Oh. Shit.

She stares over at the minibar and I slash a hand across my throat. Cut off. She frowns. She’d better not even think about having another! Damn it! She has to keep her wits about her when the Dukes get here.

I brush my hair back roughly with my fingers. So much for high tolerance.

The Dukes are right outside the door, silent. I look at Anna and put a finger to my lips. I don’t want her to say a word. A knock fills the room. Anna stares back at me, kind of glossy, and I think I might’ve just ruined the entire operation. As I jump to my feet I realize that in this state she won’t even be able to use the hilt that’s hiding in her bag. I should have been the one to drink. I grind my teeth together, furious with myself, and pull the door open.

“Father. Duke Astaroth.” I tilt my head as if I’m curious about their visit. “What can I do for you?”

Young dickhead flicks his hand to the side. “Let us in and close the door. Astaroth just wants to have a look at her.”

I step aside and close the door when they pass, then I walk to the sitting area behind them, straining my neck for a look at Anna. She’s sitting in front of the mini-fridge just as I left her, looking like a lush.

She stares up at Astaroth, the Fabio of the Dukes, as he sneers down at her.

“This one’s piss-drunk,” says Astaroth. “I can’t get a reading.”

My heart gives a giant throb of reprieve, but the show is not over. He will be suspicious if I don’t react somehow.

“A reading on what?” I ask. “A bond? You can’t be serious.” He ignores me.

Suddenly Anna stands, or tries to stand, and takes a stumbling set of side steps into the couch. She bursts into laughter, unable to fully stand, and I think I might die.

“You don’t waste any time,” Father says.

Ugh, no. Don’t talk to her. Go away, go away.

“There’s more!” Anna flings an arm behind her to point at the fridge. “I didn’t drink it all. Want some?”

Shite, Anna, shut up!

“I’ll pass,” Father says. He’s got an impish grin on his face. “But I think you should have another.”

No, you giant knob, she should not. Damn, how long until this begins to burn off her? I feel like we’ve been standing here forever. Anna drops to the floor in front of the fridge, her shorts riding up her thighs and showing a sliver of bum crack. Father most definitely notices, making a lewd gesture, and I want to take him down.

Astaroth gets bored and leaves. I’m so itchy a hive of bees covers my skin. It is killing me to stand here. I move to the entertainment center, mere feet from where Anna crouches, and I lean against it, crossing my arms.

“They need more tequila in these minibar fridge thingamajigs,” Anna says. She sits up with a bottle in her hand and I nearly drop-kick it from her fingers.

Father looks at me with absolute mirth.

“I told you,” I spit. “She’s a lush. An idiot. I can’t believe you’d think there was a bond between us.”

Please, Anna, do not say anything. Stay quiet. Tear through the sweets in the fridge. Pass out. Do anything except drink or talk.

“Eh, you can’t really blame me for wondering when you wouldn’t even screw the stewardess today. You’re usually all about cougars.” Shite . . .

“Eww!” Anna squeals, stuffing her hands over her ears.

“See,” I mutter. “Completely immature.”

She twists open the bottle of gin, and I can’t keep my mouth shut.

“You’re trashed. You don’t need any more.”

“Oh, shaddup,” she says. I dart forward, but she pulls the bottle to her chest and throws back a sip, wagging her other pointer finger in the air. Where are my handcuffs?

“No touchie the drinkie. That’s bad, bad, bad. Why’re you bein’ so grumpy, anyways? We’re in Vegas, baby!” She stands awkwardly, grabbing the fridge and laughing. She jumps and puts her arms up, splashing a bit of gin. I would probably be laughing my arse off if this were any other time. But now?

Not amused. Any moment it’s going to begin wearing off. Any moment now would be brilliant. Until then, I must try to talk some sense into her. Father is watching with far too much interest.

“You are being obnoxious,” I tell her. “It’s bad enough I have to babysit. I’m not holding your bloody hair if you puke.”

She laughs and saunters toward me, wobbly, poking my chest. “Isss funny to annoy you. You’re, like, sooo hot when you get mad.”

Father moves into our space, sandwiching Anna between us and putting his mouth to her ear. “I’d watch it, if I were you. He can get pretty rough when he’s upset.”

I’m about to get rough with him if he doesn’t take his bleedin’ hand off her waist. I have a sick, awful feeling that Father would not be above the idea of trying to punish her before the summit in his own wicked ways.

Anna spins and pushes off our chests, moving to the middle of the room and looking around, bleary-eyed. “Whurs the music?”

Father, who does not like being pushed away, is now staring at her with menace. He moves to her and grabs her arms, shaking her. “Where’s the sword?”

“I ain’t got no swooord, crazy ass,” she says in a heavy drawl. She thinks he’s being cheeky.

“Don’t talk to him like that,” I say, moving toward them. I couldn’t care less that she’s disrespected him, but I don’t want her to make him angry.

Father chuckles without humor. “We’ll see, little girl.”

“Yeah, we will!” She smiles, then flops down on the couch and gets a goofy look. “What the heck are we even talkin’ ’bout? I thought we were gonna dance.”

She rolls off the couch and crawls toward the minibar. Father claps a hand on my shoulder and cocks his head toward Anna. The stare he gives her is full of loathing. “Yeah, good luck with that. And be careful. I wouldn’t put it past her to use your lust inclination as a distraction to escape. Don’t let her get the upper hand, you know what I’m saying?” He winks wickedly and I nod. “Don’t leave the room, and don’t let her out of your sight.”

“Yes, sir.”

Just leave!

He puts his mouth too close to my ear and whispers. “She thinks she’s cute. She thinks she can pull one over on you. Don’t trust her. Don’t even get near her, if you can help it.” I give a tight nod.

Anna loudly cracks open a bottle of beer and I give her my harshest glare. She flicks the cap at me and I smack it away.

“Shame to waste such a fine body on her,” he murmurs to me.

I grit my teeth.

Father pokes fun at the drunk girl a bit longer, amused by her cluelessness, and then he finally leaves. I flick him off with both hands when the door closes, bloody glad he’s gone and that things didn’t escalate further. We’re unbelievably lucky. I lean back against the entertainment center and cross my arms. Now I just have to get Anna sobered up and . . .

Why is she staring at me like that?

She licks her lips and gives me the classic “come hither” look. But that would be bad. Very bad right now. I shake my head. My hearing is out the door, and Pharzuph whistles as he enters the elevator.

Anna sets down her beer and stands. She’s still obviously inebriated, but she’s not falling over anymore. She’s just sloe-eyed and sexy, and I have to keep shaking my head. But she’s coming my way, and I feel the stirring. My head fills with fog, and my gut aches with a deep throb.

Anna presses her entire body to mine, and her hands are on my waist. My teeth clamp together. I grasp her shoulders and push her away as gently and quietly as I can, but she is unrelenting. I shake my head, feeling weakened by the emotion of the afternoon. Father is off the elevator now, walking, saying hello to people, flirting with strangers.

Anna’s hands roam over my chest, and down. I grab her hands but she yanks them away and says, “Don’t.”

Uuuugh, little vixen, do not do this to me. Don’t touch. Don’t speak. Just . . . I cover her mouth.