Read Sunrise in a Garden of Love & Evil for Free Online Page B

buffer between me and our sorry excuse for a police chief, and he deserves some respect. From what Vi told me, you treated him like dirt. Of course, she might have been pissed because he wouldn't play with her. Not one to be led around by his dick."
    Ophelia tried to ignore the lightening of her heart. Not many turned down her half sister's advances. "I called and apologized. Left him a message."
    Constantine whistled. He poised whipped cream over the coffee cup.
    "Shut up," Ophelia responded. "Yes, please."
    Leopard was grinning now. "Not your style, apologizing to a guy who comes on to you."
    "I was way out of line," Ophelia admitted. She took a cream-covered cinnamon-sprinkled cappuccino from Constantine. "I freaked out. I was expecting some doofus I could dazzle and then send away. I didn't want a nosy detective."
    "You shouldn't have called him, then," Lep said.
    "I didn't call him ," Ophelia snapped, then rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I got rid of him, so hold off about Willy Wyler. He didn't do the cat thing, and I want to talk to him and his wife before you send in your thugs. As for the cat--"
    "You didn't get rid of him," Lep interrupted. "Gideon called a couple of minutes ago. Told me he'd take care of you."
    Oh God, yes, thought Ophelia. Oh God, no. "I don't want a cop looking into my life...and I know, I know--I shouldn't have called him, then."
    Leopard spread his hands. "Since Gideon wants to handle your little problem, and since I don't intend to step on his toes, you're on your own...unless he finds a reason to clap the cuffs on you."
    "Of course, it depends why he's clapping on the cuffs," Constantine interjected. When Ophelia shot him the bird, the rocker laughed, retrieved his guitar, and fiddled with the tuning pegs. "Exactly. And why not? He's a red-blooded guy, and you need it bad."
    She couldn't deny the last. "You can't expect me to jump into bed with some man I hardly know."
    "I know him," Leopard replied. "He's a good guy. Go for it."
    "What if I don't want to sleep with him?"
    Lep and Constantine laughed so hard they almost fell off their chairs.
    Ophelia fumed, waiting till they'd had their fill. "I see Vi's been busy today. I can't believe you're abandoning me like this."
    "You asked for it," Leopard said, still chuckling. "I wish I could be there when he finds out you're a vamp. As far as I know, he's not into anything bent."
    "Look on the bright side," Constantine added. "No thugs after Willy, just like you want. I may take care of the cat dude myself, though, once your cop figures out who it is. Just for fun." His fingers trickled across his guitar strings. "I need a break from the stress of rock and roll."
    "Shut up," Ophelia said one more time, sinking farther into her chair. "What am I going to do? The last thing I need is a cop looking over my shoulder!"
    Constantine shrugged. "For a vamp, you lead a hell of a clean life." When Ophelia said nothing, the rocker's eyes darkened a tad, and she wondered not for the first time how much he knew. Or guessed. "But since you're worried," he continued, "why not distract him with sex?"
    "He's not that easy to distract," Leopard said. "He's a persistent dude."
    "In which case, he'll persist about the sex," Constantine said. "Once he's fucked Ophelia, what's the chance he'll lock her up?"
    "Zilch," Leopard said. "Not in jail, anyway."
    "Since neither of you perverts has slept with me," Ophelia grumped, "there's no way you can know that."
    The two perverts laughed themselves silly.
    Ophelia waited for them to cool it and sipped at her coffee, terror and desire battling within her. She licked at the disappearing mound of whipped cream and contemplated licking Gideon. She thought about sinking her fangs deep inside him. She thought about Gideon sinking himself deep inside her . Then she remembered the last man she'd bitten, and nausea sucker punched her. She sat up and put the cup carefully on the floor.
    "Oh, shit," she said, clutching her stomach. "I'm so