Nope. She'd knock him out, throw him in a car trunk, and get Lenny to drive him out of the state, where he'd wake up and start his newlyrehumanized life.
Give him a couple of days and he'd forget all about her.
"That's not something to cry about," she sternly told her reflection. A tear had begun struggling to make its way through her perfectly applied eyeliner. She grabbed a tissue and gently dabbed at it.
Thank God she hadn't totally fallen in love with Quinn. Imagine how she'd be feelingthen .
The thought just made the tears come faster, because she knew it was a damn lie.
Two days? How the hell had she managed to fall in love with him in only two days?
She sighed heavily. Now she'd have to wash her face and reapply her makeup before she went back to see him. Terrific.
But first she had to get the Eye out of the safe and check her messages. Priorities. It was all about priorities.
She took a very deep breath and let it out slowly, studying her reflection.
"Pull it together, Janie," she told herself.
Then she crouched down in front of the room safe and dialed in the combination, opened the small door, and pulled out the Eye.
The Eye ofRadisshii , the museum had called it.
The Eye of Radish.
Normally this would amuse her greatly. She managed to smile wryly at the thought.
Then she stood up, turned away from the safe, and gasped.
Malcolm Price was sitting on the edge of her bed, studying her.
He shook his head. "I thought you were much more observant, my dear. You didn't even sense me in your room?"
She hadn't. Not even a little. She glanced back at the mirror, which, of course, reflected everything but
Malcolm.
Damn vampires.
Her heart thudded loud and fast.
But then she forced herself to relax. She wasn't some weak floozy who fainted at the sight of blood or danger. She was aMerc , a hired monster hunter, and she ate guys like Malcolm for breakfast.
Not literally, of course. Because…gross . The guy was old.
After another moment, a small smile curled up the side of her mouth. Quinn wasn't around to stop her from paying the old freak back for almost killing her twice.
"Malcolm, how did you know where to find me?"
He matched her smile and rose from the bed. "As a hunter, one acquires many skills related to tracking one's prey."
"Oh, I know that."
"You are not a hunter, though."
She shook her head. "Always thought they were a little overzealous. I like to diversify, otherwise I get really bored."
"You're a mercenary."
"I work for an agency right now, but you could still call me that."
She felt behind her on the vanity table. She'd slipped a wooden stake in there earlier before her mini shopping spree.
He raised an eyebrow. "Your weapon isn't in there, dear girl. I've been here for quite some time waiting for you. I had a chance to look around."
"Did you?" She found that keeping her voice steady wasn't all that hard. After all, she wasn'tcompletely freaked out by this situation. A little, but not completely. He'd taken her by surprise yesterday with the cane to the back of her head, which still, despite the healing balm, was a little sore. She sure as hell wasn't going to be surprised today by him when he was standing right in front of her.
She could take him easily, even with her bare hands. She glanced down at her feet. The stiletto heels would certainly be useful. A sharp kick to the throat and… well, the maids wouldn't be very happy about the mess, but she'd just have to make sure she tipped extra.
Unfortunately, since Malcolm had been made a vampire only less than a decade ago, there would be the inconvenience of a body. She preferred doing battle with older vampires, because their dead bodies disintegrated so conveniently. She usually kept wet wipes in her purse to deal with such a situation.
"Yes. Quite the little arsenal you have hidden in here." Malcolm looked around the room. "Not much, but enough to take out a few belligerent foe. I suppose it's appropriate with this being the hunter convention. You fit in quite nicely, I think."
Her smile widened, artificial as it was. "That's always been my goal, Malcolm. To fit in."
"Oh, I find that hard to believe." He studied her for a moment. "You know, I think I like you."
"So sorry, but the feeling isn't exactly mutual."
"Perhaps not right now. I have been under the false impression that Quinn was to be my ally in my new plans, but I believe I have changed my mind."
"He has his uses."
He laughed. "You have brains, beauty, and strength."
"Thanks. Most guys can't get past the boobs. A little inside information? They're actually my secret weapons."
His lips twitched. "If you would hear me out, I would like to offer you greatness."
"Which means what?"
He nodded at the Eye. "You will give that to me and join me on my quest to create a more perfect world."
"Sounds tempting."
"It does?"