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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
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"How long have you been in town?"
He looked atme for a long moment. "Is that an idle question or do you need to know?"
It had occurred to me that Edward could take out eight lycanthropes and leave no trace. If any human could do it, it was him.
"I need to know," I said.
"A week, tomorrow." His eyes had gone empty. They were as cool and distant as any of the shapeshifters' last night. There's more than one way to become a predator. "Of course, you'll have to take my word for it. You can check with registration, but I could have changed hotels."
"Why would you lie to me?"
"Because I enjoy it," he said.
"It's not the lie you enjoy."
"What do I enjoy?"
"Knowing something I don't."
He gave a small shrug, not easy for him, slid down in the chair as he was. He made it look graceful. "Egotistical of you."
"It's not just from me. You like keeping secrets for the pure hell of it."
He smiled then, a slow, lazy smile. "You do know me well."
I started to say, we're friends, but the look in his eyes stopped me. His stare was a little too intense. He seemed to be studying me as if he'd never really seen me before.
"What are you thinking, Edward?"
"That you might be able to give me a run for my money."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know how I like a challenge."
I stared at him. "You're talking about coming against me, seeing who's better?" I made it a question. He didn't give me the answer I wanted.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I won't do it. You know me—no money, no killing—but it would be. . interesting."
"Don't go all spooky on me, Edward."
"It's just for the very first time I'm wondering if you would win?"
He was scaring me. I was armed, and he didn't seem to be, but Edward was always armed. "Don't do this, Edward."
He sat up in one liquid movement. My hand jumped to my gun. The gun was halfway out of its holster when I realized he hadn't done anything but sit up. I let out a shaky breath and eased the gun back into the holster. "Don't play with me, Edward. One of us will get hurt if you do."
He spread his hands wide. "No more games. I would like to know which of us was best, Anita, but not enough to kill you."
I let my hand relax. If Edward said he would kill me tonight, he meant it. If we ever did do this for real, he'd tell me first. Edward liked to be sporting about these things. Surprising your victim made things too easy.
There was a knock on the door. I jumped.
"How long have you been in town?"
He looked atme for a long moment. "Is that an idle question or do you need to know?"
It had occurred to me that Edward could take out eight lycanthropes and leave no trace. If any human could do it, it was him.
"I need to know," I said.
"A week, tomorrow." His eyes had gone empty. They were as cool and distant as any of the shapeshifters' last night. There's more than one way to become a predator. "Of course, you'll have to take my word for it. You can check with registration, but I could have changed hotels."
"Why would you lie to me?"
"Because I enjoy it," he said.
"It's not the lie you enjoy."
"What do I enjoy?"
"Knowing something I don't."
He gave a small shrug, not easy for him, slid down in the chair as he was. He made it look graceful. "Egotistical of you."
"It's not just from me. You like keeping secrets for the pure hell of it."
He smiled then, a slow, lazy smile. "You do know me well."
I started to say, we're friends, but the look in his eyes stopped me. His stare was a little too intense. He seemed to be studying me as if he'd never really seen me before.
"What are you thinking, Edward?"
"That you might be able to give me a run for my money."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know how I like a challenge."
I stared at him. "You're talking about coming against me, seeing who's better?" I made it a question. He didn't give me the answer I wanted.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I won't do it. You know me—no money, no killing—but it would be. . interesting."
"Don't go all spooky on me, Edward."
"It's just for the very first time I'm wondering if you would win?"
He was scaring me. I was armed, and he didn't seem to be, but Edward was always armed. "Don't do this, Edward."
He sat up in one liquid movement. My hand jumped to my gun. The gun was halfway out of its holster when I realized he hadn't done anything but sit up. I let out a shaky breath and eased the gun back into the holster. "Don't play with me, Edward. One of us will get hurt if you do."
He spread his hands wide. "No more games. I would like to know which of us was best, Anita, but not enough to kill you."
I let my hand relax. If Edward said he would kill me tonight, he meant it. If we ever did do this for real, he'd tell me first. Edward liked to be sporting about these things. Surprising your victim made things too easy.
There was a knock on the door. I jumped.