JК
Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 136 из 205”
“What's this 'we' crap?”
He cupped pale hands in the flowing blood and held them out to me, like a cup. Blood dripped out from between his fingers. “Drink. It will make you strong.”
I woke staring up into the darkness. “Damn you, Jean-Claude,” I whispered. “What have you done to me?”
There was no answer from the dark, empty room. Thank goodness for small favors. The clock read six-oh-three a.m. I rolled over and snuggled back into the covers. The whir of air conditioning couldn't hide the sounds of one of my neighbors running water. I switched on the radio. Mozart's piano concerto in E flat filled the darkened room. It was really too lively to sleep to, but I wanted noise. My choice of noise.
I don't know if it was Mozart or I was just too tired; whatever, I went back to sleep. If I dreamed, I didn't remember it.
32
The alarm shrieked through my sleep. It sounded like a car alarm, hideously loud. I smashed my palm on the buttons. Mercifully, it shut off. I blinked at the clock through half-slit eyes. Nine a.m. Damn. I had forgotten to unset the alarm. I had time to get dressed and make church. I did not want to get up. I did not want to go to church. Surely, God would forgive me just this once.
Of course, I did need all the help I could get right now. Maybe I'd even have a revelation, and everything would fall into place. Don't laugh; it had happened before. Divine aid is not something I rely on, but every once in a while I think better at church.
When the world is full of vampires and bad guys, and a blessed cross may be all that stands between you and death, it puts church in a different light. So to speak.
I crawled out of bed, groaning. The phone rang. I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the answering machine to pick up. It did. “Anita, this is Sergeant Storr. We got another vampire murder.”
I picked up the receiver. “Hi, Dolph.”
“Good. Glad I caught you before church.”
“Is it another dead vampire?”
“Mmhuh.”
“Just like the others?” I asked.
“Seems to be. Need you to come down and take a look.”
I nodded, realized he couldn't see it, and said, “Sure, when?”
“Right now.”
I sighed. So much for church. They couldn't hold the body until noon, or after, just for little of me. “Give me the location. Wait, let me get a pen that works.” I kept a notepad by the bed, but the pen had died without my knowing it. “Okay, shoot.
“What's this 'we' crap?”
He cupped pale hands in the flowing blood and held them out to me, like a cup. Blood dripped out from between his fingers. “Drink. It will make you strong.”
I woke staring up into the darkness. “Damn you, Jean-Claude,” I whispered. “What have you done to me?”
There was no answer from the dark, empty room. Thank goodness for small favors. The clock read six-oh-three a.m. I rolled over and snuggled back into the covers. The whir of air conditioning couldn't hide the sounds of one of my neighbors running water. I switched on the radio. Mozart's piano concerto in E flat filled the darkened room. It was really too lively to sleep to, but I wanted noise. My choice of noise.
I don't know if it was Mozart or I was just too tired; whatever, I went back to sleep. If I dreamed, I didn't remember it.
32
The alarm shrieked through my sleep. It sounded like a car alarm, hideously loud. I smashed my palm on the buttons. Mercifully, it shut off. I blinked at the clock through half-slit eyes. Nine a.m. Damn. I had forgotten to unset the alarm. I had time to get dressed and make church. I did not want to get up. I did not want to go to church. Surely, God would forgive me just this once.
Of course, I did need all the help I could get right now. Maybe I'd even have a revelation, and everything would fall into place. Don't laugh; it had happened before. Divine aid is not something I rely on, but every once in a while I think better at church.
When the world is full of vampires and bad guys, and a blessed cross may be all that stands between you and death, it puts church in a different light. So to speak.
I crawled out of bed, groaning. The phone rang. I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the answering machine to pick up. It did. “Anita, this is Sergeant Storr. We got another vampire murder.”
I picked up the receiver. “Hi, Dolph.”
“Good. Glad I caught you before church.”
“Is it another dead vampire?”
“Mmhuh.”
“Just like the others?” I asked.
“Seems to be. Need you to come down and take a look.”
I nodded, realized he couldn't see it, and said, “Sure, when?”
“Right now.”
I sighed. So much for church. They couldn't hold the body until noon, or after, just for little of me. “Give me the location. Wait, let me get a pen that works.” I kept a notepad by the bed, but the pen had died without my knowing it. “Okay, shoot.