"I understand."

As if sensing the effort it cost her to appear brave, his fingers tightened upon her chin. Gazes locked, he slowly lowered his head.

"Abby," he whispered.

Softly he brushed his lips over her own. And over and over. His touch was featherlight, but it was enough to make her entire body tingle with pleasure. Tingle and shiver and lots of other exhilarating things.

At last he lifted his head and stepped back. Still reeling with the aftershocks, she watched in silence as he turned to leave the room. It was only when the door snapped firmly shut behind him that she recalled the need to breathe.

Well…

It seemed that her feet weren't nearly as tired as she had thought since her toes were firmly curled in pleasure.

A hysterical urge to laugh bubbled in her throat as she moved to flop herself upon a leather sofa. Vampire kisses, indeed. She was mad. That was the only explanation. She was stark, raving mad.

And thankfully too exhausted to even care at the moment.

Allowing her head to topple back onto the leather cushions, Abby breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. For the first time in hours, she wasn't searching over her shoulder for marauding demons or squashing through rotting trash. There was not even a vampire in sight.

For the moment she could simply relax.

Relax? Yeah, right, a tiny voice mocked in the back of her mind.

She sucked in a deep breath. No. She could do this. All it took was a bit of concentration.

Relax, relax, relax, she silently chanted. She snuggled deeper into the cushions. She slowed her breathing. She tried to imagine a beautiful waterfall, a peaceful meadow, the sound of whales (whatever the hell they sounded like).

All worthless efforts that were eventually disturbed when a cold rash raced over her skin.

A sudden certainty that she was no longer alone had her eyes fluttering open and her head lifting. Her heart halted as she realized her instincts had not been wrong.

There was a man standing in the center of the room.

No, not a man, she swiftly corrected. Now that she knew the truth of Dante, she could detect what those too-perfect features and fiercely elegant form meant.

Not that this vampire was the spitting image of Dante, she readily concluded. He was taller and leaner, with a ripple of hard muscles beneath the crimson velvet coat that flowed nearly to his knees and black satin slacks. His hair was worn long, but it was like the pale silver of moonlight and his eyes the startling darkness of midnight. And while his features were hauntingly beautiful, there was a starkness to his countenance that sent a chill down her spine.

This was not the charmingly wicked bad boy.

This was an exquisite fallen angel who held himself aloof from the world about him.

Slowly rising to her feet, she discovered herself nervously licking her lips as he strolled nonchalantly forward. His midnight gaze swept over her with unnerving intensity. It was not until he was a mere step from her that he came to a halt.

"Ah, Abby is it not?"

The dark voice flowed like warm honey over her. A voice as lethally fascinating as the rest of him. 'Yikes. He fell under the category of dangerous with a capital D.

Still, Dante wouldn't have left her here if he didn't believe she was in safe hands. She might not know much about her savior vampire, but she did know he wouldn't deliberately hand her over as dinner to one of his pals.

Would he?

"Yes, and you, I presume, are Viper?" she forced herself to murmur in polite tones.

"Very astute." The dark eyes swept over her slender features and tumble of honey curls. "And lovely."

Lovely? A faint frown touched her brow. Was he blind? Or was he indeed up to something nefarious? She had never been more than passably average. And that was when she wasn't covered in muck and reeking of back alleys.

"Thank you… I think."

His lips curled into a smooth smile. "You needn't regard me with such distrust. I never feed upon my guests. It is rather bad for business."

Well, that was a relief. She cleared her dry throat. "And what is your business?"

"I am a procurer of pleasure," he said simply.

She choked, her eyes widening at the unexpected words. 'You're a pimp?"

His soft laugh reminded her forcibly of Dante as he tilted his head to one side. "Nothing so mundane," he purred in low tones. "I offer… ah no, Dante would not thank me for exposing you to such sordid tales. He is astonishingly protective of you." Without warning, he reached up to lightly brush her cheek. "And it is little wonder."

