JК
Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 90 из 205“There's one tonight. If you have to go, I'll take you.” He turned to me, arms still hugging his elbows. “The parties are always at a different location. When I find out where, how do I get in touch with you?”
“Leave a message on my answering machine, my home number.” I got a business card out of my purse and wrote my home phone number on the back. He got his jean jacket out of the back seat and stuffed the card into a pocket. He opened the door, and the heat washed into the chill, air-conditioned car like the breath of a dragon.
He leaned into the car, one arm on the roof, one on the door. “Now, answer my question. Would you really cut out Monica's heart, so she couldn't come back as a vampire?”
I stared into the blackness of his sunglasses and said, “Yes.”
“Remind me never to piss you off.” He took a deep breath. “You'll need to wear something that shows off your scars tonight. Buy something if you don't have it.” He hesitated, then asked, “Are you as good at being a friend as you are an enemy?”
I took a deep breath and let it out. What could I say? “You don't want me for an enemy, Phillip. I make a much better friend.”
“Yeah, I'll bet you do.” He closed the door and walked up to the club door. He knocked, and a few moments later the door opened. I got a glimpse of a pale figure opening the door. It couldn't be a vampire, could it? The door closed before I could see much. Vampires could not come out in daylight. That was a rule. But until last night I had known vampires could not fly. So much for what I knew.
Whoever it was had been expecting Phillip. I pulled away from the curb. Why had they sent him at his flirtatious best? Had he been sent to charm me? Or was he the only human they could get at short notice? The only daytime member of their little club. Except for Monica. And I wasn't real fond of her right now. That was just dandy with me.
I didn't think Phillip was lying about the freak parties, but what did I know about Phillip? He stripped at Guilty Pleasures, not exactly a character reference. He was a vampire junkie, better and better. Was all that pain an act? Was he luring me someplace, just as Monica had?
I didn't know. And I needed to know. There was one place I could go that might have the answers. The only place in the District where I was truly welcome. Dead Dave's, a nice bar that served a mean hamburger. The proprietor was an ex-cop who had been kicked off the force for being dead. Picky, picky. Dave liked to help out, but he resented the prejudice of his former comrades. So he talked to me.
“Leave a message on my answering machine, my home number.” I got a business card out of my purse and wrote my home phone number on the back. He got his jean jacket out of the back seat and stuffed the card into a pocket. He opened the door, and the heat washed into the chill, air-conditioned car like the breath of a dragon.
He leaned into the car, one arm on the roof, one on the door. “Now, answer my question. Would you really cut out Monica's heart, so she couldn't come back as a vampire?”
I stared into the blackness of his sunglasses and said, “Yes.”
“Remind me never to piss you off.” He took a deep breath. “You'll need to wear something that shows off your scars tonight. Buy something if you don't have it.” He hesitated, then asked, “Are you as good at being a friend as you are an enemy?”
I took a deep breath and let it out. What could I say? “You don't want me for an enemy, Phillip. I make a much better friend.”
“Yeah, I'll bet you do.” He closed the door and walked up to the club door. He knocked, and a few moments later the door opened. I got a glimpse of a pale figure opening the door. It couldn't be a vampire, could it? The door closed before I could see much. Vampires could not come out in daylight. That was a rule. But until last night I had known vampires could not fly. So much for what I knew.
Whoever it was had been expecting Phillip. I pulled away from the curb. Why had they sent him at his flirtatious best? Had he been sent to charm me? Or was he the only human they could get at short notice? The only daytime member of their little club. Except for Monica. And I wasn't real fond of her right now. That was just dandy with me.
I didn't think Phillip was lying about the freak parties, but what did I know about Phillip? He stripped at Guilty Pleasures, not exactly a character reference. He was a vampire junkie, better and better. Was all that pain an act? Was he luring me someplace, just as Monica had?
I didn't know. And I needed to know. There was one place I could go that might have the answers. The only place in the District where I was truly welcome. Dead Dave's, a nice bar that served a mean hamburger. The proprietor was an ex-cop who had been kicked off the force for being dead. Picky, picky. Dave liked to help out, but he resented the prejudice of his former comrades. So he talked to me.