Page 6 of Reapers Don’t Ride

I hesitated. “It’s in my file.”

“I want to hear it from you.” He tilted his head, crossed his arms, and studied me like he could wait all day, me in my heels in the shifting gravel, him in his dress shoes that were still perfectly functional.

“Five.”

“How did you do it?”

“I used various methods.”

“How would you kill me?”

I flashed a fanged smile at him. “I wouldn’t.” See? I could be polite.

“I’m interested for the sake of my own defense should another vampire assassin attempt to end my life.”

“Not that you’re entirely alive…” I said, frowning at him. His heart beat. His skin was warm, but being outside the constraints of time…I had no idea what that meant.

“Humor me. How would you kill me? Also, you’ll have to give me a name to use.”

“Ruby is fine. I couldn’t kill you without corrupting you first. As long as you’re tied to your goodness, there would be no weakness that I could exploit. I’ve never killed an angel who wasn’t already on the far side of corruption. You’re pure, like a newborn mouse.”

He raised a brow, amused. “A mouse. Not a ferret?”

I shrugged. “Most people think ferrets are unusual.” This conversation was on the far side of unusual.

“And I’m pure? How would you know?”

“I can smell corruption.” I leaned closer to him and allowed myself to open my mouth and inhale deeply, letting his unbelievably rich goodness dance along my senses until I was thrumming with the craving for more than his blood. I was two inches away from the skin of his neck, inhaling breath I didn’t need, except that scent…

I smelled his shifting awareness, his guardedness and then amusement, and then a flicker of answering interest in him that had me pulling away, blinking rapidly. His eyes were slightly softer as he looked at me more like a woman, less like a murderous vampire. That wasn’t good. I didn’t seduce angels. Or anyone else for that matter. I’d had one love, and didn’t need anything so destructive in my life ever again. Loving this angel would be different. He wouldn’t ever lie to me, not unless I corrupted him first.

I took a large step away from him. “And you smell like a fresh-born ferret, not corruption.” That’s right. There wasn’t anything weird in that sequence of events. People sniff out corruption in angels every day.

“Thank you. Angels can smell purity of heart and will. May I?” He raised a brow while he waited, so polite, asking before he entered my space and smelled me like a crazy person. I wanted to say no. Being close to him was dangerous, mostly to him, but letting him smell me like a lunatic would help normalize my own behavior. Better two lunatics than one.

“Of course. I’d be delighted.” No, that wasn’t what I should have said, although when he stepped close to me and bent down, staring into my eyes until his gaze shifted to my neck, and his nose was close enough I could feel the energy of his skin leaping onto my flesh, it was delightful. He smelled me for a long time while I stood perfectly still and tried not to inhale his deliciousness. It was incredibly uncomfortable to not smell him when I had a perfectly good opportunity, but I resisted the temptation until he finally straightened and gave me an angelic smile.

“Your smell is buried beneath a manufactured scent, but I believe I’ve managed to find it.”

Oh. Then he’d know that I smelled like stale blood.

“You, Miss Ruby, smell like purity. I haven’t smelled such purity in as long as I can remember.”

“Purity?” I repeated, staring at him. Maybe he was the mad one.

“Pure vengeance. Shall we?” He held out his arm towards me.

I smiled slowly. Vengeance was a good scent, much better than stale blood. I looked at the arm he was still holding out for me. “Shall we what?”

“Take care of business. First things first. Where is your ferret?”

I looked from his arm to his face, confused. “My ferret isn’t any of your business.”

“We have until the weekend to make it to the ball. You’ll probably have to get us in using your vampire connections, which may take some time.”

“You invited me to a ball you have no invitation for? That explains it. You wouldn’t mind if we stopped to check on my ferret?” That’s what he was talking about, wasn’t it?

He smiled again, another flash of heavenly beauty that made me woozy. “I don’t mind at all. In fact, I insist on it.”