He simply smiled his sexy half smile, and held up a hand, watching me as I walked away. Away from him, I took deep breaths to clear my head. Being near him was a heady experience, intoxicating. I ran down the hall—perhaps a bit faster than human speed—to the gym. I needed to run, to exercise, to clear my head. I needed time to think. Inside the gym, I ran down the stairs and into the girl's locker room, my head still filled with Zac. What was I doing? I thought as other girls ran around the locker room in various stages of undress, preparing for gym class. Ignoring them, I quickly ripped open my backpack and pulled a gray T-shirt and navy shorts from it—not as sexy as I like, but typical gym attire—as thoughts of Zac assaulted my mind. How could I let Zac have this effect on me? I sighed, leaning my head back against a locker door, not sure I had a choice anymore. "Hi!" a familiar, perky voice said. Sandra. "You have gym now?" she asked, clearly excited, already dressed and ready to

"Okay," I said to Rick-who had his arms crossed, wearing a smirk-as I walked into the door. "Go ahead. Say what you must."Rick said nothing, but just stood in the hallway, eyeing me. "Okay," I said in reply. "Don't say it." Rick burst into laughter. "Go ahead," I replied, placing my backpack on the small wooden bench Rick must have placed in the foyer this afternoon. "Have your fun.""The great Star!" Rick said, laughing as he backed out of my way. I stormed past him to the kitchen, knowing he would follow. "Falling in love! And with an assignment, no doubt!" I pulled a Mountain Dew out of the fridge and opened the top, sighing as I took a swig. "I know. I know!" I said, walking around the counter. "What was I thinking?" Then Rick's expression changed to one of concern. "You really do have feelings for him?" "Yes, damn it!" I replied, unable to believe what was happening. "I don't want to risk the mission and I sure as hell can't lose focus! Not now with Zac's life on th

After he ran the card and I signed the paperwork, the car was mine. When he ran the card, it went through with no problem. "Here you are, Miss," Cheap Suit said, handing me the keys to my new car. "And if there is anything else we can do for you ..." "Yeah, yeah," I said, taking the keys and slipping them into my pocket. "Just don't be so quick to judge a book by its cover next time, bud." The man nodded sheepishly, realizing again the sale his assumption almost cost him. "Also, we're going out for a bit. I'm leaving the car here and we'll pick it up later. Okay?""No problem, Miss." He was very accommodating now. "It will be here for you when you're ready." I nodded, and then Rick, Annie, and I climbed back into Rick's SUV."Can you believe that guy?" I asked rhetorically, out of Cheap Suit's earshot, as we headed back to New York City. "Hey," Annie said from the back seat. "Take it as a compliment! You look like a teenager! Enjoy it!""Yeah, a two-hundred-and-thirty-year-o

"Let's go!" Annie yelled as we pushed other vamps aside at vamp speed, heading toward the back door with Boy Blue and Big Bird. Suddenly, a vamp lunged at Annie with a heavy wooden board, swinging it at her, but she blocked it, shattering it to pieces with a Jujitsu move. Then, Annie kicked him with both feet square in the chest, sending him flying across the bar. Annie landed gracefully on her feet, poised and ready for more. Then, she took out another vamp, literally picking him up and throwing him into three other vamps as I used Boy Blue to push through the back door. Out the back we moved at vamp speed to the Mercedes, where it set, unharmed. Rick threw a wad of hundreds at the punks watching the van in the back of the club, who weren't asking questions as we escorted Boy Blue and Big Bird to the van. "Thanks, man!" the punk said, his eyes growing wide seeing the bills. "And you saw nothing," Rick said over his shoulder, speaking of the exchange. Big Bird was putting up a fi

At the same time, Annie unloaded her clip into Big Bird's forehead, and watched as his brains covered his friend and the ground. "Hurry," Rick said, looking around. We hadn't been interrupted yet, but we might have company soon after hearing the gun shots. We'd been lucky so far. Gun shots in New York City were pretty common place, but our luck couldn't hold out for long. Together, Annie and I gathered the pieces of the bodies. Then, Annie pulled a lighter out of her pocket, lit it, and threw it onto the pile. Suddenly, a flash fire rose up brightly illuminating the night as the flames consumed the bodies of Big Bird and Boy Blue. Well, at least they died together. And just as suddenly, the flames died out-except for the flames burning the surrounding grass-leaving a pile of hot gray ash behind. "Amazing," Annie said, shaking her head. "Yeah," I replied, looking at the pile of ash. "It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we burn.""Well, at least it's quick," Annie retorted.