h.e.l.lo? Viola doesn't want romance. She wants s.e.x.

Case in point. I was an advocate for lifelong commitment. A crusader for deep, meaningful relationships. A cheerleader for (gimme an) L-O-V-E. With all of my undead heart and soul, I'd rejected the idea of meaningless s.e.x, yet here I was facilitating it.

On the other hand, if I didn't help Viola and the NUNS, they would simply go on the prowl themselves. Who knew what jerks they might end up with?

Not to mention, the survival of all paranormal species hinged on keeping a low profile.

I had a mental picture of twenty-seven ferocious werewolves humping unsuspecting men during the next Knicks tip-off. Smack- dab in the middle of the Garden. In full view of mucho television cameras and a gazillion reporters. Talk about in your face.

The guilt faded in a rush of conviction. I wasn't going against my principles and hooking up one-night stands. I was preserving the safety and well-being of all the Otherworldly races. For a fee, yes, but we're talking preservation.

Pumped, I downed the rest of my appletini and headed for a particularly rowdy group of men near the jump shot area. I was halfway across the room when someone touched my shoulder and a deep voice slid into my left ear.

"Yo baby, you give fries with that shake?"

I turned and sized up the man who'd stopped me. He was tall with broad shoulders and a trim waist. Blond hair curled down around the collar of his Knicks T-shirt. Jeans and an interested smile completed the outfit.

I met his gaze.

Jeff. Single. Personal trainer. Hadn't been laid in six months on account of having been desperately in love with his last girlfriend-Tanya-and he wasn't ready to jump into a relationship for fear of getting his heart stomped on again.

My nice guy-o-meter registered a big, fat ten.

"Sorry." I shook my head. "McDonald's is closed."

Viola and her girls would swallow this poor chump in one bite. I started to turn and he caught my arm.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know it was lame but I haven't done this in a while. What's your name?""Li-ttle," I finished. "Little Evie." I'm not used to being undercover, okay? Give me a break. "But my friends call me Evie, without the Little. Evie Dalton. I work for Dead End Dating, the hottest dating service in Manhattan."

"A dating service?"

"It's really more like a life-long commitment facilitator. While we do set up dates initially, we're ultimately looking to hook up each of our clients with their one true love. We're all about the future."

"What about you?" His pale green eyes sparked with hope. "Have you found that one true love?"

"Yes. I mean, no. I mean, it's a bit more complicated for me. See, there are other factors involved when I personally hook up with someone."

"So you don't do much dating yourself?"

"Actually, no." His disappointment was so profound, that the words tumbled from my lips before I could stop them. "Not anymore. I mean, I can't because one of those factors I mentioned actually involves a boyfriend. See, I have one. Yeah." I smiled. "I've got one of those, so I really can't go around dating."

"Say no more. Good luck." He let go of my arm and started to turn.

"But you can still call me." I stopped him with a card. "I mean, not me personally, but I'm sure I can find someone nice for you."

When he hesitated, I added, "You have to get back in the game sometime." Besides, you're a great guy. Forget about whatshername. She wouldn't know a good thing if it jumped up and bit her on the a.s.s. I know dozens of clients who would kill for a guy like you.

Okay, so maybe not dozens. But I had a good two or three human women who would be totally jazzed to go out with a single, successful guy who actually believed in love.

"You think?" I nodded and the doubt swimming in his gaze faded. He stood a little taller. A smile tugged at his lips as his fingers tightened around the DED card. "Thanks. Maybe I will give you a call."

"I hope so." I really hope so, I added silently. "I'll be waiting." The prospect of making a genuine love connection on top of preserving the races pumped my ego.

I spent the next hour and a half until last call scoping out alpha material and handing out business cards.

It was half past one a.m. when I decided to quit for the night. Not that it was late by my standards, but I hadn't slept much that day and I felt tapped out. Besides, I had every intention of getting home before Ty.

After all, the poor guy was going out of his way, putting his own career and reputation on the line just to help me out. The least I could do was limit the amount of stress I heaped on him.

In other words, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Or me. Nuff said.

Being a hot, happening, fantastically well-dressed vampire wasn't all it was cracked up to be. When people thought of vampires, they generally pictured these extraordinary, larger-than-life beings with oodles of power and charisma and s.e.x appeal.

Talk about a tough image to live up to.

For the most part the portrayal was pretty accurate, but we did have some flaws. Obviously minimal compared to most humans, but flaws nonetheless.Geez, n.o.body's perfect.

In fact, it's really those imperfections that make us likeable. Lovable, even.

I stared at Ty's front door and barely resisted the urge to beat my head against the d.a.m.ned thing. Instead, I reached for his doork.n.o.b and turned. Again.

All right, so I'd locked myself out. Lovable, remember? He had said to keep the door locked, and I've always been an extremely conscientious house-guest. The delectable aroma of rich leather and hunky male drifted from the other side of the door and teased my nostrils. I had the sudden urge to kick off my boots, collapse on Ty's couch, close my eyes and drink in the scent of him that filled the place.

My grip tightened on the handle. I could get in if I really wanted to; at the same time, I didn't want to mess up Ty's door.

No problem.

I turned and put my back to the door. Sliding into a sitting position, I crossed my legs and settled in. I would simply sit here and when he arrived, I would make up some reason for being out in the hallway.

Yeah, Einstein? Like what?

I wasn't sure, but I figured I had at least twenty minutes to figure it out. I'd left the bar at one thirty and Ty's place was a five to ten minute flight-whoa!

The door jerked backward and I found myself lying flat on my back, staring up at Ty, who towered over me.

He wore the black jeans and T-shirt he'd left the house in, black biker boots, and a mad-as-h.e.l.l expression.

