Yvette was going to stick with her own plan. She had to outwit the witch. Having mulled it over in her head, she was pretty sure that Bess, as she’d heard Haven call her, had to be within her own wards to exert her powers on them. Unfortunately, this eliminated the idea of attacking her while she was in the same room with them because, while within the wards, she’d be able to counterattack. Those attempts would fail. There had to be another way. Only an attack from the outside would work.

“By the way, none of your escape ideas will work,” Yvette said casually.

Haven narrowed his eyes at her. “And what do you suggest instead?”

“I, for one, will wait for my colleagues to rescue me.” It was the only feasible plan. But Yvette would have to try to warn them about the wards and the kind of powers the witch possessed, so they’d be prepared.

“What colleagues?”

“Scanguards. Ever heard of them? I thought you did your homework before you kidnapped us. Scanguards has the best bodyguards in this country. And many of them are just like me: vampires. A hard bunch to beat.”

Haven’s eyes flashed in surprise. “What makes you think those heartless creatures will be coming for you?”

The jab hurt. Her friends weren’t heartless. Yvette gave an unladylike snort. “Ever heard of the Musketeers? ‘All for one, one for all’? That’s just how it is among our kind. They’ll come.” The knowledge gave her strength.

“Well, I’m not waiting for a gang of vampires to storm in here—what the fuck do you think we are, suicidal?” Wesley yelled.

Haven looked at her, shaking his head, his body moving toward her. “I’ve gotta agree with my brother on that one.” He was only a few feet from her now. Was he thinking he could overpower her? Distract her by talking, then jump on her? Did he still think she was trying to harm Kimberly?

“Another step closer, and your brother will have to scrape what’s left of you off the walls,” she warned Haven. Yvette noticed a barely perceivable flinch go through him, and he did a good job at trying to disguise the fact that her words were getting to him. With the way he’d treated her earlier, there was no way she’d walk on eggshells around him. He’d chosen to be hostile, and she was simply reacting to it.

“As if I wanted to get any closer.” Despite his words, his tone wasn’t as cold as she’d expected. Somehow, hidden in those eight words was a good dose of pent-up emotions. His problem, not hers, she told herself.

“If it’s not my body you want, what then?”

“See how she’s trying to manipulate you again?” Wesley cut in and took a step forward.

Never taking her eyes off Haven, or moving her head a fraction of an inch, she issued her warning, “If your kid brother does anything stupid, he’ll pay for it.”

“And if you touch Kimberly again and try to hurt her, then you’ll pay for it,” the stupid pup replied.

Yvette blinked twice. That’s how the latest confrontation had started. She’d touched Kimberly’s arm and smelled her skin, then Haven had interrupted her, but now that she was back on the subject, she remembered what she’d wanted to ask Kimberly.

“Kimberly,” she called out without letting the two brothers out of her sight.

“What?”

“Tell me what the witch did to you.”

“What’s that got to do with you trying to attack her?” Haven asked.

“Everything.” She didn’t even try to contradict him. What was the point? He wouldn’t listen. He’d already made up his mind about her. To him she was a bloodthirsty killer with no regard for the feelings of others. His assumption couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“If you’re trying to make excuses—”

“Kimberly stinks of witch.” Yvette took in a deep breath, her nostrils flaring into the direction of the brothers. Yes, the stench was definitely coming from their bodies too. It wasn’t just something that hung in the air because the witch had been here. “And so do you two.”

***

Being accused of smelling like a witch was the last thing Haven had expected coming out of Yvette’s mouth. Not that being called a witch was an insult per se, but the way she expelled the word “witch” from her mouth, made it sound like a four-letter word.

“What’s your point?” he hissed, unable to keep his riled-up emotions under control. Yvette got under his skin without even trying very hard. Just keeping away from her and not throwing her onto the nearest flat surface cost him all the strength he had left. And his brother was giving him shit about it. The boner he’d sported earlier hadn’t escaped Wesley, who hadn’t missed the opportunity to use the knowledge as payback for all the times Haven had accused him of thinking with his dick.