Chapter Three
Winter sat on the edge of the desk, her booted feet swinging.
She’d been here for an hour. Graham, the handsome red-haired receptionist, had offered her coffee, but she was too wound up to eat or drink.
There was a good chance that Piers would just package her up and send her straight back to her father.
But she couldn’t let that happen. This was her opportunity to change her life.
She needed to do this for herself. And for Liam. She was going to find a way to deliver Uncle John with a big bow around his neck. There were two people she needed to cooperate for that to happen—John Ryan and Piers Lamont.
But first she needed to discover just how much, or how little, Ryan wanted to see his nephew. To do that, she had to persuade Piers to let her stick around long enough to find out.
At long last the door opened, and his tall figure stood there. She jumped down from the desk and hurled herself at him. He picked her up and swung her around, then put her down and held her at arm’s length, studying her for a minute. “I like the new image.”
“Thank you.” She’d stuck with the Goth look. And she’d paid a fairy acquaintance a large amount of money to sell her a glamor that hid her wings and her pointy ears. Fitting in was so hard.
Piers moved around her to the desk, shrugged out of his long leather coat, and tossed it on the chair. Beneath it, he wore black leather pants and a black T-shirt that stretched tight over the muscles of his broad chest. She sighed. She’d had a crush on Piers since she was old enough to know what penises were for. But she was also wise enough to know that nothing could ever happen. He was too much like her father, and no way was she exchanging one despot for another. Besides, Piers was married now. And he was happy.
He sat in the chair behind the desk and studied her some more. She tried not to squirm under his intense stare. “Does your father know you’re here?” he asked.
“Of course.”
Piers snorted. “There’s no ‘of course’ about it.”
She’d been trying not to think about her previous—extremely short—visit to the Order. There had been a little incident with a couple of hellhounds she’d inadvertently released from the Abyss. Piers hadn’t been impressed, and he’d sent her straight back home…luckily, before her dad had even realized she was gone. And the time before that…a shudder ran through her…she wasn’t even going to go there. Some things were best forgotten. “I’ve matured since last time,” she said. “And Dad knows I’m here. I’ve come for that job you promised me. Please, Piers. I’m willing to do anything. Anything at all.”
“Hmm. Are you willing to do what you’re told?”
That was a hard one, but she was open to new experiences. She pouted. “Honestly, I’ve grown out of my rebellious streak. I’m much more sensible now.” Why did she have the idea he wasn’t taken in by her? “Just give me a chance.”
He steepled his fingers. “It so happens, I might have a job for you to do over the Christmas holidays.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“I haven’t told you what it is yet.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll do it perfectly. You’ll be so impressed.”
He smiled at that. “Sit down and I’ll tell you.” He waved her to a chair on the other side. She sat down, hands in her lap as she imagined a good employee would sit. And then she tried to hold down her impatience. She managed thirty seconds.
“Come on, tell me, you’re driving me crazy here.”
“I have a…friend.”
“You do. That’s nice.”
“His name is Ryan. John Ryan, actually. He was the human liaison for the Order.”
She went still. Should she mention to Piers about Liam and his letter to her dad? But if she did, and Piers said no, then it would be over before it began. She couldn’t go against a direct order from Piers, not if she wanted to work here. So she just widened her eyes. “A human? Really?”
“Not anymore. A year ago, Ryan was attacked by werewolves. He was dying and the only way to save him was to change him.”
Uncle John—or rather Ryan as he was obviously known here—was a vampire? Now that might make things more difficult. “Isn’t that against the law? Changing someone who’s been bitten?”
“Maybe. But there was a lot of pressure. Ryan has influential friends around here, and it’s fair to say that a few lives would have been made very difficult had we let him die. Including mine.”
“Okay, got you so far. What’s the job?”
“We need someone to keep an eye on Ryan over the Christmas holidays.”
“Why? Is he crazy? Attacking people? Draining them dry? Why don’t you just lock him up until he calms down?”
“Actually, he’s amazingly calm, considering he’s only been changed a year. Too calm.”
“Like before the storm.”
“Yeah. Something like that. Anyway, everyone is away for the holidays. I’m supposed to be away.”
“What’s the problem with this Ryan guy? Why does he need to be watched?”
He was quiet for a moment, as if deciding what to tell her. Interesting. “Mainly the vampire-werewolf thing. No one knows what might happen, so someone needs to be here in case—”
“He turns into a hairy vampire. Cool.”
Piers shuddered. “Not cool.”
“Let me get this straight. I babysit—”
“Don’t call it that. Especially anywhere Ryan might hear you. You’re a bodyguard.”
That sounded much better. More official, like a proper job. Everything was falling into place. Like Fate meant her to be here. This was the perfect opportunity to get up close to this guy and suggest he visit his nephew over the festive season. Maybe Piers didn’t even need to know. They could be there and back before he returned. Obviously, the whole vampire thing made the trip a little more difficult logistically. But it was nothing she couldn’t sort out. She was resourceful. “So I watch this guy until you get back from your holidays, and afterward, you give me a proper job here.”
“Yes. Just keep Ryan safe and prove you can be trusted.” He gave her a look. “You can be trusted, can’t you, Winter?”
She crossed her heart. “Totally. One hundred percent. Absolutely.”
He shook his head. “I mean it. Anything happens to him and you are on the next sleigh home. And one more thing.”
“Yes.”
“Ryan is a little reluctant. I’m going to sell this on the basis that you’re a friend’s daughter, away from home in the big city.”
“Which is true.”
“And that he’ll be looking out for you. In fact, you’ll be looking out for each other.”
“Why?”
“It’s a guy thing. Leave him a bit of pride.”
John Ryan was clearly one of those men who didn’t think a woman could protect him. “Oh no, he’s an asshole, isn’t he?”
Vampires she could deal with. Assholes were a whole different matter.