She was struggling to overcome her shock and anger when a breathless, hesitant voice called from the stage. “Angus? Angus are you and your duet partner still back there?”
Mac stepped in front of Rose, as if shielding her from view when the short, round woman poked her head around the curtains.
“I’m here,” he responded stiffly. “I apologize for disrupting your competition, Jolene. And for my...partner’s interruption.”
Rose could hear the astonishment in the woman’s voice. “Disruption? Angus, you are my hero, no mistake about it. If I weren’t so in love with Hobie that I apparently can’t keep my hands off him in public, I would kiss you. Don’t you know? With you two in our corner we might have a chance to win this. Hobie says you aren’t from around here, so you might not be aware of how hard the local kids have been working. They’ve all been doing odd jobs and spending their weekends going door to door to get money to fill the library and rebuild the gym after the fire. No one cares about us out here in the middle of nowhere, and we can fend for ourselves for the most part…it’s the kids Hobie is worried about. But now that you’re here, we’ll get you to Vegas and, if you make it to the finals, they are guaranteed some funding.”
Rose’s eyes were opened so wide she had a momentary concern they might pop out of her head. She moved closer and Mac tensed when he sensed her behind him.
“Jolene, I appreciate your dilemma,” he said carefully. “And while I can’t actually enter this contest of yours, I’m delighted to say I can have the money immediately sent to the school to make the necessary repairs. It is the least I can do for your kindness and understanding.”
Rose looked around Mac in time to see Jolene frown and shake her head adamantly, stepping back in denial. “We couldn’t do that. The town entering this contest was really the children’s idea, Angus. A way for us to put our name on the map while we earned the money, you see? They don’t need a handout. They need something to root for. Something to hope for. No one else around here seems to understand, but after hearing you sing I thought you, of all people, would.”
Then Jolene noticed Rose and smiled kindly. “You two must have practiced a long time to get that good. I’ve never been so…moved by a duet in all my life, Miss…?”
Rose nudged her way passed the stiff vampire and held out her hand. “Rose is my name. And yes. Angus and I are a team. And I, for one, would not want to let those poor kids down. A school without a library?” She shook her head mournfully, fighting off a smile. “That is the biggest tragedy I can think of. We’ll be proud to represent you.”
“Will we now?” Mac spoke to her through his tight smile.
Rose went and curved her arm around Jolene’s shoulder, letting Mac see the flash of red in her eyes. “We will. Unless you want me to call my sisters instead. They’d be more than happy to fly out and convince you to agree.”
Maybe it was for the sheer enjoyment of watching Mac flounder as he searched for a plausible reason to disagree. Maybe it was out of spite because he’d rejected her and she was still in need. Or maybe it was the idea of spending a little more time with him, showing him how to have a good time in Las Vegas and getting another crack at seducing the stubborn Scot…she wasn’t sure, but with every awkward moment that passed she was more convinced it was the right move.
“Come on, Angus,” she cajoled. “Let’s take our act on the road. For the kids. For Jolene and Hobie. For fun.”
When he sighed and shook his head in resignation, Jolene jumped up and down in Rose’s embrace and then rushed to wrap her arms affectionately around the dangerous vampire. “I was right. You are our hero, Angus. I’ll get Hobie to pack our things and give the bar keys to Dickie. I can’t wait to see you two on a Las Vegas stage! You’re both made for the spotlight.”
After Jolene disappeared in a rush Mac gripped Rose’s arm. “What game are you playing at, demon?”
Rose smirked. “Humans call it chicken, buddy. And I so won that round.”
“Only if I agree.”
She licked her lower lip and saw his icy eyes darken at the action. “You will. You’re her hero, Mac. How many times does a vampire get to hear that from a human?”
“You won’t call in the others?”
Rose shook her head. “Not until we win.”
And until she’d gotten what she wanted from the giant, sexy prude.
It could take days.
Chapter Three
Why does your phone’s GPS say are you in Las Vegas?
Whose stupid idea was that? Do you need our help?
My stupid ideas aren’t life threatening and usually they’re a lot more fun.
Is Rose still alive? Just curious.
-Saint
“I don’t need another damn demon!” Mac tossed his phone onto the bed and stripped off his clothes as he strode to his shower in the penthouse suite of the Venetian.
What the hell was he doing in Las Vegas? Other than waiting on the steps of his home in Scotland to be found, he could not have chosen a worse place to remain unnoticed. His kind loved this city—everything happened at night, people went missing all the time and no one noticed. Las Vegas was an all-you-can-eat buffet of humanity flavored with desperation and served up warmed to perfection from the heat of the bright neon lights.