my tail at Mojo's. You on your way?

As I waited for his reply, a particularly excellent song queued up, and my body started gyrating, eager to dance, but with demons in the club, I didn't want to leave the safety of the bar. It was really annoying. What was the point of dressing up and escaping my boring apartment if I couldn't enjoy myself?

"Aren't you going to hit this song, Reese?" Monica said. "You love Morgan Page."

"Of course, she is," said Jen as she grabbed my hand and hauled me into the throng.

Damn fun-loving friends. They were going to get me busted, but once the three of us started moving, the tension in my muscles melted away. The flashing lights had me squinting, but I didn't want to mess up my glam look with lame sunglasses. The demons were nowhere to be seen, and with any luck, the cavalry would arrive before they noticed me, or smelled me. I checked my phone and found a text waiting from Colin.

I'm not far. Don't leave the club.

Duh.

I returned my phone to my purse and tried to forget about demons and gollums, letting the heavy beat of techno carry me away. The song switched to another sweet mix, and the girls and I continued tearing up the dance floor. By the time the scent of demon wafted under my nose again, Christoph and his friend had snuck up beside us.

"Hello, ladies," Christoph said smoothly.

If I had been unaware of Christoph's demon status, I would have given him the opportunity to talk his game. The guy wasn't hurting in the looks department. His hair was a shade darker than blond. Let's call it caramel, and he had been blessed with a deep cleft. Monica and Jen seemed more than happy to let him invade our space.

"Hey," Monica said, offering him a wave.

"You look like you're enjoying yourselves," he went on, his large, brown eyes flashing playfully as he appraised us. "I'm Christoph, and this is Josh." He gestured to his demon friend, whose looks didn't quite measure up, but his smile could have melted an iceberg, and I watched Jen's mouth drop open. Yikes.

"I'm Monica," Monica announced. "And these are my friends, Jen and Reese."

Jen choked out a dazzled "Hey" while I glared at the demons suspiciously. Monica appeared to notice my cold shoulder and elbowed me.

"I know you're off the market," she said. "But give us single girls a chance."

If she only knew.

I ignored the demons, and the five of us moved to the music while I scanned the club for my posse. Christoph wasted little time getting friendly, and I felt him slip his arm behind my back as he leaned in to speak. "You may have fooled the gollums, but I know the truth about you."

He followed up his comment with a sinister grin, and I stepped away from his roaming hand.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Monica and Jen seemed oblivious to the creepy vibe the two demons were giving off, or maybe it was just me picking up on it as Christoph continued yammering in my ear.

"Don't tell me you're still in the dark about your condition. I'd be happy to fill you in."

"You need to back off!" My voice rose enough to attract the attention of my clueless friends, and I took the opportunity to nip the situation in the bud before it bloomed into a disaster. "Hey, girls. I need an escort to the bathroom."

Christoph offered himself as an escort, but I was already yanking Monica off the dance floor with Jen following grudgingly at our heels. When we reached the bathroom, Jen complained loudly and drunkenly.

"What gives, Reese? Josh and I were having a moment."

I gave her my version of a motherly stare. "Those guys are creeps. You don't want to hook up with them. I've seen them in action."

"Aw, c'mon. I'm not opposed to a creep now and then, especially a cute one."

I had no doubt Jen would ignore my kindly advice and have herself a demon before the night was over. Would she be marked like me, or was that just a gollum demon thing? I shuddered as I waited my turn in line. I didn't even need to pee, but the bathroom was always my first pick when I needed to escape unsavories.

When a stall came available, I helped myself, and suddenly I was being pushed through the door and thrown against the wall. Monica and Jen shouted simultaneous 'What the fucks?' as they were locked out. My assailant turned out to be Kelly, and she wasted no time jabbing the point of a knife under my chin.

"Did you infect me?" Kelly demanded as her face flushed pink.

"What are you talking about? Infect you with what?" I spoke through clenched teeth, feeling the blade move against my jaw as she tightened her grip.

"You know damn well what, you dirty hybrid. The kiss. Did you spread your filth to me when I kissed you? Is that how it works? Is it transferred through bodily fluids?"

Oh, Christ. Not this hybrid shit again. I was starting to think I really did have a disease.

"Tell me, dammit, or I'll cut you down where you stand." Kelly growled into my face, and I officially panicked. Where the hell was Colin? Monica and Jen were pounding on the door, but it was nothing compared to my heart. I needed to buy myself time. Keep this knife-wielding psycho talking.

"No, Kelly. I didn't infect you."

