Leaving Ravenswood, she had every intention of doing just that. But halfway across the Tappan Zee Bridge, she�d gotten a call from a frantic, freaked-out Sasha that changed everything.

Rudy had shown up at Perk today during Sasha�s shift, where he proceeded to order a cappuccino, plop his sketchy ass at the counter, and lurk.

For five fucking hours.

He�d peppered her with questions about her dating life, about Charley�s, about whether Charley�s so-called "new boyfriend" had ever been to their Park Avenue penthouse. He wanted to know if Sasha realized her sister was "whoring around" upstate this weekend, and if she�d heard from their "slut of a mother" lately. He told Sasha she was a stunning young woman�that their mother was a fool to toss a girl like her into the trash.

Sasha was so rattled, she didn�t even leave when her shift ended�she picked up a double, just so she wouldn�t have to exit the caf� until Rudy was long gone.

Now, hours later, Charley barreled out of the elevator that led to his apartment, damn near kicking down the door.

After a barrage of knocks and kicks, Rudy opened the door, his smile greasy and smug. "And the succubus returns. I wondered when I might hear from you."

Beyond the entryway, Travis sat on the couch with a beer, shaking his head. "Not cool going off the radar like that, Charley."

"I lost my phone," she said.

"In Redthorne�s bed?"

Charley rolled her eyes. God, she wanted to throttle them both. After everything she�d witnessed this weekend, everything she�d learned from Dorian about the creatures that lurked in the shadows, Travis had been downgraded from a snake to a roach�an annoying pest who needed a good dose of Raid.

Rudy needed a dose too, but unfortunately, he was still the boss�one Charley had to appease, even when all she wanted to do was set him on fire and shoot his crusty ashes out of a canon.

"Come in, Charlotte." Rudy�s smile fell away, his eyes dark and sinister. "I hope you have something worthwhile to share, for your sake and for Sasha�s. Did she mention we spent some time together today?"

Looking at him now, his hair slicked back, his calculating eyes, Charley wanted to claw his skin off, hold a knife to his throat, and give him a glimpse of the fear he�d instilled in Sasha.

But as furious as she was, she no longer wanted to tear him a new one.

That�s what he wanted�confirmation that his tactics worked. That he�d gotten to her.

Fuck that.

With a curious smile, she said, "Oh, really? I thought Sasha had to work today."

Rudy�s jaw ticked. "I dropped by Perk to say hello."

"Huh. I spoke to her earlier, but she didn�t mention it. She gets a lot of customers, though�hard to remember just one."

Even if that one is a filthy, dickless scumbag who thinks preying on young girls makes him powerful�

He grunted out something that might�ve been a laugh or a warning or even indigestion, glaring at Charley with another silent threat. For a moment, she said nothing�just glared right back, wondering how such a human stain could hold so much sway over her life.

Her father may not have been up for any model citizen awards, but Charley was damn sure he�d never stand for his brother and former second-in-command treating his daughter and her sister this way.

But her dad was long gone, and unlike Dorian, Charley didn�t have super strength and immortality on her side. If she wanted to take back the reins of her wildly out-of-control life, she was going to have to do it herself�one small victory at a time.

Starting with taking charge at this meeting. JrNovels.com