Read Online Bad Mouth by Angela McCallister - Free Book Online Page A

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     he grew tired of her and cut her head off during a bout of raunchy sex.”
    The brutality was appalling enough, but the boastful words coming from such a youthful
     mouth were jarring. He grinned, pleased at her reaction.
    “I was on my own after that, but I’d destroyed him by the time I reached my two hundredth
     birthday.” His smile gone, his face wore a cold mask. “Ask now what you will so I
     may get back to my thrill a minute.” He aimed an amused glance at Kade.
    A barely dressed nymph of a woman came in and flounced down on Ptolomy’s other side,
     a pout on her lips. Her breasts thrust against his arm, and her hand crept up too
     high on his thigh to be decent. Val squirmed, but Ptolomy palmed the nymph’s breast
     and then brought the woman’s hand over his crotch.
    “Classy,” Kade said. “And pretty bold for a kid with no hair on his balls.”
    “Hey, there’s hair there,” Ptolomy said, disgruntled. “It’s just really, really fine.”
    “Please,” she said. “Can we get this over with?”
    Ptolomy seemed agreeable, probably wanting to get back to his thrills. “I didn’t feel
     the need to share this with your investigators, but I find I’d like to share this
     with you. Since Kade and I are such great, long-time friends.” He winked at Kade.
    Kade’s smile curved even higher. “Oh, pipsqueak, we’ve never been friends.” Dark shadows
     played in his gaze. She shivered again, but for an entirely different reason. What
     kind of sinister relationship did these two have?
    “I will cut to the point, Ms. Craig. I did not witness or hear the attack at the edge
     of my property.” That fact no doubt infuriated him, judging by his hard tone. “But
     the security cameras caught two humans at close proximity to the site of the blooding.”
    “Humans? Are you sure?” she asked.
    “Without doubt. You couldn’t miss the humans. Goth with piercings, and one had a Mohawk,
     the kind with big spikes. One of my staff said he’d seen them before, near some abandoned
     buildings along the waterfront.”
    Finally, maybe they were getting somewhere. “Did he say where along the waterfront?”
    “South end of Harbor Island at the mill.”
    “The old Fisher mill? What was your man doing out there?”
    “His sister works at the marina.” Ptolomy’s smile turned lecherous. “But he wandered
     off a few streets for a…bite to eat.”
    She groaned. Were they all this warped? “I thought the place burned down a couple
     years ago.”
    Kade answered, “Just one of the piers.”
    The area Ptolomy spoke of was isolated. The only reason for anyone to wander down
     there was to find or cause trouble. She’d send a VLO team to check it out in the morning.
    “You have video of these guys then?”
    “Yes. Greta will make sure you have a copy before you leave.” With that, he pushed
     the nymph off the couch. The girl frowned, but left to do Ptolomy’s bidding. “You
     can’t see the blooding because it happens off the edge of the camera, but you get
     a glimpse of the humans.”
    “Not the vampire committing the murder?”
    “No.” Ptolomy smiled and stood. “That is all I have for you, young one.”
    She shook her head. It sounded odd coming from one who appeared half her age.
    Ptolomy walked them toward the doorway and looked back at Kade, a warning in his expression.
     “Soon, my never friend.”
    Kade nodded once, and then Ptolomy was gone. “Did you get what you need?”
    “Sort of. He’s not one to answer questions, is he?”
    “Never was.” He gave her a wolfish grin. “See? I can be helpful.”
    He certainly had been helpful. She surmised the boy vampire wouldn’t have cooperated
     if her interactions with Kade hadn’t so amused the Ancient. Maybe Eva hadn’t been
     lying as Val had assumed. But her instincts had never failed her in the past.
    She nearly jumped from her skin when Graham appeared and offered his hand. She’d been
     so focused on Ptolomy and Kade,