Page 30 of Evil Hearts

She wasn’t prepared to hear her full name pronounced in such a sensual way. The syllables dripped from his lips like rich chocolate syrup.

“Maybe I sh-sh-should g-g-g-go,” she said and stood up. Suddenly, the gargoyle was behind her, blocking her exit.

“Silas didn’t say you could leave,” he grumbled in an impossibly low voice. The man was probably around seven feet tall, built like a brick wall, and didn’t have any facial hair. No fiveo’clock shadow or anything. Not even eyebrows! Although his prominent brow ridges gave the illusion of eyebrows.

Falling back down in the chair, she was quick to tell them about her safety net. “If I disappear, all the information I have will be sent to several newspapers, news channels, social justice influencers, and independent journalists.”

The gargoyle glared at her. “I doubt that.”

“Idris, stop scaring her,” Silas commanded. “She’s only a little human and not menacing.”

The change in Idris was swift. He straightened and looked abashed. “She’s threatening you.”

“With a lawsuit,” Silas countered. “That’s not life threatening. What have I said about non-life-threatening threats?”

“Leave them to you,” he grumbled.

“You should shake her hand,” Reed said from his spot on the other side of the table. “You know, kiss and make up. But she’s probably not ready for a kiss so you should shake hands and make up. None of us here should be fightin’.”

She thought Idris would scowl at Reed’s suggestions and tell him toshut the hell upor something, but instead, the gargoyle gave the wolf a fond, indulgent smile.

“Would that make you happy?” he asked Reed.

Reed was almost entirely in Silas’s lap now looking more cat than canine. Silas was running his fingers through Reed’s hair and watching the two of them with interest.

“I’d like you to shake Cassiopea’s hand also,” Silas said.

Were all vampires and flocks this weird?

“If I shake your h-h-h-hand, will you let m-m-me leave?” she asked.

“We still need to discuss what you need from me,” Silas objected. “Shake Idris’s hand and then we can finish talking.”

“Yeah, we can all talk,” Reed agreed, and finished climbing into Silas’s lap. The man moved with such sensual grace it was hard to look away. Did he even have bones?

Oh god, they were kissing. She’d seen men kiss before. It never bothered her, but it also never turned her on like Reed and Silas. Why was this so hot? When Silas brought a hand up to grip Reed’s jaw and hold him in place, she felt her panties get wet. Damn, how did the vampire make one move both commanding and loving at the same time?

A massive hand appeared in her line of vision, forcing her to refocus.

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” Idris said, looming over her.

Right, she needed to shake the behemoth’s hand. Standing up to make herself bigger, she quickly realized that didn’t help much. Swallowing hard, she looked up at the scowling, intimidating man in front of her. Hoping he wouldn’t notice how much she was trembling, she eased her much smaller hand into his.

A jolt of static electricity went through their palms, making her gasp and pull away before his fingers had even finished closing around hers. She didn’t get a chance to comment on how strange that was before Idris’s skin started turning a dark steel blue.

Her mouth dropped open as his shirt shredded around a growing chest and horns budded out of his head.

“Mine!” Idris roared and the world turned upside down. It all happened so fast it took her several seconds to realize that Idris had picked her up and thrown her over his shoulder.

“H-h-help!” she screeched as she watched wings tear through the last of Idris’s shirt.

“Easy, Idris,” Silas said in a soothing voice. “You’re scaring Cassiopeia.”

“We all need to leave,” Idris said, his voice even lower now than when he’d been human. “This place isn’t safe. We need to take her home.”

“K-k-k-kidnapping is-is-is illegal!” she shouted, then realized that was the stupidest thing she could’ve said.

Reed appeared in her limited view, crouching down with wide eyes. “Don’t panic, okay? This is really common with gargoyles. Silas will get him calmed down.”

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