Free Baited Blood by Sue Ann Jaffarian Page A

appears too rough and uncouth. I only keep company with men of refinement.” She turned her intense blue eyes on Samuel. “Someone like you, Mr. La Croix.”
    Samuel didn’t take the bait. “Then how did your brand get on these vampires?”
    “I honestly have no idea. Brands are easy enough to have made. Someone obviously is trying to set me up.”
    “Anyone with a grudge against you come to mind?” asked Samuel.
    “I’m sure there’s a long list,” added Dodie. Samuel shot her a look to not test his patience.
    Samuel studied Ann Hayes, trying to read her. Although easy enough to do with humans, vampires were a different story. Sometimes he could get a bead on them, but most often they were able to easily block him. It depended on whether or not they threw up a firewall before he got inside their head. Ann’s thoughts were like Fort Knox—secure and guarded.
    “I must tell you, Ms. Hayes, if this council decides to charge and try you for one count of murder and another of attempted murder, the consequences could be severe.”
    Once again, Ann Hayes waved a dismissive hand. “And LA used to be such fun.”

EIGHT
    W hy am I here?” The question was tossed to Samuel by Madison.
    “You are here to observe. Pay close attention to Keleta when he first meets Ann Hayes. Don’t take your eyes off of him. If she’s lying, the boy’s face will tell us. Beyond that, just keep your eyes and ears open.”
    They were getting out of Samuel’s car. Hyun, Samuel’s new driver, was holding the door open to the black Mercedes sedan. Where Gordon, Samuel’s last driver, had been thick and beefy, Hyun, a Korean man in his mid-thirties, was more on the wiry side. He stood straight in his black suit as he held the door, but his eyes were constantly surveying his surroundings for any possible threat to his employer.
    Hyun had pulled the car into the circular brick driveway of a lovely single-story home situated on a quiet cul-de-sac in Beverly Hills. It was the hilly portion of Beverly Hills, not the flat section that was closer to the famous shops and restaurants. The street was steep, and Madison could see that the house was set against a small hill covered with rich vegetation. It was the home of Byron and Ricky, the gay couple who fostered abandoned vampires.
    Before they got to the front door, Byron opened it and greeted them warmly. Just as they were entering, Colin’s Porsche pulled up to the curb. With him was Ann. Madison had been surprised that Samuel had not invited Ann to ride with them. When she had asked him about it, he’d simply said he needed time away from Ann to think about the problems she presented. He’d made one call from his cell phone. It had been to Isabella, letting her know that Colin had located the former Annabelle Fogle, but asking her to keep snooping around for information on Ann Hayes. For the remainder of the trip from Topanga to Beverly Hills, Samuel had remained silent and unmoving, lost in his thoughts behind his sunglasses until the car came to a stop at its destination.
    Byron and Ricky’s home was inviting and comfortable. Not huge and sprawling like Samuel’s villa or as coldly modern as Colin’s condo, it was more like the Dedham house in taste and warmth. Built-in bookshelves lined many of the walls and were filled with more books than Madison had ever seen outside of a library or a bookstore.
    “Ricky took Keleta out shopping just before you called,” explained Byron as he showed them into the living room. “I called and let him know you were on your way. They should be back soon.”
    Madison had first met Byron and his partner Ricky shortly after she’d gone to work for the council. Samuel had held a reception for her at his home for the purpose of introducing her to the core of the Los Angeles vampire community. Byron and Ricky were both in their forties, of average build, with brown hair and beards, though Byron’s hair and beard were threaded with gray. They looked