Free Opal (Rare Gems Series Book 4) by Kathi S. Barton Page A

fact that he’s doing it right under their noses. Did you notice the building over there?”
    The building, a nondescript sort of color , was across the street from the house that Fleming was living in. The windows and doors were all glass, but only the select few could see in…just shifters, and only if they had reason to be there. As it was, right now to a human the building simply looked like it was home to some fancy people that liked to look at a trash heap every day. There was even a nice car out front that daily moved to a different location. The Council of Vampires wasn’t advertising they were there, but they sure as shit weren’t hiding it either.
    “ What did Delhi say when you told her where the rogue was staying?” He spoke softly and that had Rufus tensing up. Sloan only ever talked like that when he was gearing up something profound. He was more of a shouter than someone who got their underwear in a twist by being all quiet like. “This can’t be going over well with them all. I’m assuming you told her that I didn’t know.”
    “ I did. And I gave her all we had on what he’s been doing, too. She…I just don’t understand them people. Anyway, she believed me, if that’s what’s got your panties in a fart. I mean, what do I look like, a fool?” When Sloan seemed to be considering his answer, Rufus glared. “Bastard. What I meant was, she done gave me clearance to kill him. But so’s you know, I am to wait until we have proof but not before. She don’t want another Pinwiggle on her hands, but she ain’t willing to take any chances this comes on back to bite her in the considerable ass either.”
    Don Pinwiggle had been a bad seed even before somebody went and made him into a vamp , and the man only got himself into more shit as he grew stronger. Killing humans ‘cause he could was just one of many things the man had been up to when he’d been hog tied and brought in. He’d been leaving behind a bloodbath wherever he went, yet it took them right about fifty years before someone got it in their heads to go and find the prick. The only reason he’d been caught at all was that he’d call in to say he’d done it so the clean-up crew could take care of it for him. The body count was nearly a thousand before she’d called in him and Sloan. In two days, not only had they found his lair, they’d been able to bring him in for his death killing too. Rufus shivered when he thought of the way the council took care of their own. It was not a pretty sight. Rufus stayed on their good side so he’d not have his head removed from his body, thank you very fucking much. He looked over at Sloan when he cleared his throat.
    “ We can’t do this on our own, not even with the help of the bums you hired to help us. And we both know that no matter what the council says about us waiting, we’re going to end up getting hurt from this. And as much as I don’t mind me getting the shit knocked out of me once in a while, I can’t have Opal brought in on this. So I asked Blair and the others to come in and help us out. Fleming…Fleming did some damage to Blair’s house, so he has a vested interest in this too. We can’t watch him all the time and with a new mate….” Sloan looked lost for a second or two, and Rufus wanted to hunt the young pup down and kick her ass. “She really doesn’t like me. And when I tried to buy her something, she ranted at me for over an hour about it. Why can’t I do this for her when she wants it?”
    “ Whatcha buy her? Her diamond not big enough or something?” Sloan didn’t say anything, and Rufus decided that he didn’t like the girl no more. “Want I should have a little talk with her?”
    “ God, no.” Then he laughed. “I didn’t buy her a diamond. She…her name is Opal and her sister is Diamond. I should get her…never mind. No, I bought her a building. The one her sister said she was coveting for years. And it has a nice shop in it for her to sell her