Uh-oh.

"You're home," I blurted.

"And you're not." He plucked the foam finger from my hand and left me laying on his doorstep.

I scrambled upright-another black mark on the ultra hot vamp image. Vamps didn't scramble. We vaulted or glided or whirled, or something equally cool sounding.

I searched my brain for a believable story as I climbed to my feet and followed him over to the sofa. I had a really good one by the time I reached him, too. I'd heard a loud siren and I'd felt certain the cops were about to bust through the windows (did I mention I heard choppers, too?). Anyhow, I'd panicked and ran. But his words had stayed with me and so I'd subconsciously locked up behind me. Once I'd realized the choppers weren't real, I'd been forced to camp out on his doorstep and wait for him to return.

Sounded good to me.

I opened my mouth, but the only thing that came out was, "Give me the finger."

"Believe me, I'd like to."

"No, really." I reached for the foam contraption.

He held it just out of my reach. "The Knicks," he mused, turning the souvenier this way and that. "Can't say as I've ever seen a game in person. I've wanted to, but I'm usually too busy chasing down bad guys and helping stubborn born vampires who refuse to listen and completely undermine my efforts.""You've helped another born vampire before?"

His frown deepened. "You're going to get us both staked."

He looked so serious that my stomach tilted and I knew then that there was more to my situation than just clearing up a little misunderstanding. "It's bad, isn't it?"

He set the finger aside, ran a hand through his hair, and nodded. "Worse than I expected."

"How much worse?"

"They have evidence. Real evidence."

"The cell phone picture, right?"

"That and a DNA sample."

"My DNA?" I smiled. "This is good news. See, there's no way they can have my DNA. If I go in and they test me, they'll know that. The charges will be dropped and I won't be starring on this week's Cops."

"And what if it does match?"

"But it can't. I didn't do anything."

"I know that."

"Then what are you trying to say?"

"That I think someone is trying to frame you for murder. Someone really smart. Someone who left absolutely no evidence behind that could incriminate them. Instead, it all points to you." His bright blue gaze collided with mine. "Someone's framing you."

His words sank in and panic ballooned in my stomach and floated into my chest. My throat burned. Framed? Me?

My brain raced with this new information. I wanted to argue with him. Who in their right mind would want to frame me?

I was so totally likeable. Just ask The Ninas. Or Evie. Or any of my clients (with the exception of Mr. Slice and Dice) who put their faith in me to find them a soul mate, for Damien's sake. I also gave change to homeless people and waited my turn at crosswalks and I'd always tipped Dirkst, my tanning specialist, rather generously (the guy had the biggest spray gun in Manhattan and knew how to use it). Sure, there was that time when the cashier at Starbucks had given me a twenty back when I'd only handed her a ten, but that had been her mistake, not mine. Overall, I rocked in the likeable person department.

No way would someone want to frame me. It simply wasn't possible.

At the same time, Keith and his new blue shirt were dead and I was wearing oversize sweat pants and a Hanes T-shirt.

"That's the only explanation," Ty went on. "The pieces fit together too well for this to be just a circ.u.mstantial thing. You were there, you get your picture taken minutes before the murder and just so happen to leave fingerprints everywhere, including on the murder weapon, and a few samples of your own blood."

"A blood sample?"

"I told you they had DNA evidence."

"I know, but I was thinking saliva or something.""Did you salivate at the victim's apartment?"

"No, but..." I shook my head. "There's no way they could have my blood."

"I would agree with you, but this thing's been too carefully orchestrated to bet on the off chance that the murderer messed up on this one detail that solidifies the case against you. I think we have to a.s.sume it's yours and work under the a.s.sumption that someone is out to nail you for this."

"But who would do such a thing?"

He eyed me for a long moment. "You tell me." When I just shook my head, he added, "Literally. I want you to make a list of any and everyone you can think of who might want to frame you for murder."

I sank down to the sofa as the reality of the situation hit. There really was someone out there who hated me. So much that they wanted to have me arrested and locked up for the next hundred or so years. Surely they couldn't give me longer than that? But what if I got a life sentence? I could be locked up for eternity.

"You're not going to start crying again, are you?" Ty's deep voice slid into my ears and I glanced over at him.

His image swam and I blinked frantically.

Before I could respond, he said, "Don't. If there's one thing you need to do right now, it's keep your head on straight. You have to think." He pushed to his feet and retrieved some paper and a pen from one of the kitchen drawers. "Think hard and write.

That'll give us a place to start looking."

I blinked furiously and (big high five for me) managed to hold back the moisture that stung my eyes. He was right. I needed to hold it together if I wanted to get out of this. Write, I told myself as I stared at the paper.

"I don't know anyone who hates me," I said fifteen minutes later. A sniffle punctuated the sentence.

"They don't have to hate you. They just need a motive. Think of someone you might have p.i.s.sed off recently. Maybe a dissatisfied client. A disgruntled neighbor."

"So they don't have to hate me." I wasn't sure why this new information made me feel less icky, but it did. I sat up straighter and managed to swallow despite the tightness in my throat. "You just want someone with a motive. Maybe someone I've wronged, however inadvertently."

He nodded. "It doesn't take much to motivate a psychopath."

"I'll try, but I'm afraid it might be a little short," I warned him.

What can I say? I was voted Most Popular at my four hundred and eighty-year cla.s.s reunion. Granted, it was just me, The Ninas, and my old tutor Jacques doing the voting (we're talking four hundred and eighty years), but it was the principle that counted.

Namely, I'm all that and a chocolate martini. I mean, really. Who would want to hurt me?

Chapter Fourteen.

Previous Top Next"Can I have more paper?" I asked Ty a good half hour later.

"Did you mess that one up?"