Free Fangs for the Memories by Molly Harper

hopped to do her bidding.
    And considering the additional rumors about Ophelia’s past entanglements with Dick, I had to wonder whether I was about to suffer some vampire version of a spurned ex-girlfriend beatdown. That still didn’t explain Sophie’s jeans, though . . .
    â€œSophie, I believe you have something to say to Ms. Byrne?” Ophelia prompted her, while leaning against my porch railing.
    Sophie sighed. “It seems I was hasty in dropping you off at your home the other night. I didn’t follow protocols to secure your health and well-being before leaving you. And for that, I owe you an apology.”
    This speech was delivered with all of the energy of Matthew McConaughey on Quaaludes.
    â€œAnd?” Ophelia said, nudging her with an elbow to the ribs.
    â€œAnd please accept this extremely exorbitant check as a symbol of my sincere regret,” Sophie deadpanned as she held out a creamy linen envelope.
    I reached out tentatively to take it, fully expecting her to grab me in some sort of wrist hold and rip my throat out.
    Sophie gave me one last glare before asking Ophelia, “Am I done now?”
    Ophelia gave her a frosty smile. “Quite. I’ll see you at the next meeting.”
    Sophie strode off the porch without so much as a backward glance. I turned toward Ophelia. “What just happened?”
    â€œI’m sorry that Sophie dropped the ball so dramatically. She knows better,” Ophelia told me. “But she’s always been a bit oblivious to human needs. I doubt she realized you were in danger of being drained until you were nearly dead. And she figured as long as you were walking around, you’d be fine. Also, she had a dinner party she was trying to get to and didn’t want to be held up.”
    â€œYes, how inconsiderate of me, taking up so much of her evening,” I muttered.
    â€œShe’s been removed as Darla’s foster sire, if that makes you feel any better.”
    â€œThat does, actually.”
    â€œDick arrived at the Council headquarters after your disastrous appointment, angrier than I’d ever seen him. When my secretary tried to stop him from marching into my office, he tossed her desk into a wall and walked right in. I’d never seen him show anything but oozing charm toward a female, so I had to admit I was intrigued. After explaining the state he’d found you in and how Sophie was responsible, he informed me that I needed to ‘put my boot up Sophie’s ass’ or he was going to do it for me.”
    â€œHence the begrudging apology and the ‘exorbitant’ check?”
    â€œAnd she’s on probationary status as a Council officer for the next three years. Before you mock the check, you might want to count the number of zeros,” she said, smirking at me.
    Brows quirked, I opened the envelope, scanned the check, and pronounced several elaborate curse words I’d only heard Jane say when she’d gotten her hand caught in one of Mr. Wainwright’s bite-y relics.
    â€œThere you go,” Ophelia drawled.
    Sophie had given me enough money to take a very nice vacation . . . for the next several years. It wasn’t exactly retirement money, but I certainly wouldn’t have to worry about the Council keeping me on retainer. My savings and cozy apartment were safe as long as I kept some reasonable income stream.
    â€œAnd Mr. Cheney says that you’d like to limit the number of surrogate appointments you keep with the Council’s constituents. Actually, I believe he said, ‘She’s never going to risk her neck for one of your frickin’ appointments again,’ but I thought you’d like to clarify for me. We would hate to lose you as a surrogate.”
    â€œIsn’t it sort of counterintuitive to try to get me to stay in your employ right after handing me a big fat check that eliminates my need to keep a second job?”
    â€œWell, the