Dangerous Company (The Freelance Vampire Book 5) by Michael Anderle

Author:Michael Anderle [Anderle, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2025-12-29T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

TATIANA

JD tossed the Porsche keys to the valet before extending his arm to me. “Shall we, my darling?”

I placed my hand in the crook of my “husband’s” arm, suppressing a grin. “You have too much fun with this.”

As I glanced at the diamond ring on my left hand, it occurred to me that JD might have been married and divorced before. I’d worn this ring once before, during another job in which we’d played a lovingly married couple.

I gazed at the hotel’s exterior. Night had fallen, and I’d only had three hours between my visit with Mrs. Wellington and the start of the event to prepare. I’d told JD the details of my visit during our drive downtown while trying not to ogle him in his dark blue suit.

My best suit doesn’t have dust on it, darling. None of them do.

That was the text he’d responded with. The man probably owned a dozen lint rollers.

JD and I mounted the steps, gliding between the pillars supporting the wide awning. Many of the event guests lingered here, wearing fur coats and shawls. I’d opted for a high, elegant ponytail and wore a white dress threaded with silver. Its high collar snapped at the back of my neck, and the skirt was loose enough for me to conceal a weapon beneath it.

My pretend husband leaned closer, his lips brushing my exposed ear. “You look divine in this dress. Like a forest nymph gliding out of a midsummer dream. Or a snow fairy. Though I think I prefer you in the bathrobe you had on last night. If only it was the one you’d opened at the Christmas party.”

I tried to hide my smile and nudged him with my elbow. “Stop flirting and take me inside. It’s freezing out here.”

“As you wish.”

The extravagant hotel foyer featured a crystal chandelier high overhead. A grand piano was positioned on the left side of the room with a Christmas tree behind it. A man in black sat on the piano bench, fingers flying over the keys. Guests mingled in the front, taking their turns to hand over coats, purses, canes, and hats before ambling toward the ballroom, where a sign indicated Lola Park’s event taking place.

The ballroom was nearly full when we edged in, and JD whistled. “Miss Park has quite the turnout. Do you think they’re here for her or the sword?”

I spotted a row of display cases across the room, each containing an artifact from a different period in United States history. Washington’s sword came first, followed by a Civil War rifle, and so on through the ages. Several guests mingled near the display cases. Others gathered in clusters, drinking champagne and speaking in light voices.

I spotted Lola at the other end of the ballroom among men in suits and women in evening gowns. Her cheeks and eyes were bright, her posture poised and elegant.

I scanned the room for Victor Hume but couldn’t find him. It was possible I’d missed him in the crowd.

“Hello, there.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.