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out for blood, either."
    Bali turned her back on him, barely glancing at the blond mermaid who joined Sirocco at the glass.
    The blond looked at Bali, then placed a hand on Sirocco’s shoulder when he moved to follow Bali.
    "You dislike mutants?" Domino said, with a last glance at the pair. He hadn’t expected this virulent reaction from her.
    Granite faced, she stalked ahead. "Most of them think I’m my father’s daughter. Some have accused me of tracking them to further his experiments. The rest just try to kill me."
    He froze, then caught up and spun her around. "Try to kill you?"
    "Leave it. They’re entitled to their vengeance, I suppose. Maybe some mutant and I will both get lucky one day, and he will be successful. My alternatives are ugly." She broke off with a curse and glared at Sirocco, who smirked back.
    Rubbing her ear, she muttered viciously, "Subsonic freak."
    Domino stiffened. Draconians had their own form of high frequency communication. Bali wasn’t endearing herself. At the moment he was glad he hadn’t kissed her. Thinking of that, he felt moved to find a way to repay his debt quickly. "You said you’d been attacked."
    "Look it up in the news files. Most of them made headlines." She saw how he was looking at her and relented a little. "Sirocco and I ... let’s just say he made his vengeance more personal than most." She looked away, refusing to say more.
    He let it go. This little adventure had shown him what a mistake it would be to soften toward her. She could hold her own.
    Obviously, it was time he started holding his.

Chapter 10
    Bali felt awful. While polite, Domino had noticeably cooled toward her. By the time he dropped her off at her hotel, the temperature had become subzero. She hated it, but she hadn’t wanted to spill her guts over Sirocco. The whole thing made her feel stupid, and she wasn’t sure Domino needed an explanation.
    Unfortunately, it made her come off looking like dirt.
    She sighed and slipped out of the blue dress, her mood matching the color. Maybe it was for the best.
    He’d been getting too close, and she knew better than that.
    Even so, when night fell, she slid into a cutwork leather body suit, drew her hair into braided coil on top of her head, and went on the prowl.

    * * * *

    Domino reclined in his booth, his arms resting on the backs, two of his favorite women on either side of him. Bass thrummed, low and deep, through the soles of his feet, though the music level allowed for conversation. He’d been strung tight for most of the afternoon and was just beginning to unwind. It was late. There was no chance that Bali would show up.
    On the thought, he looked up and saw her. The indigo leather she wore was solid where it counted, but cut in star shapes all over the arms, legs and neckline. Adequate ventilation was not in question, and neither were her curves. Eyes were already turning her way.
    Hers were trained directly on him. A newborn recklessness lurked there, and pain.
    As if he didn’t exist, she turned her face away and kept on walking. To his shock, she paused before a table with a very interested Draconian male warming it, rested her weight on one hip, and issued what could only be an invitation.
    Predictably, the male smiled, stood, and pulled out a chair for her.
    "What’s wrong? You’ve gone as stiff as a pipe," Belsi asked from his right. A dark-haired beauty, she was ever quick to sense his moods.
    "It happened when that woman walked by. Is she yours?" Vasha, on his left, observed. As dark as her sister Draconian and gifted with their trademark golden eyes, she leaned forward and slowly stroked her chin with her thumb as she studied Bali. "I think you want her," she teased.
    Domino looked down at her and said nothing.
    Belsi snorted. "Well, he’d better move quick. Degoth there looks all but ready to bite her over the table."
    "Don’t be crude, girl," Domino snapped reflexively, though she was telling the truth. Degoth looked fascinated ...