Raphael by D. B. Reynolds Read Free Book Online Page B

or ‘my lord Raphael'."
    Cynthia looked at him from the corner of her eye, distracted by the shadows which had begun to move. She jerked away from him, freeing her hand to rest on the gun under her jacket. “Give it a rest, Lonnie!” she snapped.
    "Yes, Lonnie, do give it a rest."
    Cynthia swung her head around at the light, feminine voice coming from directly in front of her. She took an involuntary step back, surprised—and worried—that the vampire had gotten so close without her realizing it. The woman smiled, slowly revealing long, white fangs pressed into a perfectly lipsticked lower lip. The lipstick was a deep, rich red, which Cyn thought was a bit of overkill, especially with the pasty white skin and icy blond hair. The suit was nice, though. Double breasted charcoal with slim trousers that looked good on her in spite of a body that had spent a little too much time in a gym somewhere.
    "Elke! This is Cynthia Leighton. The master is expecting her.” Lonnie was striving for his usual easy manner, but Cynthia figured if she could smell his fear then the vampire sure as hell could smell it better.
    "I know who she is,” Elke purred, closing the distance between them. She walked a small circle around Cynthia, ignoring Lonnie as he hustled out of her way. She was shorter than Cyn by several inches and had to look up to meet her eyes. “So, you're a private investigator."
    "So, you're a vampire,” Cynthia responded dryly. “What's with the shadow games? Or is this the usual vampire greeting. You'll have to forgive me. I'm not up on your customs."
    Elke froze, her pale gray eyes staring unblinking like some sort of robot whose power had been turned off. Cynthia watched, fascinated in spite of herself, wondering if she was supposed to be afraid. Well, okay, she was afraid, terrified actually, but she'd be damned if she was going to let this freaky chick know that. Of course, the vamp could probably hear Cyn's heart trying to break its way out of her chest, but, damn. Courage was standing your ground in spite of your fears, right? Only a fool wasn't afraid when faced with imminent and violent death. She choked back a laugh, knowing once she started, she might never stop.
    Heavy footsteps thudded against the slick marble floor, and suddenly the chandeliers that had only moments before reflected nothing but moonlight were brightly lit, filling the foyer with a clear, white light. The new arrival must have flicked the switch. That was the logical explanation, but Cynthia glanced at Elke, who gave her a slow, knowing smile, before blinking once and taking two deliberate steps backward. There were rumors of vampire mind powers, rumors that frightened Cyn more than any threat of physical violence. Her mind was her own, the one place she was unassailable, secure. The possibility anyone could mess with her mind, could make her see and feel things that weren't real ... really pissed her off.
    "Did you take her weapon?” Cynthia shifted her gaze from the treacherous Elke to the newcomer ... make that newcomers. Two Sumo-looking male vampires had joined the party, both pushing seven feet tall, with broad chests and arms twice as thick as Cyn's thighs. What was it with these guys anyway? What was the point of eternal life if you spent every hour in a fucking gym? These two looked enough alike to be brothers, maybe even twins, and both wore the male equivalent of Elke's elegant charcoal suit; even their long, black hair was tied in identical tails at the napes of their necks.
    The one who'd spoken approached Cynthia and held out his hand, palm up. Cynthia looked up at his uncompromising face, then down at the enormous paw outspread in front her, and sighed. After first showing the vamp her empty hands, she reached slowly under her jacket and removed the Glock from its shoulder holster. Holding it with two fingers, she placed it on the vamp's hand and glanced back up at him.
    "I'll get that back, right?"
    For a moment, she thought