JК
Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 26 из 205I began to relearnhow to breathe. “I'm fine,” I lied.
“Anita, what is going on? What was that stuff on stage? You aren't a vampire any more than I am.”
Aubrey made a silent hiss behind her back, fangs straining, making his lips bleed. His shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Catherine gripped my arm. “Anita?”
I hugged her, and she hugged me back. I would not let her die like this. I would not let it happen. She pulled away from me and stared into my face. “Talk to me.”
“Shall we talk in my office?” Jean-Claude asked.
“Catherine doesn't need to come.”
Aubrey strolled closer. He seemed to glimmer in the twilight dark, like a jewel. “I think she should come. It does concern her intimately.” He licked his bloody lips, tongue pink and quick as a cat's.
“No, I want her out of this, any way I can get her out of it.”
“Out of what? What are you talking about?”
Jean-Claude asked, “Is she likely to go to the police?”
“Go to the police about what?” Catherine asked, her voice getting louder with each question.
“If she did?”
“She would die,” Jean-Claude said.
“Wait just a minute,” Catherine said. “Are you threatening me?”
Catherine's face was gaining a lot of color. Anger did that to her. “She'll go to the police,” I said.
“It is your choice.”
“I'm sorry, Catherine, but it would be better for us all if you didn't remember any of this.”
“That's it! We are leaving, now.” She grabbed my hand, and I didn't stop her.
Aubrey moved up behind her. “Look at me, Catherine.”
She stiffened. Her fingers dug into my hand; incredible tension vibrated down her muscles. She was fighting it. God, help her. But she didn't have any magic, or crucifixes. Strength of will was not enough, not against something like Aubrey.
Her hand fell away from my arm, fingers going limp all at once. Breath went out of her in a long, shuddering sigh. She stared at something just a little over my head, something I couldn't see.
I whispered, “Catherine, I'm sorry.”
“Aubrey can wipe her memory of this night. She will think she drank too much, but that will not undo the damage.”
“I know. The only thing that can break Aubrey's hold on her is his death.”
“She will be dust in her grave before that happens.”
I stared at him, at the blood stain on his shirt. I smiled a very careful smile.
“This little wound was luck and nothing more.
“Anita, what is going on? What was that stuff on stage? You aren't a vampire any more than I am.”
Aubrey made a silent hiss behind her back, fangs straining, making his lips bleed. His shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Catherine gripped my arm. “Anita?”
I hugged her, and she hugged me back. I would not let her die like this. I would not let it happen. She pulled away from me and stared into my face. “Talk to me.”
“Shall we talk in my office?” Jean-Claude asked.
“Catherine doesn't need to come.”
Aubrey strolled closer. He seemed to glimmer in the twilight dark, like a jewel. “I think she should come. It does concern her intimately.” He licked his bloody lips, tongue pink and quick as a cat's.
“No, I want her out of this, any way I can get her out of it.”
“Out of what? What are you talking about?”
Jean-Claude asked, “Is she likely to go to the police?”
“Go to the police about what?” Catherine asked, her voice getting louder with each question.
“If she did?”
“She would die,” Jean-Claude said.
“Wait just a minute,” Catherine said. “Are you threatening me?”
Catherine's face was gaining a lot of color. Anger did that to her. “She'll go to the police,” I said.
“It is your choice.”
“I'm sorry, Catherine, but it would be better for us all if you didn't remember any of this.”
“That's it! We are leaving, now.” She grabbed my hand, and I didn't stop her.
Aubrey moved up behind her. “Look at me, Catherine.”
She stiffened. Her fingers dug into my hand; incredible tension vibrated down her muscles. She was fighting it. God, help her. But she didn't have any magic, or crucifixes. Strength of will was not enough, not against something like Aubrey.
Her hand fell away from my arm, fingers going limp all at once. Breath went out of her in a long, shuddering sigh. She stared at something just a little over my head, something I couldn't see.
I whispered, “Catherine, I'm sorry.”
“Aubrey can wipe her memory of this night. She will think she drank too much, but that will not undo the damage.”
“I know. The only thing that can break Aubrey's hold on her is his death.”
“She will be dust in her grave before that happens.”
I stared at him, at the blood stain on his shirt. I smiled a very careful smile.
“This little wound was luck and nothing more.