Crimson Death by Laurell K. Hamilton

you and a bullet, or whatever.”
    â€œSo I’m not important at all,” she said.
    â€œYou said it. I didn’t,” Ricky said.
    â€œWhat are your orders when a principal is in danger?” I asked.
    â€œTo protect them at all costs and to take out the threat,” Ricky said.
    â€œTonight that threat was you, Cardinale. If they’d come to the door before the light blinded us all you’d be shot, if not dead, so get jealous all you want, but don’t do it on the clock where security is going to have to help deal with it, because it’s going to get you dead.”
    â€œHe was half naked and covered in blood down his back. How was I supposed to know that you hadn’t already fucked each other?”
    Damian spoke for the first time. “I have never cheated on you, Cardinale, never.”
    â€œBut you were sleeping with her when you started sleeping with me.” And she pointed a very accusing finger at me. I’d have said it was overly dramatic, but after all the glowing and holy objects, it wasn’t that dramatic.
    â€œI never lied about Anita or anyone else, Cardinale. I never lied to you about anything.”
    â€œI can’t stand the thought that you want to be with other people.”
    â€œI don’t want to be with other people.”
    â€œBut you think Anita is beautiful, and you think Echo is beautiful, and you admire Fortune.”
    â€œI admire beautiful women with a look, or a glance, but that is all.”
    â€œThat is not all you do with the customers that you take blood from.”
    â€œThat is not all you do with the ones you drink from either.”
    â€œBut I don’t enjoy it; it is just food, and it is more than that to you.”
    I felt like we were in the middle of an old fight, and I was tired of it already.
    â€œI’ve told you that feeding was all the softness I had in my existence for centuries, so it means more to me than simple food. It was all the kindness She-Who-Made-Me would allow me.”
    â€œWhy am I not enough for you?” She yelled that part.
    â€œBecause I cannot feed on another vampire! Because it is my job to seduce the crowd and choose someone to feed upon. It is part of the show here, and it gains us money and more customers, which makes us more money, and that is what this club is supposed to do.”
    â€œI cannot watch you flirt with all the women night after night, and know that if I would allow it you would fuck them while you feed.” She wasn’t yelling, but her hands were in fists as she fought to keep her voice even.
    â€œI would not have public sex with strangers, Cardinale. That is very different from feeding on blood in public,” he said.
    â€œBut you’d fuck Anita in private if I allowed it, wouldn’t you?”
    â€œIt’s a girl trap,” I said out loud.
    Damian looked at me and said, “I know, but I don’t care.”
    â€œDo not drag me into this further than I already am.”
    â€œI’m sorry, but you’re already in it, because she won’t let you out of it,” he said.
    â€œWhat’s happening?” Roger the guard asked.
    â€œHe’s about to tell the truth,” Ricky said.
    â€œWhy is that bad?” Roger asked.
    â€œIt just is.”
    â€œShut up,” Cardinale said. “This is between Damian and me.”
    â€œThen have the conversation with just the two of you,” I said, and started for the door. Surely with two security guards to back me up, Icould get out of the office without Cardinale doing something we’d all regret.
    â€œNo, if he wants you that badly, I want you in the room when he says it.”
    Fuck, just fuck. “You know, this is your relationship, Cardinale, not mine, so I don’t really care what you want. I’ve got a night off, and I’m going to go enjoy it while you let your jealousy issues wreck your relationship on your own damn time.” I was