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.Hell, if humans had been sensing it all her life, it would only figure a vampire wouldpick up on it sooner or later.Had Mike and the others felt it?She d always wanted to know what made her different.Perhaps Gabe could tell her.The question was, did she want to know? Chapter NineGabe couldn t sleep.First of all, he knew Chris was wearing one of his T-shirts.Second of all, the couch was uncomfortable as all hell.And lastly, Chris was wearing oneof his T-shirts.Damn. Just go in the room and take her. Lucifer s voice broke into his thoughts andcrawled under his skin.Gabe rolled his eyes, unperturbed with Luc s sudden presence.He stayed where hewas, on his back with his right arm thrown over his face. I m not going to do that. I would. I know what you would do.I have a bit more respect for the woman than that.Bythe way, I hate when you just pop in uninvited.If my father knew you visited me, hewould have a coronary. Your father is incapable of having a heart attack.I should know.I ve tried givinghim one a few times. Gabe sighed. Never mind. You want to know who the vampire is? I can tell you. Gabe almost bit.Almost.He already owed debts to Lucifer that would have to bepaid one way or another.He couldn t afford to owe any more to him. I wouldn t indebtmyself to you again to gain that information.I m almost positive I know who it is,anyway.I just have to prove it. What he really wanted to ask was how Chris could bethe way she was.He wasn t about to ask, either.Lucifer s presence solidified what hethought Chris was.In fact, Gabe was now certain of it.He was surprised that the vampsshe called family didn t know, although the energy that surrounded her was minimal,which added another strange facet to the mystery. If you are wrong? Then I start from square one.Wouldn t be the first time, won t be the last. That s a shame. No, it s called common sense. Gabe sat up on the couch and pulled a hand over hisface.Lucifer laughed. I m surprised you allowed Dave to live. He s more use to us alive than dead.I haven t decided how to use him yet, though.He s still against the whole vampire thing, as he puts it. Gabe gave Lucifer a once-over.Wearing faded, baggy jeans and a University of Michigan sweatshirt, he looked like acollege frat boy.He had to give him credit, he always looked after his own. You re herefor Chris? Yes and no.I know you re taking good care of her.How is Ambrose? Ask him yourself. Lucifer growled at him. He wouldn t answer me if I did. Then you re shit out of luck, aren t you? Gabe snapped. One day you will take that tone with me and wish you hadn t. Lucifer vanished.Good.Gabe wasn t in the mood for his company.He wasn t in the mood foranyone s company unless she had long red hair, was sarcastic as hell and wore something from Victoria s Secret. Who was that man that was sitting next to you? Gabe cursed under his breath and turned around slowly. What are you doing? Who was that? she persisted. Who? He tried feigning innocence, but she only glared at him.His T-shirt restedagainst her thighs, and he had trouble keeping his gaze on her face. The man that was just here.You know who I m talking about.Who was that? Oneof your old vampire friends? I could hear him in the bedroom.His voice isn t exactly softand melodic. I wouldn t call him a friend, but yes, he is an old acquaintance. For once in his life,Gabe had no idea what to say.He couldn t very well tell her that their visitor was Satan. Well, hopefully none of them will pop in the room I m currently occupying.I thinkI d have a problem with that. She turned around and shut the bedroom door.He lay back down, looking out of the slits in the blinds, noting the rays of sunlightthat were just lighting the sky.So, Chris enjoyed being with her family.Nothing else.Of course she had to pick theone thing he couldn t give her.It was getting more and more difficult to keep her an arm s length away.The morehe was around her, the more agitated he became.When he saw her standing by a couch,he wanted to bend her over it.When he saw her with Mike, he had visions of smashingthe man s face in.Underneath her sassy exterior, he could feel the desperation that lurked in her soul.He couldn t help but wonder what her upbringing was like.If his assumption on hernature was true, then it would have been a hell of a thing to go through for a youngwoman.Who had been there to help guide her through it?No wonder she had latched onto Mike and his family.Her predicament brought outevery protective instinct he had, and yet when they were together he felt like throttlingher half the time.The other half, when she was open about her feelings for him, hewanted to take their relationship a step further.Christ, what relationship?He had to get this job done and get the fuck out of Michigan.He wished he were just a normal man, which was another first in his long life.Hehad never before wanted normalcy.He wouldn t even know what to do with himself if hewere a normal human.Then again, that was a lie.The first thing he would do was presently lying on hisbed.In his T-shirt.Damn.* * * *Chris woke in a sauna.An inferno.What the hell was it with vampires?She tiptoed out of the bedroom to the thermostat, which was just by the front door.Itwas set on ninety.Ninety.She turned it all the way down to fifty and went back to her room.The sheets andcover from her bed were all over the place.Apparently she had been kicking them off inthe middle of the day.No wonder. Gabe was still sleeping, and though she didn t want to wake him, she really wantedsome coffee.She left her room again and made her way to the kitchen as quietly aspossible
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