“No,” she said bluntly.

I arched an eyebrow in surprise. Last I’d known, shopping and having people buy you clothes was pretty sweet when you were a teenage girl. Maybe I was out of touch. “Why not?”

“Because,” she said dramatically. “This wedding is a joke.”

I cast an uneasy glance at the doorway. “Better not let them hear you say that.”

Brandy looked unconcerned. She wasn’t exactly scowling, but it was pretty close. “Uncle Seth isn’t supposed to be marrying her.”

“Why not? They’ve been dating for…well, a while.” That was kind of true, guilt-induced engagement or no. “He proposed. She accepted. Easy as that.”

“She’s not the one,” said Brandy stoutly. “He’s supposed to be marrying you.”

Yeah, I really wished the door was closed. “Brandy,” I said, pitching my voice as low as I could. “Your uncle and I broke up. That’s how it is. People move on.”

“You two weren’t supposed to. You guys were in love.”

“He loves her too.”

“It’s not the same.”

This was not a discussion I’d ever expected to have. I’d known Seth’s nieces still liked me, but I’d hardly thought I’d left this sort of impression. “Do you not like Maddie or something?”

Brandy gave a half-hearted shrug and averted her eyes. “She’s okay. But she’s not you.”

I didn’t say anything for several moments. I wondered if Brandy’s resentment toward the wedding was because she had greater devotion to me than Maddie—or if it was part of some romantic ideal girls her age often had about love and soul mates.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “Love in the real world doesn’t usually work out the way stories make us think it should. We don’t always get fairy-tale endings. People split up and move on. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you can’t love someone else.” I shivered. This was remarkably similar to a conversation Carter and I had once had, shortly after the (first) break-up with Seth.

“It’s still not right,” said Brandy obstinately.

Seth and Maddie retrieved her shortly thereafter, for which I was grateful. I really didn’t want to have to play devil’s advocate and defend a marriage that I was hardly thrilled about myself. I felt that sorrow that always seemed to plague me when I thought about them surface…and then remembered Erik’s comments. Don’t give in to it. Stay away from it—that was what kept leading me into trouble.

Easier said than done, just as I’d told him. Distraction seemed to be the key to it all, and I just didn’t feel up to another liaison tonight. I certainly didn’t need the energy.

“Distract me,” I murmured when I was seated in my car. “Annoy me with your ‘wit,’ or just make me outright mad.”

No physical evidence of Roman appeared—no signature, no physical appearance—but his voice answered me back just as softly. “Go see your friends. Aren’t they going to that bar tonight? You need to tell Cody he’s going on a double date.”

“It’s not a double date,” I growled back.

But Roman had a point. I probably should let the young vampire know what was in store tomorrow. I was also kind of curious how Roman even knew about the bar outing. I’d received a voice mail message earlier today that one would think would have been out of Roman’s hearing range. He’d either been standing really close, or nephilim just had superhuman hearing. And, well, seeing as they were superhuman, I supposed that wasn’t too far off.

Another idea suddenly came to mind about tonight’s social gathering, one that would most definitely provide a distraction—and possibly take care of a nuisance.

“The bar it is,” I declared.

I drove down to Pioneer Square, Seattle’s historic district, and sought out the Cellar, a dive of a bar located in a basement akin to its name. It was a favorite place for immortals—well, hellish immortals. Since most angels didn’t drink—Carter being the exception—you didn’t usually find them hanging out in bars. They were more likely to be found at upscale coffee shops. For inexplicable reasons, a number of them also liked to hang out at the restaurant on top of the Space Needle. Maybe they thought it was bringing them closer to Heaven.

And, indeed, as I walked down the stairs into the Cellar, I felt Carter’s signature, along with those of my usual clique. Best of all, there was an additional signature I’d been hoping to find.

“Hot damn,” I said, striding toward the table where Simone sat with my friends. She burned with the glow of energy that succubi stole from their victims. I hated to admit it, but hers was brighter than the one I still sported. I assured myself that it was just because she’d probably bagged someone today, rather than last night.

Hugh scooted to make room for me, and I pulled up a chair from a neighboring table. “Didn’t think you’d show tonight.”

I waved a waiter over and ordered a vodka gimlet. “You know I can’t stay away from you guys.”

“You’re just in time,” said Carter. His face was neutral, but I caught a mischievous glint in his eyes as he sipped his bourbon. “Simone was just regaling us with tales of the Underground Tour. Did you hear that Seattle burned to the ground and was rebuilt a century ago?”

“Only every time I take the tour,” I replied. Which had been about a dozen times. It was a tourist hotbed, and I’d taken friends and out-of-town victims on it often. I gave Simone a curious look. “Did you do that today?”

She nodded. “Figured I should take in the city while I’m here.” She was still using that librarian voice, but I had to admit she looked more like a succubus than the last time I’d seen her. Her neckline was cut so low, it was a wonder her nipples didn’t show. Her lips were fuck-me red, and unless I was mistaken, her hair was longer and more voluminous than before. I couldn’t decide if she looked like an angel or a beach bunny.

And speaking of angels…Simone had her chair pushed right next to Carter’s, so close that she couldn’t help but brush her arm against his each time she reached for her drink. I suspected her leg was pressed up to his as well.

He glanced over, giving her a look that wasn’t exactly romantic but filled with deep interest I felt certain was feigned.

“I find Seattle’s history fascinating. I haven’t been here that long, so it’s great to keep learning new things.”

Simone beamed. Across the table, Hugh choked a little on his drink. Carter had been in Seattle for a couple hundred years. True—not that long for an immortal like him, but he’d most certainly been here for the Seattle fire. Hell, considering how he’d once accidentally burned down my Christmas tree, he might have been the one who set the city ablaze, for all I knew.

My gimlet appeared, and I took a long drink of liquid courage. “From what I hear, you’ve been checking out some of our local celebrities too,” I said sweetly.

Simone dragged her adoring gaze from Carter and fixed me with a frown. “I don’t think I’ve run into many celebrities.”

“Well,” I said, still smiling like a fool. “I guess it depends on how you define ‘celebrity.’ I certainly consider best-selling authors celebrities. You’ve been chatting up one quite a bit.”

Immediately, Cody, Hugh, and Peter eagerly snapped to attention. They could sniff female conflict a mile away and were undoubtedly bracing themselves for a cat fight.

“Oh, that,” she said dismissively. “I thought you meant like an actor or something. Yeah, he’s just someone on my radar. One of many. Pretty cute. Nice enough.”

“And a friend of mine,” I said. My voice was still cheerful, but I could see in her eyes that she was well aware of the escalating tension.

“Still, fair game,” she replied with a shrug. “And what do you care? His soul’s already tainted. He’s not that good a catch. Not like I can do much more damage.”

That wasn’t true. Seth might currently be Hell-bound, but he wasn’t beyond redemption—even though the odds of that were allegedly slim. If by some crazy chance Simone got him to cheat on Maddie again, his soul would grow darker and kill any lingering chances to save him. Plus, sin aside, Simone would shorten his life—which was something I was definitely against.