JК
Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 89 из 205Not always,but most of the time. “Not anything; I don't believe in many absolutes. But, if you want a short version, yes, that's why I'm angry at Monica.”
He nodded, as if that were the answer he wanted. “She's afraid of you; did you know that?”
I smiled, and it wasn't a very nice smile. I could feel the edges curl up with a dark sort of satisfaction. “I hope the little bitch is sweating it out, big time.”
“She is,” he said. His voice was very quiet.
I glanced at him, then quickly back to the road. I had a feeling he didn't approve of my scaring Monica. Of course, that was his problem. I was quite pleased with the results.
We were getting close to the Riverfront turnoff. He had still not answered my question. In fact, he had very nicely avoided it. “Tell me about freak parties, Phillip.”
“Did you really threaten to cut out Monica's heart?”
“Yes. Are you going to tell me about the parties or not?”
“Would you really do it? Cut out her heart, I mean?”
“You answer my question, I'll answer yours.” I turned the car onto the narrow brick roads of the Riverfront. Two more blocks and we would be at Guilty Pleasures.
“I told you what the parties are like. I've stopped going the last few months.”
I glanced at him again. I wanted to ask why. So I did. “Why?”
“Damn, you do ask personal questions, don't you?”
“I didn't mean it to be.”
I thought he wasn't going to answer the question, but he did. “I got tired of being passed around. I didn't want to end up like Rebecca, or worse.”
I wanted to ask what was worse, but I let it go. I try not to be cruel, just persistent. There are days when the difference is pretty damn slight. “If you find out that all the vampires went to freak parties, call me.”
“Then what?” he asked.
“I need to go to a party.” I parked in front of Guilty Pleasures. The neon was quiet, a dim ghost of its nighttime self. The place looked closed.
“You don't want to go to a party, Anita.”
“I'm trying to solve a crime, Phillip. If I don't, my friend dies. And I have no illusions about what the master will do to me if I fail. A quick death would be the best I could hope for.”
He shivered. “Yeah, yeah.” He unbuckled the seat belt and rubbed his hands along his arms, as if he were cold. “You never answered my question about Monica,” he said.
“You never really told me about the parties.”
He looked down, staring at the tops of his thighs.
He nodded, as if that were the answer he wanted. “She's afraid of you; did you know that?”
I smiled, and it wasn't a very nice smile. I could feel the edges curl up with a dark sort of satisfaction. “I hope the little bitch is sweating it out, big time.”
“She is,” he said. His voice was very quiet.
I glanced at him, then quickly back to the road. I had a feeling he didn't approve of my scaring Monica. Of course, that was his problem. I was quite pleased with the results.
We were getting close to the Riverfront turnoff. He had still not answered my question. In fact, he had very nicely avoided it. “Tell me about freak parties, Phillip.”
“Did you really threaten to cut out Monica's heart?”
“Yes. Are you going to tell me about the parties or not?”
“Would you really do it? Cut out her heart, I mean?”
“You answer my question, I'll answer yours.” I turned the car onto the narrow brick roads of the Riverfront. Two more blocks and we would be at Guilty Pleasures.
“I told you what the parties are like. I've stopped going the last few months.”
I glanced at him again. I wanted to ask why. So I did. “Why?”
“Damn, you do ask personal questions, don't you?”
“I didn't mean it to be.”
I thought he wasn't going to answer the question, but he did. “I got tired of being passed around. I didn't want to end up like Rebecca, or worse.”
I wanted to ask what was worse, but I let it go. I try not to be cruel, just persistent. There are days when the difference is pretty damn slight. “If you find out that all the vampires went to freak parties, call me.”
“Then what?” he asked.
“I need to go to a party.” I parked in front of Guilty Pleasures. The neon was quiet, a dim ghost of its nighttime self. The place looked closed.
“You don't want to go to a party, Anita.”
“I'm trying to solve a crime, Phillip. If I don't, my friend dies. And I have no illusions about what the master will do to me if I fail. A quick death would be the best I could hope for.”
He shivered. “Yeah, yeah.” He unbuckled the seat belt and rubbed his hands along his arms, as if he were cold. “You never answered my question about Monica,” he said.
“You never really told me about the parties.”
He looked down, staring at the tops of his thighs.