Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Colletion_ Books 6-10 - Laurell K. Hamilton [266]
His eyes widened a little. “Fearful that I will turn on you and your friends?”
I shrugged. “Can’t blame a girl for being cautious.”
He smiled, and it almost reached his eyes. “No, I suppose I cannot.”
I slid one of the knives out of its sheath and handed it to him hilt-first.
He waved it away. “You may keep your knives, Miss Blake. They will only be protection if someone gets very close, very personal. I think a lady should be allowed to defend her honor.”
Damn, he was being nice, gentlemanly. If I kept the second handgun and he found out later, he might not be so nice. “Damn,” I said.
Carswell frowned.
“I have one more gun.”
“It must be very well concealed, Miss Blake.”
I sighed again. “Inconveniently so, yes. Do you want it or not?”
He glanced back at Gideon, who nodded. “Yes, please, Miss Blake.”
“Everybody turn their backs.”
Amused or bemused looks all around.
“I have to raise the dress and flash the room to get the gun. I don’t want anyone peeking.” All right, it was stupid and juvenile, but I still couldn’t just raise the dress in front of five men. My daddy brought me up better than that.
Carswell turned without being asked a second time. I got some very amused looks, but everyone turned, except for Gideon. “I would be a poor bodyguard if I allowed you to shoot us in the back while we were defending your modesty.” He had a point.
“All right, I’ll turn my back.” Which I did, fishing the gun out for the last time. The bellyband was a good idea, but the Firestar was going in the other coat pocket when I got it back. I was tired of messing with it.
I handed the gun to Gideon. He took it, still looking amused. “Is that everything except for the knives?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Your word of honor?”
I nodded. “My word.”
He nodded, too, as if that was enough. I knew already that Carswell was someone’s human servant. He was the genuine article, a British soldier of Queen Victoria’s army. But until that moment I hadn’t known that Gideon was as old. Lycanthropes don’t age that slowly. He was getting help from somewhere or he was more than just a shapeshifter.
“Lycanthrope,” I said, “but what else are you?”
He smiled then, flashing small fangs top and bottom. The only other lycanthrope I’d seen with fangs like that had been Gabriel. You get things like that if you spend too much time in animal form.
“Guess,” he said in a whisper so low and rumbling it made me shiver.
Carswell said, “May we turn around, Miss Blake?”
“Sure,” I said.
He slid his jacket back on, smoothing it in place, and offered me his arm once more. “Shall we, Miss Blake?”
“Anita, my name’s Anita.”
He smiled. “Then you may call me Thomas.” He said it as if he didn’t let a lot of people call him by his first name.
It made me smile. “Thank you, Thomas.”
He tucked my arm more securely in the crook of his own. “I do wish…Anita, that our meeting could be under better circumstances.”
I met his sad eyes and said, “What’s happening to my people while you delay me here with your polite smiles?”
He sighed. “I am hoping he will be finished before we walk in upon them.” A look almost like pain crossed his face. “It is not a sight fit for a lady.”
I tried to pull my arm free, and he gripped it more tightly. His eyes weren’t sad anymore. They were full of something I couldn’t read. “Know that this is not my choice.”
“Let go of me, Thomas.”
He let me draw my arm free of him. I was suddenly afraid of what was inside the tent. I’d never spoken with Vivian, and Gregory was a perverted piece of shit, but I suddenly didn’t want to see what had happened to them.
Gideon said, “Thomas, should she…?”
“Let her,” he said. “She has only the knives.”
I didn’t exactly run, but I was close when I reached the closed flap of the tent. I heard Richard say, “Anita…”
I felt him coming up behind me, but I didn’t wait. I flung the flap aside and stepped inside. The tent had just one