JК
Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
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“Iam not doing it,” he said.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“When you have the answer, Anita, come back to me, and we will talk.”
I was too tired for riddles. “Who do you think you are? Using people like this.”
“I am the new master of the city,” he said. He was suddenly next to me, fingers touching my cheek. “And you put me upon the throne.”
I jerked away from him. “You stay away from me for a while, Jean-Claude, or I swear …”
“You'll kill me?” he said. He was smiling, laughing at me.
I didn't shoot him. And some people say I have no sense of humor.
I found a room with a dirt floor and several shallow graves. Phillip let me lead him to the room. It was only when we stood staring down at the fresh-turned earth that he turned to me. “Anita?”
“Hush,” I said.
“Anita, what's happening?”
He was beginning to remember. He would become more alive in a few hours, up to a point. It would almost be the real Phillip for a day, or two.
“Anita?” His voice was high and uncertain. A little boy afraid of the dark. He grabbed my arm, and his hand felt very real. His eyes were still that perfect brown. “What's going on?”
I stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. His skin was warm. “You need to rest, Phillip. You're tired.”
He nodded. “Tired,” he said.
I led him to the soft dirt. He lay down on it, then sat up, eyes wild, grabbing for me. “Aubrey! He …”
“Aubrey's dead. He can't hurt you anymore.”
“Dead?” He stared down the length of his body as if just seeing it. “Aubrey killed me.”
I nodded. “Yes, Phillip.”
“I'm scared.”
I held him, rubbing his back in smooth, useless circles. His arms hugged me like he would never let go.
“Anita!”
“Hush, hush. It's all right. It's all right.”
“You're going to put me back, aren't you?” He drew back so he could see my face.
“Yes,” I said.
“I don't want to die.”
“You're already dead.”
He stared down at his hands, flexing them. “Dead?” he whispered. “Dead?” He lay down on the fresh-turned earth. “Put me back,” he said.
And I did.
At the end his eyes closed and his face went slack, dead. He sank into the grave and was gone.
I dropped to my knees beside Phillip's grave, and wept.
48
Edward had a dislocated shoulder and two broken bones in his arm, plus one vampire bite.
“Iam not doing it,” he said.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“When you have the answer, Anita, come back to me, and we will talk.”
I was too tired for riddles. “Who do you think you are? Using people like this.”
“I am the new master of the city,” he said. He was suddenly next to me, fingers touching my cheek. “And you put me upon the throne.”
I jerked away from him. “You stay away from me for a while, Jean-Claude, or I swear …”
“You'll kill me?” he said. He was smiling, laughing at me.
I didn't shoot him. And some people say I have no sense of humor.
I found a room with a dirt floor and several shallow graves. Phillip let me lead him to the room. It was only when we stood staring down at the fresh-turned earth that he turned to me. “Anita?”
“Hush,” I said.
“Anita, what's happening?”
He was beginning to remember. He would become more alive in a few hours, up to a point. It would almost be the real Phillip for a day, or two.
“Anita?” His voice was high and uncertain. A little boy afraid of the dark. He grabbed my arm, and his hand felt very real. His eyes were still that perfect brown. “What's going on?”
I stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. His skin was warm. “You need to rest, Phillip. You're tired.”
He nodded. “Tired,” he said.
I led him to the soft dirt. He lay down on it, then sat up, eyes wild, grabbing for me. “Aubrey! He …”
“Aubrey's dead. He can't hurt you anymore.”
“Dead?” He stared down the length of his body as if just seeing it. “Aubrey killed me.”
I nodded. “Yes, Phillip.”
“I'm scared.”
I held him, rubbing his back in smooth, useless circles. His arms hugged me like he would never let go.
“Anita!”
“Hush, hush. It's all right. It's all right.”
“You're going to put me back, aren't you?” He drew back so he could see my face.
“Yes,” I said.
“I don't want to die.”
“You're already dead.”
He stared down at his hands, flexing them. “Dead?” he whispered. “Dead?” He lay down on the fresh-turned earth. “Put me back,” he said.
And I did.
At the end his eyes closed and his face went slack, dead. He sank into the grave and was gone.
I dropped to my knees beside Phillip's grave, and wept.
48
Edward had a dislocated shoulder and two broken bones in his arm, plus one vampire bite.