"You lie!" Kelly dug the blade into my jugular, causing a painful sting, and a moment later I felt warm liquid blazing a trail down my neck. I was going to die, and Vincent would be devastated for not reaching me in time. My phone buzzed in my purse, which was probably him or Colin.

Shit.

"You're going to kill me either way." I said. "Whether I tell the truth or not. Isn't that how demons operate?"

Kelly hardened her gaze and gave me a good long stare. I said nothing, because her eyes did the talking. She wasn't going to kill me. She was insulted that I had such a low opinion of her. The blade loosened at my neck. "I just want the truth. Did you infect me?"

"Kelly, if I infected you with something, I didn't do it on purpose. I apparently carry a mark that gives off a... a scent. I'm as far out-of-the-loop as you are. I'm telling you the truth as I know it."

Kelly's face paled, and she swallowed hard as her hand dropped, releasing me from her dangerous grip. "That's it. I'm dead. I'm out."

With Kelly in a stupor against the toilet, I made my escape, unlocking the stall and rushing into Monica's arms.

"Holy fuck, Reese! Your neck is gushing blood. Who is that crazy bitch? Jen went to get a bouncer."

I let Monica help me over to a sink, while a crowd of girls gathered around us, their cellphones poised to capture the drama for the minions on social media.

"Should I call 911?" someone chimed in.

"I don't think it's that bad," I said as I leaned over the sink to splash my neck. The water stung like hell, and when blood continued to ooze from my chin, Monica stuck paper towels under it. "Monica, will you check the message on my cell. I'm expecting someone to meet me here."

Monica rummaged in my purse and relayed the message. "It's from Colin. He says 'Where are you?' Is this the same Colin we met at Psychotic? Is he the guy you're dating?"

"He's the guy from Psychotic, but I'm not dating him. I'm dating his brother. Tell him we're in the girl's bathroom."

While Monica played secretary, I pulled the towels away to check the damages. The cut didn't look deep enough to warrant stitches, and fortunately any scar that came from it would be hidden under my chin. I glanced at the stall where Kelly had skewered me, and she was gone, vanished into the crowd of females, which appeared to be growing as news of the incident spread.

"Reese!" Colin's voice echoed inside the bathroom, and the sea parted as he barreled through the bodies. Nobody seemed to have a problem with the sexy buff guy entering their domain. In fact, one girl hurried to touch up her lipstick so she could smile at him with a shiny red mouth. He paid her no attention whatsoever.

"Christ, Reese. Can't you stay out of trouble? I leave you for a few hours..." Colin leaned in to inspect my battle wound, flooding me with his gollum pheromones. "It doesn't look too bad. You're damn lucky. How did it happen? Your text said you were attacked by a crazy bitch with a knife."

"Oh, that was Monica. She sent the text for me."

"Well, she was a crazy bitch," Monica said emphatically. "Did you know her, Reese?"

"Yes." I left my response short and sweet. My audience didn't need more details than that. They were going to make up a story of their own anyway.

"I'll take you home, Reese. You can fill me in on the way," Colin said as he tucked his arm around me, keeping me safe from the mob of females.

Adam was standing outside the bathroom, and he flanked us as Colin escorted me through the crowd. I searched the faces for Christoph and Josh, but I didn't expect them to hang around once the gollum troops arrived. Did they know Kelly had ambushed me? Were they all working in cahoots?

As we approached the club entrance, the door swung open and Vincent walked in. Even with the light show flashing behind me, I had no trouble zeroing-in on his eyes, and the initial emotion I read was worry as he glanced at the towels at my chin. Then, when his gaze swept to Colin with his arm at my waist, his expression turned fierce. Vincent didn't hesitate to eject Colin from his position, and Colin abandoned his post with calm grace. Of course, Colin offered his two cents with an equally threatening gaze.

"Reese, what happened?" Vincent spoke against my temple as he pressed a kiss to it, leading me outside before I could answer. I didn't feel like talking anyway. I wanted to sag against his chest and be the damsel in distress for once. The four of us walked to Vincent's Bentley, which was taking up prime real estate at the valet station.

"Who hurt you, Reese?" Vincent asked more forcefully as he bent down to inspect my neck wound.

"Kelly. She was the demon I met at Dungeon Masters last Thursday. And the guys were here too. The ones you fought that night. I think they're a trio."

"Should we finish the job you started?" Colin asked Vincent. "Emile followed the perps from the club. They're probably not far away."

