JК
Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 164 из 272" She collapsed on the floor in a sobbing heap, and the vampires let goof her so she could do it.
One of the female vamps said, "Your age, now." Her voice was like quiet thunder, a warning of the coming storm.
The second girl's eyes widened behind her glasses. "I'm nineteen." There was fear now peeking out from behind her anger.
"Fine; they're over eighteen, but an unwilling human is still an unwilling human, regardless of age," I said.
"Would you play policeman here, Anita?" Janos asked. He sounded amused.
"I won't just stand here and watch you hurt them."
"You have a high opinion of yourself, Anita. Confident. I like that. Always so much more entertaining to break someone strong. The weaklings fold and cry and snivel, but the brave ones, they almost demand that you hurt them." He stalked towards me, reaching out one white spider-hand. "Do you want me to hurt you?"
I remembered Jean-Claude's warning not to use weapons, but fuck it, I was going for the Browning.
Jean-Claude was just suddenly there, holding Janos's wrist. Janos seemed impressed. Truthfully, so was I. I hadn't seen him move, and apparently neither had Janos. A nifty trick, that.
I let my hand relax away from the gun, though I was pretty sure that drawing it would make me feel better. But the purpose of tonight's exercise was not to make me feel better, it was to stay alive.
"No harm to any of us; that was the promise," Jean-Claude said.
Janos drew his wrist from Jean-Claude's grasp slowly, almost lingeringly, as if he enjoyed it. "Once Serephina's promise is given, she keeps it."
"Then why are the young women here?"
"Those two" — he motioned to Larry and me—"would truly not stand by and watch harm come to strangers?" He sounded surprised, but not unhappy about it.
"Sadly, yes," Jean-Claude said.
"And if they join the fray, you will come in to protect her?" Janos asked.
"If I must."
Janos smiled, and I could hear his skin creak with the strain of holding in his bones. "Splendid."
I saw a tremor run through Jean-Claude's back, as if he had been caught off guard. I was just plain confused.
"The two young women came willingly into our house. They knew what we were, and agreed to help us entertain guests."
I glanced at the second girl. "Is that true?"
One of her vampire guards touched her shoulder, lightly, but it was enough. "We came willingly, but we didn't know. ." The vampire's hand squeezed. The girl's face crumbled in pain but she made no sound.
One of the female vamps said, "Your age, now." Her voice was like quiet thunder, a warning of the coming storm.
The second girl's eyes widened behind her glasses. "I'm nineteen." There was fear now peeking out from behind her anger.
"Fine; they're over eighteen, but an unwilling human is still an unwilling human, regardless of age," I said.
"Would you play policeman here, Anita?" Janos asked. He sounded amused.
"I won't just stand here and watch you hurt them."
"You have a high opinion of yourself, Anita. Confident. I like that. Always so much more entertaining to break someone strong. The weaklings fold and cry and snivel, but the brave ones, they almost demand that you hurt them." He stalked towards me, reaching out one white spider-hand. "Do you want me to hurt you?"
I remembered Jean-Claude's warning not to use weapons, but fuck it, I was going for the Browning.
Jean-Claude was just suddenly there, holding Janos's wrist. Janos seemed impressed. Truthfully, so was I. I hadn't seen him move, and apparently neither had Janos. A nifty trick, that.
I let my hand relax away from the gun, though I was pretty sure that drawing it would make me feel better. But the purpose of tonight's exercise was not to make me feel better, it was to stay alive.
"No harm to any of us; that was the promise," Jean-Claude said.
Janos drew his wrist from Jean-Claude's grasp slowly, almost lingeringly, as if he enjoyed it. "Once Serephina's promise is given, she keeps it."
"Then why are the young women here?"
"Those two" — he motioned to Larry and me—"would truly not stand by and watch harm come to strangers?" He sounded surprised, but not unhappy about it.
"Sadly, yes," Jean-Claude said.
"And if they join the fray, you will come in to protect her?" Janos asked.
"If I must."
Janos smiled, and I could hear his skin creak with the strain of holding in his bones. "Splendid."
I saw a tremor run through Jean-Claude's back, as if he had been caught off guard. I was just plain confused.
"The two young women came willingly into our house. They knew what we were, and agreed to help us entertain guests."
I glanced at the second girl. "Is that true?"
One of her vampire guards touched her shoulder, lightly, but it was enough. "We came willingly, but we didn't know. ." The vampire's hand squeezed. The girl's face crumbled in pain but she made no sound.