Chasing Midnight (Dark of Night Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

to do more often, just to see that look upon your face.”
    I froze, my breath catching in my throat as the air around us thickened, hot and relentless. I could feel him leaning forward, as if to kiss me, but so slowly I wasn’t sure if he was actually moving or if I just wanted him to be. Was he going to kiss me? Did I want him to?
    Before I could decide, the song ended, flowing into a much faster beat as I pulled away. Xavier kept a hold of my hand and as he led me back to our table. Before he let go of it, he grazed a kiss across my knuckles, making knots low in my stomach clench as he deposited me back into my chair. Then he sat across from me, shifting to the side as if crossing his legs under the table. He smirked, looking way too pleased with himself.
    I took a deep breath and another drink. “So, on to business?” I asked, setting down the almost empty glass and folding my hands in my lap. My hands felt shaky. Maybe I needed to ease off on the wine a little.
    “If you’d like.” He smirked, and I had the sudden desire to throw my napkin in his smug face. He could tell I was off balance—and he was enjoying it.
    “I’d like.”
    “What does your schedule for the next few weeks look like?” he asked, swirling the wine in his glass.
    “I’m pretty open. I’ve just been working on organizing and digitizing my dad’s old records. Well, that’s a bit of an understatement. Dad’s filing system was something akin to throwing all his papers into a banker’s box and shoving them in the closet.”
    Taking all of that information, organizing it, and scanning it into the computer was a nightmare. But business had been really slow, so I was trying to use my downtime productively. Besides, when I was going through his notes, I felt close to him. Closer than even before he died. Maybe I just understood him better now that I’d stepped into his shoes.
    “Good. As I’ve said, Melanie is in need of a female presence in her life. A human, perhaps, someone who can help her adjust to her new life. I was hoping—”
    I cut him off with a glare. “You brought me here to ask me to babysit? I thought you had a case for me.”
    “If you’ll let me finish.”
    I sat back, crossing my arms as he continued. “I believe that she may yet have some human family. Gerard was able to locate a great aunt on her mother’s side. I’d like to hire you to investigate the woman.”
    “What are you looking for, exactly?” I asked just as the waiter rushed to the table with my meal.
    “I need to know if she shared her nephew-in-law’s dislike for vampires. Specifically, I need to know if you believe she would be worth contacting. If having some human family around would help Melanie, and if this woman can be trusted, then I will bring them together. If not… I’ll have to look elsewhere.”
    I nodded. “I get it. You need to know if she’ll keep her mouth shut about Melanie’s condition and if she’d want to meet her great niece.”
    “In a nutshell, yes.”
    “And you want me to do i t becaus e ? I mean, you could just have Gerard follow her for a while, right?” Gerard Von Swietten was Xavier’s number three and the Conclave Cleaner, which was exactly what it sounded like. He cleaned up the Conclave’s messes. One of those messes had been Melanie’s father.
    “If a vampire approached you and told you that your nephew was a crazy anti-vampire zealot and had caused his own daughter to be turned into one of us by experimenting on her, what would you think?” he asked, taking a bite of his steak.
    Sprinkling a little pepper on my She-crab soup, I took a bite while I thought about it. I made a noise of delight as my eyes widened. The soup was amazing. Rich and creamy, not overly fishy as it could sometimes be, but just perfect. Xavier eyed me, his expression amused. I wiped my mouth and tried to gather my thoughts.
    What would I think in that situation?
    “I’d probably assume you were lying and that you’d changed