Free Hot Demon in the City (Latter Day Demons Book 1) by Connie Suttle Page B

that I wanted to snuggle next to Lexsi and sleep with her.
    "I guess it's good that Mike doesn't recall who saved him," Watson mumbled. "If Claudia finds out I told you anything," he didn't finish.
    "Then don't let her know. I'm not about to tell her," I said. "Look, put all your concerns together and I'll deal with them when I wake up. Later. Much later."
    I ended up in a bedroom across the hall from Lexsi's; I didn't want to be thrown out of the house by sneaking into hers, just so she could wake up next to me.
    * * *
    Lexsi
    I was called in to do the eleven o'clock evening news. Vann's producer, Lee Patrick, said he was already getting calls from the Bay Area, telling him they liked the girl who'd reported the news earlier and they'd asked if I were going to become a regular.
    I didn't know how to react to that; a part of me felt good about it. Another part felt guilt about taking Vann's spot, while a third part was scared as hell about being shoved in front of a camera. I thought I'd be doing research and chasing after Vann and Mike for a long time.
    All that had changed in less than forty-eight hours.
    Condolences were pouring in by the thousands regarding Vann's death, many of them asking if there were going to be a memorial broadcast for him. Lee said it was already in the works and he and the editors were in the process of selecting parts of Vann's best pieces, in addition to some of his quirky outtakes to air.
    "We're waiting on some things from the Romes—they knew Vann pretty well," Lee added. "They want to send a few photographs they have of them together."
    "I'll make that announcement on the news," I said.
    "Perfect. Thanks for stepping in so quickly," Lee offered a weary grin. I could see he had mixed feelings, too, about Vann's passing, and part of that was anger at Vann for having the temerity to die at the height of his popularity.
    My anger was directed toward those who'd killed him—or injured him so badly he couldn't survive. Lee had no idea that vampires were involved and I wasn't about to tell him.
    After getting some rest earlier, I'd had time to consider how Kory knew a vampire and a werewolf, but that would have to wait. I worried that Rick and Farin could still be targeted, and had no idea what to do about it.
    Both were at work, but I was concerned about what could happen when they went home. Mike was under police guard at the hospital, but that wouldn't help him after nightfall when the vamps, all of whom could place compulsion, would still be hunting him.
    He wouldn't be hard to find, either. All local news stations had done interviews with doctors at the hospital, asking for updates on his condition.
    For now, he was asleep most of the time, with doctors warning visitors away. Again, that would last all of ten seconds if a vamp showed up.
    It was a relief to put the news to bed that night; I finally had time to go back to my cubicle and check e-mails. I had sixteen messages from Gerta Britt, asking for information on Vann's funeral, where she could send flowers and dozens of other questions about his death.
    I sent her a link to the obituary section of Rome Enterprise's online newspaper, telling her that the information she requested would have to be supplied by Vann's family.
    He did have family, as it turned out. A brother and two sisters, all of whom were married. Vann was the one who couldn't settle down. He had no children and three ex-wives to prove it.
    Lee peered over my cubicle wall as I was mulling the conundrum of Vann's life. "I want you to stay on top of that story—the one Vann and Mike were looking into," he said. "Talk to the police to see what you can get from them, and try to track down the owner of that bar. I want her on camera if at all possible."
    My breath stopped for a moment. How could I tell Lee that what he was suggesting could be a death sentence? It had been for Vann, and still could be for Mike. "I have Vann's password, too, so you can follow up on his other