“Pritkin and Mircea mixed like oil and water, only not so well.”

“This isn't sex."I blinked. "Oh. Then what is it?""An emergency!"I started to argue and then thought twice about it. Considering what Mircea would do to Pritkin if he ever found out about this...Yeah. Emergency sounded good.”

“And then Mircea finally let me down, only to get his hands inside the coat and push me against the wall.“I’m dirty,” I protested.He waggled his eyebrows. “Promise?”“Mircea!” I laughed in spite of myself…”

“To know Pritkin was to want to kill him, but so far I'd resisted temptation.”

“Louis-Cesare’s anger suddenly filled the small room like water, and in a heartbeat his eyes went from silver tinged to as solid as two antique coins.I sat frozen, awash in a sea of power. I was beginning to understand why Mircea had wanted him along, only Daddy had failed to mention anything about the hair-trigger temper. I guess he assumed the red hair would clue me in.”

“I’m beginning to sense a theme,” Mircea said, tossing his suit coat over a buckskin-covered chair. A moose head with huge, outspread antlers loomed over it, its bright glass eyes looking oddly lifelike in the low light. Mircea took in the room, his expression slightly repulsed yet fascinated. “I believe there is only one thing to say at this point.”What’s that?”Yee haw,” he said gravely, and took me down like a rodeo calf.”

“What the hell was he carrying this shit around for?” the second vamp demanded. “It’s useful in making captures, subduing difficult prisoners.” Pritkin shrugged. “Then . . . this is a weapon.” “Yes.” “But he was going on a date.” Pritkin looked confused.”