hearing a cat speak was another matter entirely. She didn’t know why it always turned out badly. She just knew it always did.
“What’s your cat’s name?” Daniella asked.
“Bella,” Zoe cautiously said. “She’s very shy.” That was her way of telling Bella to get lost.
Bella responded by coming closer and jumping onto the couch beside Daniella.
“Is she looking for some milk?” Daniella asked.
“She’s looking for trouble,” Zoe muttered.
Bella nodded.
Zoe leapt to her feet to prevent Bella from making a scene. The cat had caused trouble in the past, and she couldn’t afford for her familiar to shoot off some comment like a loose cannon. She had to get rid of Daniella before that happened, even if it meant being rude. She glanced at her watch. “Look at the time.”
Daniella rose as well. “I didn’t mean to stay so long.”
“That’s okay,” Zoe said. “It’s just that we still have a lot of work to do to get settled in.”
“Uh, you might want to close the lid on the cupcake box so your cat doesn’t get into them.” Daniella pointed to Bella, who was obviously eyeing the sweets.
“Right. I’ll do that,” Zoe said as she led Daniella to the door and handed over her coat. “Thanks so much for coming. Bye now.”
Damon impatiently waited for Daniella down the street from the witch’s house. “What did you find out?” he demanded.
“That Zoe seems very nice and she loves my red velvet cupcakes.”
“That’s it?”
“Oh, and she has a cat.”
“Of course she does,” Damon said. “She’s a witch so she must have a black cat.”
“It’s gray, actually.”
“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got for me?”
“What were you expecting her to say? I just met her. And I told you I wasn’t comfortable spying for you in the first place.”
“It wasn’t spying. It was intel gathering,” Damon said.
“She was worried that you’d compelled me until I assured her that vampires can’t compel me. Or her.”
“I wish I could compel her. It would make life easier.”
“I guess you are just going to have to deal with her on an equal level.”
“No way,” Damon said. “Vampires are superior to witches.”
“Says who?”
“It’s a well-known fact.”
“To you maybe.”
Damon eyed Daniella suspiciously. “Maybe she cast a spell on you and that’s why you weren’t able to get more information out of her.”
“I doubt that.”
“I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s already put all the surveillance cameras in the house out of commission.”
Instead of sharing his outrage, Daniella said, “Did you tell her about the cameras?”
“Of course not.”
“Then how did she know about them?” Daniella asked. “I mean, they are usually pretty well hidden. And I certainly didn’t tell her about them, because I didn’t know they were even there in the first place.”
“She’s a witch,” Damon growled. “She knows things.” He turned on his heel and started walking away.
Daniella followed him, stopping him with a hand on his arm. “Where are you going?”
“To go talk to her myself,” Damon said.
“She might not let you in.”
“Oh, she’ll let me in all right.”
“Don’t be a bully. Do not upset her.”
“Right. Do not upset the witch,” he said sarcastically. “Got it.”
Damon removed her hand from his arm and walked away from her.
“Be nice,” she called after him.
“Like that’s going to happen,” he muttered under his breath before taking the steps to Zoe’s front door two at a time. Nice was not in his vocabulary. Nice didn’t get you anywhere. It certainly didn’t get you turned into a vampire or help you survive the torturous transformation.
Damon was all set to bang on Zoe’s front door, but it opened before he could raise his hand. Zoe stood there wearing the same clothes she’d had on a few hours earlier at the bar and looking surprisingly good despite the startled look in those weird bicolored eyes of hers.
“How did you know I was out here?” he demanded.
“I didn’t,” Zoe said. “Daniella left her scarf. I was going to run after her to give it to her.”
“There’s no need.” He grabbed it out of her hand. “I’ll give it to her.”
“Okay.”
Zoe was about to swing the door shut when he put his foot out to prevent it. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the polite thing to do.”
“Says the rude vampire who doesn’t want me here.”
“You don’t want to aggravate me,” he warned.
“Ditto,” she shot back. “Vampires can’t cross a threshold unless they are invited in.” She’d read that somewhere.
“Damon, how nice to see you again,” Gram called out from the stairway. “Do come in.”
Damon quickly moved inside before Zoe could slam the door in his face.
“Sorry I can’t stay and chat but I’ve got more unpacking to do,” Gram said. “You two sit down and have some tea.”
Gram turned and made her way upstairs, leaving Zoe looking more pissed off than nervous.
“I can’t imagine you drinking tea,” Zoe told him. “It’s not a vampire thing, is it?”
Instead of answering, Damon surveyed the room, noting the location of the hidden camera. It was still there in the corner of the crown molding. He also noted that the room contained a hell of a lot more furniture than it had in the earlier video coming in over the feed. In fact the room had been empty but now it had several large pieces of furniture in it, including a weird chair with writing all over it. It had a modern edge that was at odds with the rest of the place.
Well, maybe not. He was no expert on home decorating but even he could see that the heavy Victorian armoire looked weird compared with the rustic denim couch, which overpowered the dainty table with a teapot and two cups. There was a zebra rug in front of the stone fireplace.
“It’s not real,” Zoe said. “I don’t believe in hurting animals.”
“I hope you’re not expecting me to make the same claim,” he said sarcastically.
“I’m not expecting you to do anything.”
“Oh, I plan on doing something, all right. Do you recall telling me that you aren’t practicing magic anymore? That you and your grandmother wouldn’t make any trouble?”
She nodded. For the first time this visit, a trace of nervousness flashed in her eyes before it was gone. He could hear her heart beat faster. Vampires had ultra-sensitive hearing. When he concentrated he could practically hear the
Good. Damon wanted her scared.
But he wanted more than that. He wanted her lush mouth covered by his. He wanted her nude body beneath his. Which were only two of the hundred reasons he wanted her gone.