She stiffened in unease. "What?"

"Such purity." His gaze drifted over her tense form before returning to linger upon her pale features. "A golden beacon to the dark."

First lovely and now pure? The poor, incredibly beautiful vampire really must be off his rocker.

Not a very comforting thought.

"I'm afraid you must have me confused with someone else," she said in slow, easy-to-follow tones.

His lips twitched as if realizing that she feared him mental. "I do not speak of chastity." He gave an elegant wave of his hand. "Such a tedious mortal obsession. Or even of the spirit that you now carry within you. I speak of your soul, Abby. You have known tragedy and even despair, but you remain untainted."

She took a careful step back, desperately wishing that Dante would return. There was something very unnerving about this Viper.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Evil, lust, greed—the darker passions that so easily tempt mortals."

"Well, I suppose everyone is tempted."

'Yes, and so few resist." He closed the small distance between them, Ms fingers once again tracing the line of her cheek. "Such innocence is bound to be an irresistible attraction for those who walk in the night. Wickedness always seeks redemption, even as the shadows seek the light"

Abby's brain was beginning to ache in an attempt to follow the obscure revelations. Holy crap, she thought Dante spoke in riddles.

"Ah… right," she muttered, taking yet another step back in their peculiar dance. "Where is Dante?"

Viper offered a shrug. "He did not give me his full itinerary, but I do know he has gone in search of breakfast."

Her stomach gave a sudden growl of relief. She couldn't even remember her last meal. Which meant it was far too long ago.

"Thank God, I'm starving. I hope he brings…" The delicious images of pancakes and eggs and bacon were suddenly tarnished by the thought of what Dante would be having for Ms predawn meal. "Ew."

Viper lifted a golden brow at her unmistakable shudder.

"Do not worry, lovely Abby. He is not on the hunt." Moving with mesmerizing grace, Viper flicked open a hidden panel in the wall to reveal a small refrigerator filled with dark bottles. "This is the home of a vampire. I always possess an ample supply of synthetic blood. The breakfast is for you."

Ridiculously relieved to know that Dante wasn't out sucking the life from hapless pedestrians, she heaved a deep sigh.

"Oh, that's good."

Closing the panel, the vampire smiled in a mysterious manner as he once again returned to stand before her.

'You do not know, do you?"

Her brows snapped together. "Know what?"

"Since Dante was captured by the witches, he has been incapable of taking blood from a human. It is an element of the spell that binds him to the Phoenix."

"Oh, I… see."

"No, I don't believe you see at all," he murmured softly. "The suffering that Dante has endured for the past three hundred years has been immeasurable. He has been leashed and imprisoned by those who have no compassion, no ability to see him as anything more than a monster."

Abby stilled. Dear heavens. She had been so consumed with her own fears that she had never taken even a moment to consider what Dante must have endured all those endless years. He had been a prisoner, chained for eternity to Selena. God, it was a wonder he hadn't dumped her whining butt in the nearest gutter and left her as demon food.

"He's not a monster," she retorted in sharp tones.

'You have no need to convince me, my dear." He peered deep into her eyes. "I can only hope that you will understand his suffering and do what is possible to ease his burdens."

"Me?"

'You now possess the power."

She blinked, giving a faint shake of her head. "And I thought Dante was cryptic. No offense, but vampires are strange creatures. Not as strange as that Halford or hellhounds, but definitely strange."

He gave a soft chuckle as he reached out to touch her curls. "We are ancient beings. We have seen the birth and fall of nations. Witnessed endless wars, famines, and natural disasters. Surely we are allowed a few eccentricities?"

And what did she say to that?

"Or at least a Purple Heart."

The midnight eyes momentarily filled with something that might have been amusement. 'There are also visions of joy, pleasure, and unexpected beauty. Beauty such as yours."

"Exquisite taste as always, Viper," a velvet voice drawled from the doorway.