“No ‘thank you,’ Miss Lapointe?” Loudreux drawled.

She spun to face him, taking a few steps back to get up close and personal. Blu bristled but made no move. Chrysabelle leaned in. “You should be thanking me, Loudreux.”

He arched a thready brow. “You’re right. You did an excellent job resolving my problem.”

It would have been really nice to have fangs to bare at him. “No, you half-wit. For letting you live.”

Loudreux choked on his next breath. Blu whipped out a blade, but Chrysabelle pulled back, one hand raised, the other fisted around the ring. “Still your blade, fae. I have too much to do to start something now.”

With that, she sailed out of the house.

Chapter Thirty-five

My vote is totally no.” Fi didn’t need to think it over. No way a vampire was getting into the house. No. Way. She kinda hoped the vamp tried something while John was outside watching her. He seemed like the sort of guy who wouldn’t hesitate to take off a vampire’s head if the need arose.

Doc nodded, his hands clenching and unclenching like he was agitated about something. Or about to reach for the switchblade in his belt. “I say we stake her. Over and done.”

“Except,” Damian said. “She might have information we could use.”

Everyone looked at him. He held up his hands. “I’m not saying let her into the house, but maybe we could put her in the guesthouse.”

“How do you know you can trust her?” the mayor asked.

“You can’t.” Damian worked his jaw to one side. “She’s a vampire. None of them can be trusted.”

“I wouldn’t say none, bro.” Doc glanced at Fi, but even without reading the look in his eyes, she knew what he was thinking. “I’d trust Mal with my life. I have. Doesn’t mean I like everything he does, but he’s as tight as you get.”

“Yeah,” Fi added. “I know him better than anyone and I’d vouch for him, too.”

“Does that mean you’re for keeping the woman?” Luke asked her.

“No… I don’t know.” Fi hadn’t even entertained the thought that the vampiress might be telling the truth. “You think she’s for real?”

Velimai slapped the table in the center of the living room. No, she signed. No, no, no. Her hands flew again. Luke translated. “She says anyone who worked for Tatiana is up to no good.”

Damian stood and tapped a finger against his chest. “I worked for Tatiana. I didn’t have a choice. Maybe Daciana didn’t either.”

Velimai shrugged one shoulder and signed, Sorry.

Doc leaned back. “But you’re a comar and she’s a vampire. There’s a big difference.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You sound a little too much on her side.”

Damian tipped his head back, anger lining his face. “I am not on her side.”

“Actually, I think he’s got a point,” Luke said, sliding to the edge of his seat and leaning his arms on his knees. “We don’t know the real circumstances. And she could have info. We should treat her like a prisoner of war until she proves otherwise. She wants asylum? Let her earn it.”

“What does that mean?” the mayor asked before Fi had a chance to.

“Let Damian, Doc, John, and myself have a chat with her outside. See if she gives us anything, then we’ll go from there.”

Doc stood. “It’s gonna have to be damn good to change my mind, but I’m willing to hear her out.”

Fi jumped up beside him. “I’m coming, too. Tatiana killed me after Chrysabelle’s blood made me fully corporeal again, so if anyone has a say in this, I feel like I do.”

“Fine with me,” Damian said as the group moved toward the door.

Doc smiled and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze before quickly letting it go. “Maybe we should turn Daciana over to Dominic and let him work her over.”

Fi raised her brows at him. She was surprised he’d suggest giving Dominic anything after the vampire had almost killed him, but maybe Doc was softening up. She snorted. Doc? Softening up? Yeah, that was going to happen.

Outside on the front landing, Big John had Daciana under Damian’s sacre and had shifted into his half-wolf form for more power. His ice-blue eyes almost glowed under the security lights, but his gaze stayed focused on the vampire as the rest of them exited and shut the door. “What’s the decision?”

“That’s up to her,” Doc said.

“I want to stay, please,” Daciana said, glancing from the sword aimed at her to the men gathered in front of her. She didn’t look at Fi. Didn’t she think Fi had any say? One more reason not to like her.

Luke nodded. “Vampire, what information can you share with us that will convince us you’re telling the truth?”

Daciana’s eyes filled with hope and pleading. “What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything.”

Doc snorted. “Just start talking.”

She opened her mouth, shaking her head slightly as if searching for what to tell them first. “She’s just been made Dominus.”

“That was inevitable,” Damian said.

“She lost her hand in some big fight and has had it replaced with a metal one that she can transform into any shape.”

“That’s not news,” Fi said. “Chrysabelle’s the one who lopped Tatiana’s hand off in the first place.”