Page 98 of Fire Dancer

Literally. I could see the letters etched into the wood. Wow. She really had it in for the guy.

Pippa hurried to the desk, then motioned to me.

“This is the office.Jananovich’soffice.” She tapped the desk with both hands.

I met her eyes, then looked at the desk, wishing for X-ray vision.

“So?” Delaney asked, annoyed.

“Evidence,” Pippa whispered.

“Evidence?” someone echoed from the door, and we all whirled.

My hackles rose, and I spat his name. “Jananovich.”

The son of a bitch ignored me, keeping his eyes on Pippa. Two more vampires crowded the doorway behind him.

“Evidence of breaking and entering,” Jananovich said, smooth as can be. Only then did he acknowledge my presence. “Evidence that will put you away, Agent Kemper, for a long, long time. Not just for harassment, but for corrupting and enlisting these innocent young women to do the dirty work in your misguided cause.”

“Corrupting?” Pippa screeched. “You’re the criminal here.”

I curled my hands into fists. As absurd as Jananovich’s accusations were, he’d found ways to make false allegations stick before. He could find a way again, especially if he still had an insider at the agency.

Pippa bristled from head to toe, while Delaney seethed.

But this wasn’t another ambush where all it took was timing to plunge a stake into an unsuspecting foe. That required a hell of a lot of moxie, but still. Taking on a vampire head-on was a whole different kind of fight. A quick one, and the vampire wasn’t usually the one to spill blood.

“Criminal?” Jananovich shook his head sadly. “I can see Agent Kemper has presented you with his twisted facts.” He sighed and turned to his guests. “Gentlemen, I regret the disturbance.”

The big, olive-skinned guy on his left grinned, showing the points of his fangs. “On the contrary. A dinner party is always nice, but nothing beats a good digestif.”

I’ll show you a digestif.Pippa’s eyes blazed.

I glanced around for a way out. A wolf’s odds of beating a vampire were fifty-fifty at best. But a vampire with backup on his home turf… Those odds were closer to nil, even with Pippa and Delaney at my side.

Not good.

Edge toward the window.I shot the message into Pippa’s mind.Get ready to open it.

I’m not running away from that jerk,she retorted.

I shook my head a tiny bit.Not to run. To call in Kyle and his pack.

And, whew. Pippa inched toward the glass expanse.

“The only question is, who gets whom?” One of Jananovich’s bloodsucking buddies grinned.

Jananovich smirked. “As a good host, I’ll share, of course…”

I growled.

Ignoring the warning, Jananovich pointed to Pippa. “However, I would appreciate getting to sample that one first.”

My wolf tore out of me so fast, I only felt the pain of the lightning shift after a delay. By then, I was hurtling through the air, aiming at his throat.

And just like that, the fight was on.

Pippa!I yelled into her mind.Call for help!