tricks bianca

I just watched her, and absently tossed the handkerchief on the tabletop. Her eyes flicked to it, then up to mine.
I didn’t flinch. I met her bottomless gaze and quirked my mouth up in a little smile, as though I had something more, and worse, to pull out of my hat if she wanted to come after me again. I saw her anger, her rage, and for just a moment I got a peek inside, saw the source of it. She was furious that I had seen her true form, horrified and embarrassed that I had stripped her disguise away and seen the creature beneath. And she was afraid that I could take away even her mask, forever, with my power.
More than anything else, Bianca wanted to be beautiful. And tonight, I had destroyed her illusion. I had rattled her gilded little world. She sure as hell wasn’t going to let me forget that.
She shuddered and jerked her eyes away, furious and frightened at the same time, before I could see any deeper into her—or she into me. “If I had not given you my word, Dresden,” she whispered, “I would kill you this instant.”
“That would be unfortunate,” I said. I kept my voice hard. “You should know the risks in a wizard’s death curse. You’ve got something to lose, Bianca. And even if you could take me out, you can bet your pretty ass I’d be dragging you into hell with me.”
She stiffened, then turned her head to one side, and let her fingers go limp. It was a silent, bitter surrender. She didn’t move quickly enough for me to miss seeing a tear streak down one cheek.
I’d made the vampire cry. Great. I felt like a real superhero. Harry Dresden, breaker of monsters’ hearts.
“There may be one person who might know something,” she said, her lovely voice dull, flat, lifeless. “I had a woman who worked for me. Linda Randall. She and Jennifer went out on calls together, when customers wanted that sort of thing. They were close.”
“Where is she now?” I asked.
“She’s working as a driver for someone. Some rich couple who wanted a servant that would do more than windows. She wasn’t the type I usually keep around in any case. I think Jennifer had her phone number. I can have someone fetch it for you, Mister Dresden.” She said my name as though it were something bitter and poisonous that she wanted to spit out.
“Thank you. That would be very kind.” I kept my tone carefully formal, neutral. Formality and a good bluff were all that was keeping her from my throat.

Storm Front Chapter 9, Page 108-110