Free Blood Vengeance (Blood Curse Series Book 7) by Tessa Dawn

tucked up to her chin, and a soft but heavy blanket enveloping her in its comforting warmth. “Mmm,” she murmured. And then she turned onto her side. “Ramsey,” she said absently, wondering if it was the brutish Master Warrior who was actually tucking her in.
    “Yeah, babe?” The deep, silken voice seemed to drift from the ether. Perhaps Ramsey was somewhere else. Perhaps he was somewhere using his supernatural powers to communicate like a vampire—could they actually do that? She thought she mumbled a reply, but maybe it was just a dream.
    When the mattress depressed beside her, a large hand supporting the weight of an even larger body as it bent over her languid frame, she burrowed deeper into the pillow, placed her arm beneath her head, and nestled against the crook of her elbow.
    A pliant but firm set of lips brushed her cheeks, and then the weight was gone.
    “Sleep with the angels, baby girl,” she heard from that same, foggy distance. She raised her knee to get even more comfortable and slid her free hand under the pillow.
    Sleep with the angels?
    Nah, that was definitely not Ramsey Olaru.
     
     

six
    The next day
    Fortunately for Tiffany, Ramsey had some important business in town the next day, and he had agreed to drop her off on the top floor of DMV Prime, at the executive suite of offices, so she could gather some of her things and make a few calls while he met with his associate in the lobby.
    Needless to say, her head was pounding—she had already taken two aspirin, consumed sixteen ounces of water, and downed two cups of coffee, just for good measure—and to say she felt embarrassed by the turn of events would have been an understatement. Tiffany had never been a heavyweight drinker, but still, last night had been pathetic. She wasn’t sure if Ramsey had mixed actual poison in those drinks, or if the stress of the whole situation had compromised her judgment. Either way, it didn’t really matter. She had made an utter fool of herself; she had awakened wearing nothing but her panties and underwear; and Ramsey wasn’t saying much of anything about it, which was actually preferred as far as Tiffany was concerned. She figured he was either trying to be a gentleman, sparing her some major embarrassment, or in the worst-case scenario, he was a complete lecherous predator, and if that were the case, she would soon find out… in about forty-eight hours.
    She rolled her eyes. Somehow, she knew that the latter scenario was not the case. What had he said? I’m a lot of harsh things, little lady, definitely rough around the edges, but I’m not an animal. And I’m not a rapist. She shuffled a few papers around on her desk and turned her attention back to the matter at hand and Ramsey’s explanation for coming into town: He had to meet with an associate.
    Associate , her behind!
    Ramsey was meeting with Julien Lacusta, the valley’s most gifted tracker, and from what she had overheard, it had something to do with a potential teenage Dark One. Someone was going around the valley killing little kittens and birds and draining them of blood, and Saxson, Ramsey’s twin, wanted Julien to make sure the Dark Ones’ hunting packs weren’t feeding too close to home.
    Whatever that meant.
    Ah well, at least it was an opportunity: a temporary respite if nothing else, a chance for Tiffany to organize and gather her work, collect her wits, and try to call Brooke in private.
    The two hadn’t spoken since the night before, the night Tiffany had tried to make a run for it on Prince Phoenix’s 250,000-dollar horse, and she was pretty sure the royal family was not all that pleased with her at the moment, let alone impressed with her powers of reasoning.
    Hell .
    Who were they to judge?
    Even the king had nearly killed Ramsey once for insolence, insubordination, and just plain ol’ badness. Surely, they could understand Tiffany’s angst.
    She sighed.
    She stuffed another group of files in her bright blue backpack,