Free 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom Page B

hands and let the food appear in the kitchen?”
    “Because I’d be punished for it.” Jazz thought of the produce manager who always leered at her while he fondled the melons.
     She couldn’t imagine the council would tack on an additional sixty days for an exploding grapefruit … or five. Not when the
     man deserved it. “Today, he just might find out what it feels like to be sprayed by a grapefruit,” she whispered to herself.
    Sometimes, the punishment was worth the crime.

    The coming of dawn pulled at Nick’s power, reminding him it was time to rest. He caught a last glimpse of the full moon, which
     the weres revered and gave them strength, and wondered why the same full moon would also have a centering effect on Jazz.
     Admittedly, with her energy level that said a lot.
    Damn that witch!
    After a frustrating night of tracking down a deadbeat vampire—even the undead were required to pay their bills—Nick was ready
     to spend the daylight hours resting. He had been a vampire long enough that he didn’t have to sleep the day away and could
     even go out on sunless days without fear of bursting into flames. But he spent bright days like today in the shadowed darkness
     of his office, where he either caught up on paperwork or took a nap. After the night he had, today was definitely a day for
     recharging his batteries.
    The two-story building near the boardwalk was as antique as the nearby carousel. He took the cagelike elevator to the second
     floor and headed for the office at the end of the hallway marked Gregory Investigations. The moment he stepped into the reception
     area his senses detected he wasn’t alone. Just as quickly he knew that his uninvited visitor was a welcome one. He did not
     bother turning on a light. Neither of them would require one.
    “You’re very trusting, my friend. Even a mortal child could pick that sorry excuse for a lock.” A blond-haired man uncoiled
     his lean length from the chair in front of Nick’s desk and approached him. His broad smile pronounced him friend rather than
     foe. “By the sign on your door I see you have also modernized your name. I must say that Nick Gregory suits the vampire facing
     me more than Nikolai Gregorivich did.”
    “Flavius!” Nick threw his arms around the man in greeting. “When did you arrive in L.A.?”
    “Last evening. I had some meetings to attend out this way and thought I would stop by to see you.” He glanced around the office
     filled with 1940s era furniture that fit with Nick’s casual clothing and contrasted greatly with Flavius’s sleek Italian cut
     suit, Egyptian cotton pale blue shirt that mirrored the color of his eyes and tasteful black diamond cufflinks. “I see you
     still think you’re Sam Spade.”
    “And I see you still view yourself as James Bond.” Nick’s grin revealed a hint of fang. “Where are you based now? New York
     City? Paris? Rome?”
    “I’ve been based in Madrid for the past few years.”
    “Making use of the Protectorate’s private jet again, are you?” Nick teased.
    “As befits a company executive. As I recall you once had free use of any jet in the fleet.”
    Nick silently admitted that giving up some of the perks of the Protectorate did hurt. Every jet in the fleet was set up to
     handle a vampire’s every need from protection from daylight to blood on tap whether bottled or fresh from a willing vein.
    “True, even flying first class doesn’t provide the amenities Vamp Air did.” He grinned when Flavius winced at his flippant
     tone. “You’re still too serious, my friend.”
    “And you still fight authority when it suits you.” The elder vampire settled back in a chair. “So tell me what you have been
     doing. I understand Jazz is living in the area. Have you seen her? It’s been awhile for you two, hasn’t it?”
    Nick was not surprised that in only a few hours, and with very little effort, Flavius had ascertained Jazz’s location. Even
     if he didn’t admit it,