Blood Noir - Laurell K. Hamilton [37]
Roberta’s dark eyes glanced at the men, then back to Jason. “You finally have your own guards, just like the rest of the Summerlands.”
“Roberta.” Iris said it like she meant it. That one word cracked into the sudden silence with more force than I thought Mrs. Schuyler had in her. Under that delicate exterior there were tougher bits. Good to know.
Roberta gave her mother a look almost as angry as the one she was flashing at Jason. I was beginning to think Roberta just wanted to be pissed at someone, anyone. Sometimes grief will do that to you, make you attack random targets.
“Tell Dad the truth, Jason,” she said in a softer, but still tight voice.
“And what is the truth, Roberta?” he asked, and his voice was flat and unfriendly. I don’t know if I’d ever heard him sound quite like that. No love lost between him and this sister.
“You’re gay, Jason.”
He laughed, but not like it was funny. “You and Dad have believed that since high school. I don’t know why, but you have. Mom says come home; bring a girlfriend if you’ve got one, so your father can die in peace. Can’t let him die thinking his only son is a faggot, can we?”
“He’d rather you just admit it.”
I raised a hand. “Can I say something here?”
Jason said, “Yes.” She said, “No.”
“Yes,” Jason said more vehemently.
“I’m his very good friend, Roberta. Your mother called him yesterday. I dropped everything to get on a plane and come out here with Jason. I wouldn’t do that if he wasn’t important to me.”
She gave me a look of damn near rage. I had no idea where this anger was coming from. “He always had a lot of fag-hag girlfriends.”
Iris and Julia both said, “Roberta!”
I stared at her openmouthed for a second.
“Thanks, Bobbi, love you as much as you love me,” Jason said.
She turned that rage-filled gaze to Jason. “I know you slept with girls in high school, but you slept with boys, too. That makes you gay, Jason.”
“Technically, that would make me bisexual, Bobbi. Would you or Dad tell me why you are convinced I slept with guys in high school?”
“I saw you.”
“One night, you think you saw me, and you told Dad, who always thought I was gay anyway. I told you then and I’ll tell you now, I wasn’t there. I don’t know what or who you think you saw, but I was with someone else.”
“Who? Just tell me who, and maybe I’ll believe you.”
“I promised her no one would ever know, and I keep my word.”
“Isn’t that convenient. I know what I saw.”
Jason’s hand started rubbing back and forth on my hip, gently. He was doing it to comfort himself, like all the lycanthropes do. The Browning at the small of my back forced him to put his hand low enough to touch my hip. My waist was used up with the hardware.
“Touch her all you want in public, it doesn’t change the truth.”
“Look,” I said, “I don’t know what family problem I’ve walked into, but Jason and I are lovers.”
“And how many men are you sharing him with?”
“None,” I said.
She gave Jason a withering look. “You’ve got her fooled.”
Julia got between them at that point. “Bobbi, stop it. I know you’re hurt about Dad, but hurting Jason won’t save him.”
Roberta looked away from us. She shook her head. “I’ve got to get out of here.” She went, not for the elevator, but down the hallway. We watched her walk around the corner out of sight.
“I am so sorry, Anita,” Iris said.
Julia hugged Jason. “I believe she’s your girlfriend.”
“Thanks, but I’m betting that Dad will agree with Bobbi.”
Julia hugged him a little tighter, but her face showed the same thought. Julia, like her mother, I’d have played poker with any day of the week. Roberta, I wasn’t sure about yet.
A deep voice came from the open door. “If you’re going to fight, do it where I can see it.”
Jason sighed and leaned in against me. He put his face against my neck. He breathed in the scent of my skin, the way you get a last breath of oxygen before diving into the depths.
Iris went ahead of us, saying, “Frank, be nice.”
I was betting that Bobbi