JК
The Killing Dance :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 17 из 285But none of them have the kind of money that's being put out forthe hit."
"How can you be so calm about this?"
"Would it solve anything if I had hysterics?"
He shook his head. "It's not that." He seemed to think for a second. "It's that you're not outraged that someone's trying to kill you. You just accept it, almost like it's normal. It isn't normal."
"Assassins aren't normal, even for me, Richard," I said.
"Just vampires, zombies, and werewolves," he said.
I smiled. "Yeah."
He hugged me tightly and whispered, "Loving you can be very scary sometimes."
I wrapped my arms around his waist, leaning my face against his chest. I closed my eyes, and for just a moment I breathed in the smell of him. It was more than his aftershave; it was the smell of his skin, his warmth. Him. For just a moment, I sank against him and let it all go. I let his arms be my shelter. I knew that a well-placed bullet would destroy it all, but for a few seconds, I felt safe. Illusion is sometimes all that keeps us sane.
I pushed away from him with a sigh. "Let's give our regrets to Catherine and get out of here."
He touched my cheek gently, looking into my eyes. "We can stay if you want."
I nestled my cheek against his hand and shook my head. "If the shit hits the fan tomorrow, I don't want to spend tonight at a party. I'd rather go back to my apartment and cuddle."
He flashed me that smile that warmed me down to my toes. "Sounds like a plan to me."
I smiled back because I couldn't not smile back. "I'll go tell Catherine."
"I'll get the coats," he said.
We did our various tasks and left early. Catherine gave me a very knowing smile. I wished she was right. Leaving early to jump Richard's bones beat the heck out of the truth. Monica watched us leave. I knew that she and Robert would report back to Jean-Claude. Fine. He knew I was dating Richard. I hadn't lied to anybody. Monica was a lawyer at Catherine's firm—frightening thought all on its own—so she had a legitimate reason to be invited. Jean-Claude hadn't arranged it, but I didn't like being spied on, no matter how it came about.
The walk to the car was nerve-racking. Every shadow was suddenly a potential hiding place. Every noise a footstep. I didn't draw my gun, but my hand ached to do it. "Dammit," I said, softly. The numbness was wearing off. I wasn't sure it was an improvement.
"What is it?" Richard asked. He was suddenly scanning the darkness, not looking at me while he talked. His nostrils flared just a little, and I realized he was scenting the wind.
"Just jumpy.
"How can you be so calm about this?"
"Would it solve anything if I had hysterics?"
He shook his head. "It's not that." He seemed to think for a second. "It's that you're not outraged that someone's trying to kill you. You just accept it, almost like it's normal. It isn't normal."
"Assassins aren't normal, even for me, Richard," I said.
"Just vampires, zombies, and werewolves," he said.
I smiled. "Yeah."
He hugged me tightly and whispered, "Loving you can be very scary sometimes."
I wrapped my arms around his waist, leaning my face against his chest. I closed my eyes, and for just a moment I breathed in the smell of him. It was more than his aftershave; it was the smell of his skin, his warmth. Him. For just a moment, I sank against him and let it all go. I let his arms be my shelter. I knew that a well-placed bullet would destroy it all, but for a few seconds, I felt safe. Illusion is sometimes all that keeps us sane.
I pushed away from him with a sigh. "Let's give our regrets to Catherine and get out of here."
He touched my cheek gently, looking into my eyes. "We can stay if you want."
I nestled my cheek against his hand and shook my head. "If the shit hits the fan tomorrow, I don't want to spend tonight at a party. I'd rather go back to my apartment and cuddle."
He flashed me that smile that warmed me down to my toes. "Sounds like a plan to me."
I smiled back because I couldn't not smile back. "I'll go tell Catherine."
"I'll get the coats," he said.
We did our various tasks and left early. Catherine gave me a very knowing smile. I wished she was right. Leaving early to jump Richard's bones beat the heck out of the truth. Monica watched us leave. I knew that she and Robert would report back to Jean-Claude. Fine. He knew I was dating Richard. I hadn't lied to anybody. Monica was a lawyer at Catherine's firm—frightening thought all on its own—so she had a legitimate reason to be invited. Jean-Claude hadn't arranged it, but I didn't like being spied on, no matter how it came about.
The walk to the car was nerve-racking. Every shadow was suddenly a potential hiding place. Every noise a footstep. I didn't draw my gun, but my hand ached to do it. "Dammit," I said, softly. The numbness was wearing off. I wasn't sure it was an improvement.
"What is it?" Richard asked. He was suddenly scanning the darkness, not looking at me while he talked. His nostrils flared just a little, and I realized he was scenting the wind.
"Just jumpy.