Vincent shook his head. "Not yet. I need to talk to Reese first. You and Adam stay here until I call you." He opened the passenger door to his car and gestured me in. His timing couldn't have been better. I was starting to feel lightheaded, but first I swung my arms around Colin for a quick hug.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue. I owe you."

"No paybacks are necessary. It's what I do."

When I released Colin's neck, I caught him smirking at Vincent. Oh, crap. What did I do? Without looking at Vincent, I slid into the passenger seat and he closed the door. When he climbed into the driver's side, his lips were pursed into a scowl. I expected to get lambasted for the hug, but he said nothing, prompting me to bite my lip. He finally got over himself and pulled into traffic.

"What happened when the demons engaged you?" he asked. "What did they say?"

"Christoph was the first to talk to me. He said, You may have fooled the gollums, but I know the truth about you. When I told him I didn't know what he was talking about, he said. Don't tell me you're still in the dark about your condition. Then he offered to fill me in. That's when I told him to back off and escaped to the bathroom."

Vincent exhaled slowly through his lips, which were still pursed. "And the female? How did she manage to get you alone to attack you?"

"Bathroom. She jumped into the stall with me and pinned me with her knife. She asked if I had infected her. Of course, I didn't know what she was talking about because nobody has told me jack. Although this hybrid label keeps getting tossed around, and it never sounds like a compliment."

"She called you a hybrid?"

"Yes. She called me that last week before she kissed me. She thinks I infected her through the kiss. Is that possible?"

"She kissed you?" Vincent's eyes rounded as he glanced away from traffic to look at me.

"Yes, just before she lured me out of the club with the promise of chicken tacos."

"She was using the kiss of submission," he said with a resigned head shake. "It's a tactic demon's use to subdue their prey. I don't doubt that's how Heath managed to keep you around so long."

The kiss of submission? That sounded kinky. Was that really how Heath kept me around? He did give excellent mouth to mouth.

"Did she say anything else of importance?" Vincent asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Well, when I finally convinced her I didn't purposefully infect her, she lowered her knife and said I'm dead. I'm out."

I watched the edge of Vincent's mouth twitch, which I could have sworn was the beginning of a smile. This immediately annoyed me. While, deep down I knew Vincent would never intentionally put me in harm's way, I couldn't help feeling like I'd been played. My grimace must have triggered his radar.

"I hope you don't think I'm at all happy about this attack. How could I be? I didn't want you to go out at all, but I don't want you pissed off and going out to spite me. I know you like your freedom."

"Thanks, but I've already noticed our opinions differ on the definition of freedom."

"I'm making an effort not to be an asshole," he said to the windshield. "I need to make a quick call." He tapped an icon on his dashboard and spoke in his commander in chief voice. "Call Colin."

Colin answered before it rang on our end. "Well?"

"Leave them. They're confused and desperate. We need them to spread the word."

Vincent hung up before Colin could say anything else, and his hands tightened around the steering wheel. Our conversation appeared to be over, according to him, but I wasn't quite finished.

"So, chief. Are you going to fill me in? The longer I'm kept out of the loop, the more risk you put me in. That's not very good business practice."

Vincent put me off until he was parking the Bentley in front of my apartment. Then he gave me his undivided attention before gracing me with an answer. "We planted a seed in the demon camp, and the incident tonight proved they took the bait. I think they might back off. Now, c'mon. I need to treat that wound."

~ ~ ~

The antiseptic spray stung like hell, but I wasn't focused on my chin. I was focused on the man between my legs as I sat on the bathroom counter receiving first aid. Vincent had a gentle touch despite his forceful demeanor, but I had already figured that out. With his face at eye level, I couldn't help playing with his hair while he nursed me back to health. When my palm slid across his cheek, he leaned in and kissed it.

"There's something bothering you," he said as he continued to pepper my hand with pecks. "Talk to me, Reese."

Talk? Now?

While I didn't want him to stop his sensual assault, there were a few things that needed to get aired out. "Why didn't you send a gollum to take me to the club? Am I under their protection or not?"

Vincent shook his head like my worries were completely unfounded. "Reese, you didn't go to the club unescorted. I would trust Scooby with my life, which I have on two occasions. I also had Emile trail you. I told him to keep out of sight. I didn't want you to feel suffocated. I know you've been feeling that way lately."

He pursed his lips, and I thought he was going to kiss me, but he used them to speak instead. "I am able to tell you something I couldn't before. The domus received communication from the queen of the demon hive. Her name is Cecile, and she made a serious allegation that had everyone running scared, but we have taken her threat and used it against her through the gullibility of her colony. She keeps most of them in the dark, which means they are susceptible to outside influences."

