JК
Burnt Offerings :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 49 из 286I pressed the barrel into his spine. I felt him stiffen under my hands.
"You are serious about this."
"Absolutely," I said. "Feet further apart."
He shifted, but it wasn't enough.
I kicked his feet apart until his balance was off-center and started searching him one-handed.
"Dominant, very dominant. Does she like to be on top?"
I ignored him. More surprising, so did Jean-Claude.
"Slower, slower. Hasn't Jean-Claude taught you not to rush?" He drew in a breath at the appropriate moment. "Oooh, that's nice."
Yes, it was embarrassing, but I searched him top to bottom. There wasn't a damn thing to find. But I felt better. I stepped back until I was out of reach and put the gun up.
He was watching over his shoulder. "Do the panties match the bra?"
I shook my head. "You can stand up now."
He stayed against the car. "Don't you need to strip-search me?"
"In your dreams," I said.
He stood, smoothing his coat back into place. "You have no idea what I dream, Anita." I couldn't read the look on his face, but the look was enough. I didn't want to know what Asher saw when he closed his eyes at the break of day.
"Shall we go?" Jean-Claude said.
"Are you so eager to throw your life away?" Asher asked. The anger returned with a rush, chasing out the amused teasing gallant.
"The council will not kill me tonight," Jean-Claude said.
"Are you so sure?"
"It is their own laws that have forbidden those of us in the United States to fight amongst ourselves until the law has passed or failed to pass in Washington. The council wants us to remain legal in this country. If they break their own rules, no one else will obey them."
Asher turned full face into the light. "There are worse things than death, Jean-Claude."
Jean-Claude sighed. "I did not desert you, Asher. What can I say to convince you of the truth? You can taste the truth in my words. I came to you as soon as I knew."
"You have had centuries to convince yourself of what you want the truth to be, Jean-Claude. Wanting it to be true doesn't make it so."
"So be it, Asher. But I would undo whatever you think I have done, if I could. I would bring her back if I could."
Asher held up his hand as if he could push the thought away. "No, no, no! You killed her. You let her die. You let her burn to death. I felt her die, Jean-Claude. I was her master. She was so afraid. To the last she thought you would come save her. I was her master and I know that her last words were your name.
"You are serious about this."
"Absolutely," I said. "Feet further apart."
He shifted, but it wasn't enough.
I kicked his feet apart until his balance was off-center and started searching him one-handed.
"Dominant, very dominant. Does she like to be on top?"
I ignored him. More surprising, so did Jean-Claude.
"Slower, slower. Hasn't Jean-Claude taught you not to rush?" He drew in a breath at the appropriate moment. "Oooh, that's nice."
Yes, it was embarrassing, but I searched him top to bottom. There wasn't a damn thing to find. But I felt better. I stepped back until I was out of reach and put the gun up.
He was watching over his shoulder. "Do the panties match the bra?"
I shook my head. "You can stand up now."
He stayed against the car. "Don't you need to strip-search me?"
"In your dreams," I said.
He stood, smoothing his coat back into place. "You have no idea what I dream, Anita." I couldn't read the look on his face, but the look was enough. I didn't want to know what Asher saw when he closed his eyes at the break of day.
"Shall we go?" Jean-Claude said.
"Are you so eager to throw your life away?" Asher asked. The anger returned with a rush, chasing out the amused teasing gallant.
"The council will not kill me tonight," Jean-Claude said.
"Are you so sure?"
"It is their own laws that have forbidden those of us in the United States to fight amongst ourselves until the law has passed or failed to pass in Washington. The council wants us to remain legal in this country. If they break their own rules, no one else will obey them."
Asher turned full face into the light. "There are worse things than death, Jean-Claude."
Jean-Claude sighed. "I did not desert you, Asher. What can I say to convince you of the truth? You can taste the truth in my words. I came to you as soon as I knew."
"You have had centuries to convince yourself of what you want the truth to be, Jean-Claude. Wanting it to be true doesn't make it so."
"So be it, Asher. But I would undo whatever you think I have done, if I could. I would bring her back if I could."
Asher held up his hand as if he could push the thought away. "No, no, no! You killed her. You let her die. You let her burn to death. I felt her die, Jean-Claude. I was her master. She was so afraid. To the last she thought you would come save her. I was her master and I know that her last words were your name.