Let Them Speak (Vampire Assassin League #13) Read Free Page A

card . The stranger took it without moving his gaze from hers. And then he spoke. One word.
    “Extras?”
    Hell’s bells. His voice was incredible. Deep. Magnetic. Sydney dropped her flashlight, sending an arc of illumination along the brick wall before it stopped rolling. Every hair on her body whispered upright with the accompanying shiver. There was the strangest sound in the air, too. A deep, pulsating throb. Like a vibrato note.
    “Yeah . Extras. For the series we’re developing. And please. Don’t tell me you didn’t know. And expect me to believe it, anyway.”
    “Series?”
    Man!   The guy had the most amazing voice!   It was tinged with a slightly foreign accent. Each syllable perfectly enunciated. One word from him could melt ice. It was doing a fair job of it already on her legs. And arms. And starting a tingling where she wouldn’t even admit. She didn’t have permission to look for cast members. But if the studio head could see and hear this guy…well. Hell. He’d probably get a walk-on part. Maybe even some dialogue.
    No . Wait. They’d already interested Franklin in the lead. He was a hot ticket. They needed him to help get financing. Franklin demanded a contract proviso that nobody in any project got to be prettier than him. He got final approval. And that included the actresses. Mr. Perfect here was never getting past that proviso…which was just as well. He was messing with her concentration and doing a major number on her nerves. Even as he’d moved his attention, seeming engrossed now with Stan. And Stan wouldn’t quit talking and explaining. Like he’d turned into one of those chatty dolls and someone had pulled his cord and until it rewound, he just couldn’t shut up. That was really odd. She wasn’t the only one with raised eyebrows. And rapt attention. The three members of her crew and more than one bystander beyond the iron rails fronting the courtyard were all watching and listening as if opening night was already happening.
    “We’re developing a series . It was in all the trade journals. And all over the internet. Couldn’t keep it quiet if we wanted to. And we don’t. That’s why we booked a full page ad in all the tabloids.”
    “Tabloids?”
    “You didn’t see it? Damn!   That was my idea and cost a fortune. We’re trying to get buzz started. For our series. We’re calling it Intimate Secrets, but the title has to await studio approval.”
    “ Intimate …secrets?”
    His voice !   Those words!   Holy shit. Her knees trembled. Weakened. She’d have probably fallen if the stone bird bath wasn’t there beside her. Her palm gripped the edge while her knees just kept shaking. An instant flash of heat arced through her bosom, too.
    “Yeah . Just think of it!   We get people to confess their deepest, darkest secret desires when they think they’re off-camera, and then we make it happen. The first one is already scripted. It’s a kick-ass episode all about vampires. I know. Why don’t they just throw another sinker when I’m looking for a curve ball? What can I say in defense? Vampires are still popular. That’s why we’re out here, in this god-forsaken section of the French Quarter, in the dead of night. We’ve got to find the perfect spot for a vampire to hang out.”
    “ You think this is where a vampire would…how did you phrase it - hang out?”
    “ Maybe not this exact building. But hey. We’ve seen some other places. We’ve got options.”
    “Derelict places?”
    “Well…yeah. It’s easier to deal with empty buildings.”
    “Really?”
    “Lots easier. You know the hell we have, otherwise? Much easier to get leasing agreements if the place is off the beaten path and unoccupied. Tons easier to modify pre-existing walls and such for our needs. And don’t get me started on the insurance. Then there are the municipal factions, building permits, utilities, ecological concerns, trash removal, and let’s not forget – the ever-present