Ah, the irony. Did Vincent even see it?

"It makes me insane to think you could have lost your life tonight," he said as he threaded my hair behind my ear. "But, clearly you have the intellect to handle yourself under pressure, and that reassures me more than you know."

Vincent took that moment to kiss me, a determined, I need you kiss, with delving tongues and yummy moans, and when he released me, we were both panting.

"So, apart from learning that a demon queen has caused the gollums to lose their shit," I said. "It seems I'm still relegated to my apartment and we still can't be intimate."

"By my estimation, we've been pretty damn intimate." He said this as his hands glided up the outside of my thighs, sending chills to my belly and forcing any subsequent thoughts out of my head. He had such an effect on me. It really wasn't fair. He slid his thumb over my skin toward my panties, across the fabric, and down between my legs, making slow swirlies over my sex. "Reese."

My name had barely left his lips when I took possession of his head with my hands, holding him prisoner as I kissed him. He slipped two fingers beneath the lace and continued his erotic assault, circling as he spoke against my mouth. "Oh, baby. You're so wet. So deliciously wet."

He slid a finger inside me, and I released his face to let my hand drift down his chest and across his waistband until I was poised over his erection. I hovered lightly on his zipper, making my intention clear, while he lavished me with his tongue and his fingers. I felt my body reaching for climax, but Vincent seemed to be deliberately avoiding my erogenous zones. Damn him and his control freakery. All I needed was a little something to push me over, and he would be helpless to my siren call. At least that's how I envisioned it.

On a whim that was definitely brought on by lust, I recited the transformation mantras inside my head, and the static arrived without hesitation, followed by the thumping in my chest. My breathing became erratic, which seemed to excite Vincent, and he ground his hard-on into my hand as he gave himself permission to be swept up in the moment. When the sensation I'd been waiting for hit me, I imagined Vincent ripping my panties off and taking me right there on the counter. Three seconds later, an orgasm was washing over me like a tsunami.

"Vincent. Oh, God." I broke the seal on our mouths as I cried to the ceiling, and a strange sensation crept into my jaw, causing it to clench. I lowered my mouth to Vincent's shoulder, nibbling playfully, prolonging my climax as I kissed and nipped his skin all the way up to his ear. In my lust-induced haze, I unintentionally latched onto him, and before I knew it, I was following the impulse to bite down.

A deep rumble erupted from Vincent's chest as he yanked back abruptly, evicting me from his throat and nearly unseating me from the counter. "What the hell!" he cursed as he rubbed his fingers across his neck.

"Crap. Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to bite hard. I don't know what came over me. I used the transformation mantras. I just wanted to enhance... I'm sorry. It was stupid."

As I rambled my apology, Vincent stared at me, probably trying to figure out how the tables had turned and I was trying to make a meal out of him. "Reese, turn around and check yourself in the mirror."

Based on his serious expression and the ache in my jaw, I had a foreboding about what I would see, and when I twisted around to face the mirror, there they were. Fangs. More pronounced on the top, than the bottom, but there was no mistaking them for your average human canines. These babies could do some damage.

"Holy shit. How is this happening so fast? Colin said it took up to six months for young gollums to experience the change." I spoke to Vincent via our reflections as I ran my tongue along the sharp points of my new weaponry. They were freaky, but a cool kind of freaky.

"You're twenty-five, not five. Your gollum nature has been suppressed a long time. None of us has a clue how long it will take, but I think you should prepare for the full change. You need to learn the terminus mantras, the ones that return you to your human form, otherwise you're going to scare people with those teeth. Although, I find them very arousing." He turned me in his arms, and leaned in to my mouth, tracing his tongue along my fangs. The guttural growl he released made him sound hungry. "Despite the risks, I better take over your lessons."

I breathed a relieved sigh across his lips. "Good. I embarrassed myself in front of Colin today."

Vincent's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? How did you... You know what, I don't want to know about it, and I don't want you to think you can slack off because I'm your teacher. What happened just now was a risky move on your part, in spite of the rewards you gained from it. I'm not at my best when I'm with you, Reese. You weaken me. I could have retaliated and rendered you helpless."

Despite the seriousness of his warning, I grinned, and my new teeth jabbed my lips. "I'm always helpless around you, Vincent. And, I think the reward was worth it."

Vincent shook his head sternly at me, but a small smile tweaked his lips. "Let's send those fangs back into hiding before I lose my resolve."

Killjoy.

PLAYLIST SONG: Right Place, Wrong Time by Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies