Dia rolled her eyes. "Indeed not."
I laughed and stood up. "Usual time on Thursday?"
"Yes. And this time, my treat. You pay enough, and I know it doesn't always go on the Directorate account."
I shrugged and leaned across the table to give Risa a quick kiss on the top of the head. "Bye, monkey."
"Bye," she said, enthusiastically waving for all of three seconds before she grabbed her straw and began a final assault on her Coke.
I grinned and slid out of the booth. But I'd barely taken a step when Dia said softly, "Riley, make sure that when you shoot, you shoot to kill."
It was an echo of the warning Kye had given me, and it chilled me to the bone.
But I didn't stop to ask why. I just got the hell out of there before she said anything else.
Chapter Nine
Quinn was leaning against the side of a black Porsche when I arrived at Essendon airport. He was dressed casually—in blue jeans and white shirt with the sleeves roughly rolled up—but casual on that man was as hot as hell.
But it meant we weren't going anywhere flash, so it was just as well I'd opted for a summery look rather than a glam one.
I parked beside his car, then walked around to him. His arms wrapped around me and drew me close, his kiss warm and welcoming.
"Hmmmm," I said, after a while. "That was nice."
"It was," he agreed, dark eyes shining down at me. "And you look very pretty."
"Thanks." I looked past him, studying the black rooftop. "What happened to the red Ferrari? I was rather partial to that one."
His sexy grin had my knees going all weak and funny. "Or partial to the things we did in it?"
"Damn right."
He laughed and let his grip slip down to my arm before entwining his fingers through mine. "The six-month lease was up," he said, leading me toward a waiting helicopter. "I decided a change was in order so you didn't get bored."
"Not even I could get bored with making love in the seat of a red Ferrari."
"Ah, but if you've never made love in the seat of a black Porsche, how do you know you won't like that better?"
I grinned. "And to think I used to believe you were a staid old vampire when it came to sex."
"Not staid. Just not too adventurous until I know and trust my partner." He hesitated, and his expression became a little more serious. "I talked to one of the councilors. He reluctantly agreed to a meeting, but only under certain circumstances."
Having to meet set conditions was annoying, but I guess I could understand his caution given someone out there seemed intent on wiping out the Melbourne council. "And what might those circumstances be?"
"That it happens tonight, and it takes place somewhere outside of Melbourne."
Disappointment fluttered through me. But I could hardly complain about our dinner date being compromised when I'd asked him to arrange this. "So why his rush?"
"Because many of the remaining councilors have decided to high-tail it out of the state until this has all been sorted out."
But not Dante, I bet. He just didn't seem the type that would flee at the first sign of trouble. "A mass evacuation might only succeed in driving our killer underground."
"A point I argued when it was mentioned. His retort was that he preferred his head to remain attached to his body."
"What is the greater council saying about it?"
"I doubt they know just yet, but they wouldn't approve." His gaze swept me, a heat I felt rather than saw. "You look tired."
"I am a little," I admitted. "It's been a stressful few days."
"Work wise? Or is there another reason you're stressed."
It was lightly said, but we both knew what he was really asking. Just as we both knew if I gave him the answer he was seeking, it would spoil our evening.
"Working on two cases that have the potential to blow up in my face is reason enough to stress," I said, honestly enough. "And you said you didn't want to know how things might—or might not—be progressing with Kye."
His smile was rueful. "I'm discovering that not knowing is almost as hard as the knowing. It appears I have a very vivid imagination when it comes to you and that wolf."
I stopped and swung him around to face me. "When I do something with Kye, it'll be because I have to, not because I want to. Fixate on that—and the fact that you have my heart—rather than anything else."
"Easy for you to say." He leaned forward and kissed me again, softly and quickly. "I fell in love with a werewolf once before, and she broke my heart when she met her soul mate."
"But as you keep reminding me, I'm half vampire. The two halves of my soul have very different needs." I touched a hand to his face, letting my thumb brush lightly over his sun-warmed lips. "And I don't want to think about Kye any more than I need to, so can we please get into the helicopter and get something to eat? I'm starved."
He laughed, and the tension in him eased as suddenly as it had risen. He tugged me forward again. "Just as well I ordered a large picnic basket, then."
"So where are we going?" Not that I really cared given no matter where we ended up, I'd still be in the company of a seriously sexy man.
"A friend of mine owns a large plot of land in the Mountain Bay area, and it has views right out over Eildon dam. It's stunning at sunset, and perfect for a picnic."
"Lovely."
"If everything goes according to plan, it should be." He stopped next to the helicopter and helped me in, then climbed in beside me. After making sure my belt was done up right and handing me the ear protectors, he signaled for the pilot to take off.
I might still have my stupid fear of heights, but it was an exhilarating ride none-the-less—even if I spent half of it with my eyes squeezed shut. And I was damn glad when we landed safely and I was able to get out onto solid ground.
The view made it all worthwhile.
His friend's property was situated on a hill, and had stunning views right across the water and the mountains beyond. And the silence—it was almost eerie after having grown so used to the constant hum of the city.
Quinn grabbed the picnic basket and a blanket from the back of the helicopter, then walked down the hill a little. I took off my stilettos and followed him. As he spread the blanket over the grass, the helicopter took off.
"It's going to pick up Leon," he said, obviously noticing my surprise. He glanced at his watch. "We have just over an hour to eat and chat."
Which is exactly what we did. I even remembered to ask him about Risa.
"Certainly." His response was so quick I raised my eyebrows. He smiled. "I sensed her power the very first time I saw her. She needs training, and there's few enough of us around these days to do it."
"You told me the Aedh were extinct."
"I lied."
Surprise, surprise. "Bet you didn't think it would come back to bite you on the butt."
"The minute I saw Risa, I knew it would." He shrugged, then gave me a cheeky smile that wiped away the wisps of my annoyance. "The priests no longer exist. The Aedh do, however, although they are scarce and scattered. But there have always been more males than females, so there are more of us half-breeds than full-bloods."
"So why don't the fathers hang around to teach their offspring?"
His smile was almost cold. "Because the Aedh are not human in any sense of the world. Family is an alien concept to them. They sow their seed, then leave. It is done out of necessity rather than desire."
My eyebrows rose again. "Necessity?"
"When the Aedh's life span is coming near its end, they become fertile and will breed. If there is no female Aedh available, they find another source."
Meaning anything female, human or non-human, obviously. "So if the dads don't hang around, how do their offspring learn? How did you?"