Yes, her father was responsible for recognizing and nurturing her love of art�a love that had quickly become a deep, inextricable part of her being. In that way, he�d always be with her.

But he was also responsible for turning her into a criminal with no foreseeable way out. In his image, she�d become a phantom, a woman who�d seduced a stranger to distract him from her crimes, and now found herself hopelessly tangled in an impossible, no-win situation that could only end in ruin.

Charley�s and Dorian�s.

Here�s your opening, girl. Tell Dorian the truth. Tell him everything, then throw yourself at his feet and beg for his forgiveness.

Maybe there was a way to stop this before it went any further. A way to stop Rudy altogether�not just from robbing Dorian, but from all the other heists to come.

If anyone could help her figure things out, it was Dorian Redthorne, immortal vampire king.

"What is it, love?" he asked, reaching out to touch her cheek again, his brow tight with worry.

"Dorian, there�s something� I need to�" She sucked in a deep breath, then opened her mouth again, ready to confess every last sin. But when the words finally broke free, all that came out was, "I need to get back to Sasha."

"Will you do me a favor?" Charlotte asked.

They were standing in the circular drive, Jameson holding the limo door for her, ready to ferry her back to the city. Dorian had wanted to accompany them, but of course Charlotte insisted on going alone. He was lucky he�d convinced her to accept Jameson�s services at all.

His woman, he was quickly learning, was not big on compromise.

Under normal circumstances, neither was Dorian. But nothing about his interactions with Charlotte D�Amico had ever been normal, and now, after the way they�d shared their bodies last night�not to mention their secrets this afternoon�Dorian�s world was completely upside-down.

All he wanted to do was drag her back into the manor, tie her down, and push her right back to the edge�a dark, dangerous place they both craved. He�d heard it in her soft moans of pleasure, felt it in the way her body had responded to his punishing touch.

Yet here she was, leaving him again.

Asking for favors, no less.

"What is it?" he asked, doing his damnedest to keep the frustration from his tone.

Keeping her voice low, she said, "Can you get in touch with your art buyer, try to find out more about Hermes and the LaPorte?"

"Why is this so important to you?"

"I� I can�t tell you. Not until I know more." She closed her eyes, the lines around her mouth deepening. "But Dorian? This has to stay quiet. Please don�t involve anyone other than the buyer and his connections. I can�t risk it."

Trouble.

The alarm clanged in his head again. As much as he�d tried to deny it, her actions at the Salvatore and inside his own home last night�not to mention her evasiveness about the stolen artwork�convinced him she was into something nefarious. But Dorian couldn�t discern whether she�d caused the trouble, or she�d just been caught in the crossfire.

He still wasn�t convinced she didn�t have connections to Chernikov, either, or the other greater vampire families looking to make a power play, or any name on the increasingly long list of enemies eager to turn the Redthornes to ash.

But deep inside, he wanted to trust her. To help her, even if he was only helping her put the final stake through his heart.

"What aren�t you telling me?" he asked.

Again, she didn�t answer. JrNovels.com