Page 83 of Bloodhunter

The place smelled so good I thought about sitting down andhaving a meal, but decided I’d talk to Angus first. If I still had an appetiteafterward, I’d get an early dinner before Shane and I hit Raeven’s Road on ourquest to track down Gordon Gray.

Captain Crawford had called me to offer up a few of hisuniforms to help with the search, but I turned him down flat. Not only wouldthe cops likely be killed by vampires, they’d only get in my way. And if I gotexcited afterward and jumped Shane again—not that I would—and theywitnessedthat…

I shuddered.

No. Just no.

I pecked on Angus’s office door, then pushed it open andstuck my head in. “Do you have a minute, Angus?”

“Trin,” Angus roared, as though he hadn’t seen me for ayear. He half stood and waved me in. “Come. Sit.”

But I didn’t want to sit. I paced around his office. “Angus,I’m moving out. Rhys is going to show me some houses.” I stopped walking and lookedat him. “I wanted to thank you for taking me in.”

He nodded. “What can I help you with? Furniture? Extracash?”

“No, nothing.” I hesitated and looked around the room. “Iwon’t be coming back to work, either. I’m…” I shrugged. It felt strange sayingaloud what I’d decided to do. To become.

“Of course you won’t be coming back to make pizza,” he said.“You’re a hunter, my girl. That job will be more than you can handle.”

“Thanks,” I said, dryly. “You have such confidence in me.”

He studied me soberly. “I do, honey.” He grinned andshrugged. “I don’t want you to stop needing me, though.”

Finally, I sat down. “I’m not one of your kids, Angus.”

His chair creaked ominously when he leaned back in it. “Itold you I don’t think of you as one of my kids.” His eyes darkened, just thetiniest bit. “And when you’re ready, I’ll prove it to you.”

My face heated and I silently damned my tendency to blush athis slightest sexual innuendo. And Angus, who seemed to not so secretly delightin provoking such a reaction, wasn’t quite finished.

“I hear Shane Copas bent you over a pile of vampire corpsesand had his way with you.” His grin was huge but the look in his eyes was justa little…heated.

I stood. “Okay, that’s just great. Goodbye, Angus.”

“Trin, wait. I have something for you.”

I stopped at the door, curious despite myself. “What?”

He opened his desk drawer, pulled out a small box, and thentossed it to me. I caught it automatically.

“Condoms,” he said, as though I wouldn’t know, and roaredwith laughter.

“Thanks, Angus. I needed these.” I stuffed the box into mycoat pocket. “You know. For all the sex I’ll be having.”

He traded his smile for a scowl, and with a bounce in mystep and a grin on my face, I left his office.

Putting a scowl on Angus’s face always buoyed my mood. But Iremembered something I needed to do, and I slipped into a corner of the hall tomake an appointment with my OBGYN.

I ate my dinner surrounded by Angus’s kids and a fewregulars, relaxed and happier than I could remember being in a good long while.I didn’t know why, but I didn’t want to question it too hard.

Maybe it was the calm before the storm.

Shane came into the restaurant and sat down across from me,and just like that, my moment of peace ended.

“You want something to eat?” I asked him.

He eyed the two remaining slices of my fourteen inch pizza.“You eat a lot for someone so skinny.”

I shrugged. “Fast metabolism.”