Along Came a Spider by Kate Serine Page B

up. “How? When?” She then turned an accusing glare on Nate. “And how did you not know this?”
Nate shook his head, clearly as baffled as Red. “Got me.”
“He was the victim in the alley,” I explained. “Nicky got a tip about his identity from one of his associates and passed it along to me.”
Nate nodded. “That guy’s soul was so traumatized by his death it was unrecognizable. I couldn’t tell who it was. Damn. Hell of a way to go.”
Red seemed unmoved as she pegged Nicky and me with that look of hers that tells you to stow the bullshit. “And you two teamed up how?”
“Nicky and I bumped into each other sometime back. And, well . . .” I paused, my heart suddenly in my throat as I thought about what Nicky and I had agreed to say. It was just a little too surreal to utter the words aloud. Fortunately, I didn’t have to.
“And we’ve been hooking up for a while,” Nicky supplied. “I came by Trish’s apartment last night after I heard about the vampire attack.” He took my hand in his and raised it to his lips, his gaze locking with mine. My face was instantly aflame, no doubt confirming his insinuation, which was most likely his intention. Oh, man, he was good. . . .
Red gaped. “Say what now?”
“Trish was pretty shaken up, so she spent the night at my place.” Nicky smoothed the back of my hand with his thumb, setting my heart racing when that wickedly handsome grin curved his lips. And for a brief, blissful moment, I actually believed him, too. “Hell of a night, right, doll?”
I swallowed hard and my voice was a little thready when I said, “To put it mildly.”
Red cocked her head to one side, regarding me closely. Then she said, “Guys, I think you need to give me the room.” We all immediately got to our feet, but she added, “I meant guys as in gents. Take a seat, Trish.”
I plopped back down in the chair, sitting on the edge with my back board straight. It hadn’t occurred to me until just then, when I’d heard the edge in her voice, saw the stern look in her eyes, that even though Tess Little was one of my closest friends, she was also my boss. And she was seriously unhappy.
Nate and Nicky both glanced toward me as they sauntered from the room, Nicky looking a little apologetic. I gave him a smile that I hoped didn’t look as lame as it felt.
As soon as the guys shut the door behind them, Red crossed her arms over her chest. “So, you wanna tell me what’s really going on?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I demurred.
She gave me a knowing look. “You’re a horrible liar, Trish. And I know you’ve been lying to me for a while. I just didn’t know why. Now spill it.”
“Really, Red—”
“How long has this been going on anyway?” she cut in. “How long have you been sneaking around behind my back, trying to hide all the evidence?”
Oh, shit. . . .
She was totally on to me. Somehow she’d found out about the doctored reports, about my agreement with Nate. . . . Now I just had to try to keep her from taking off, half cocked, to go after Dracula.
“Tess, it was for your own good,” I said, my tone as gentle as I could manage. “I was trying to protect you.”
“Protect me?” she echoed, her eyes going wide. “Last time I checked I was a big girl, Trish. I think I can take it.”
I sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s only because we love you that we didn’t want you to get hurt—”
“Damn it!” She shoved back from her desk, her face taut with fury as she got to her feet and began to pace the room.
I snapped my jaws shut and pressed my lips together. There was really nothing I could say to dig myself out of this hole. I’d known all along that Red hated being treated like she was a delicate little waif incapable of taking care of herself. She’d struggled for almost two hundred years to break away from the story that had haunted her. About the only thing she hated more than being underestimated was being lied to. And I’d