Bitten in Two Read Online Free Page B

mouthed.

    Suck it up. I’m not a fat Italian housekeeper either! I mouthed right back.
    Cole was making a hel uva racket taking down Vayl’s bed tent. Normal y it col apsed very quietly. Then I realized he was punctuating the folding of the poles with swal owed snorts of laughter.
    Which made me smile. When I thought about it, I could see how it was kind of—
    “It’s not funny, Berggia !” Bergman said.
    “That’s me!” Cole hooted. “I’m Berggia. And you’re Helena!” He pointed at Kyphas. “And you are a maid. How do you like that, Ky—”
    Vayl interrupted. “I assume you al have better things to do than stand around exchanging names? Madame Berggia, that ensemble you are wearing is completely inappropriate for a woman of your age and girth. And you have, once again, worn your hair down around your shoulders like a common strumpet. Must we have this conversation twice, or shal I just sack you and leave you in Morocco without a means of transportation back to England?”
    I reached for the lamp on the table but Kyphas intercepted my hand. “You’l regret it later,” she murmured.
    “What do you know about regret?” I snapped.
    “More than you can imagine.” I caught her glancing toward Cole, but was too busy glaring at Vayl to give it much thought. Natural y, he remained total y oblivious to me.
    Al his attention focused on Bergman, who he thought was the little girl he’d saved from a werewolf attack seven years earlier. Since my newest blood-borne skil seemed to be reliving his past, I’d been in Vayl’s body for a replay of that battle. So I knew he’d risked his life for her. But I thought he’d given her money when it was over and told her to leave. Until the previous day I’d had no idea he’d gone after her and promised to take care of her until she became independent.
    1777-Vayl is a coldhearted shit , I thought. Unless your name is Helena.
    I toyed with the idea of changing my name to something Vayl would respond to with as much love and kindness as he showed her. But it couldn’t be a tag you’d hang on your favorite great-aunt. Would people want to cal if I answered the phone by saying, “You’ve reached Myrtle!” Then I realized someone was repeating my real name into my ear.
    “Jasmine? Yoo-hoo!”
    I touched the receiver, waking to the ful crapality of my present life when I saw Vayl walking ahead of me, stil smoking that stinking cigar.
    “Jaz! What are you waiting for?” Bergman demanded.
    “Find out why Vayl’s so worried about Helena. Maybe you can convince him to lock her in her room for her own safety.”
    “Bad idea,” I replied.
    “Come on! I’ve been so busy playing Vayl’s favorite teenager I haven’t had time to set up the security system properly. And don’t tel me to relax because the riad’s already got an alarm. You know it’s outdated,” Bergman snapped. Meaning he hadn’t invented it.
    Vayl, responding to my comment as wel , said, “I know you hate my cigars, Madame Berggia, but they help me think. And you did ask about Helena.”
    “Yes, I did.”
    I tried to focus al my attention on the vampire strol ing through Marrakech’s old city like he was the damn mayor, but Cole was stil interested in the security system issue.
    He said, “I don’t get the paranoia. We left Astral there.” Vayl frowned. “How is Helena’s kitten going to protect her from werewolves?”

    her from werewolves?”
    At the same time Bergman’s snort rattled my eardrums.
    “A robotic cat who can shoot a couple of grenades out her butt is no comfort when you have a demon sleeping in the next room!”
    Cole whispered, “Bergman! Kyphas told me personal y that she’s not interested in your soul. It’s probably only wired for space travel anyway.”
    Vayl said, “What?”
    I said, “You know Berggia, Vay—I mean, Lord Brâncoveanu.” Cole and I crossed our eyes at each other.
    “He has such a strange sense of humor sometimes. Now, about Helena and the