Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton [67]
I froze, for a second. It was so unexpected that I just froze. If he had pulled out a gun, he could have killed me while I sat with my mouth hanging open. What the hell was he doing here?
Madge led him and the woman towards the bar. He glanced back at me over her shoulder and gave me a delicate smile that left his blue eyes empty as a doll’s.
I knew my twenty-four hours were not up. I knew that. Edward had decided to come looking for Nikolaos. Had he followed us? Had he listened to Phillip’s message on my machine?
“What’s wrong?” Phillip asked.
“What’s wrong?” I said. “You are taking orders from somebody, probably a vampire . . .” I finished the statement silently in my head: And Death has just waltzed in the door to play freak while he searches for Nikolaos. There was only one reason Edward searched for a particular vampire. He meant to kill her, if he could.
The assassin might finally have met his match. I had thought I wanted to be around when Edward finally lost. I wanted to see what prey was too large for Death to conquer. I had seen this prey, up close and personal. If Edward and Nikolaos met and she even suspected that I had a hand in it . . . shit. Shit, shit, shit!
I should turn Edward in. He had threatened me, and he would carry it out. He would torture me to get information. What did I owe him? But I couldn’t do it, wouldn’t do it. A human being does not turn another human being over to the monsters. Not for any reason.
Monica had broken that rule, and I despised her for it. I think I was the closest thing Edward had to a real friend. A person who knows who and what you are and likes you anyway. I did like him, despite or because of what he was. Even though I knew he’d kill me if it worked out that way? Yes, even though. It didn’t make much sense when you looked at it that way. But I couldn’t worry about Edward’s morality. The only person I had to face in the mirror was me. The only moral dilemma I could solve was my own.
I watched Edward play kissy-face with Madge. He was much better at role-playing than I was. He was also a much better liar.
I would not tell, and Edward had known I would not tell. In his own way, he knew me, too. He had bet his life on my integrity, and that pissed me off. I hate to be used. My virtue had become its own punishment.
But maybe, I didn’t know how yet, I could use Edward the way he was using me. Perhaps I could use his lack of honor as he used my honor now.
It had possibilities.
26
THE AUBURN-HAIRED WOMAN with Edward came over to the couch and slid into Phillip’s lap. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck with a little kick of her feet. Her hands didn’t wander lower, and she didn’t try to undress him. The night was looking up. Edward followed behind the woman like a blond shadow. There was a drink in his hand and a suitably harmless smile on his face.
If I hadn’t known him, I would never have looked at him and said, there, there is a dangerous man. Edward the Chameleon. He balanced on the couch arm at the woman’s back, one hand rubbing her shoulder.
“Anita, this is Darlene,” Phillip said.
I nodded. She giggled and kicked her little feet.
“This is Teddy. Isn’t he scrumptious?”
Teddy? Scrumptious? I managed a smile, and Edward kissed the side of her neck. She snuggled against his chest, managing to wiggle in Phillip’s lap at the same time. Coordination.
“Let me have a taste.” Darlene sucked her lower lip under her teeth and drew it out slowly.
Phillip’s breath trembled. He whispered, “Yes.”
I didn’t think I was going to like this.
Darlene cupped his arm in her hands and raised it to her mouth. She bestowed a delicate kiss over one of his scars, then she slid her legs down between his until she was kneeling at his feet, still holding his arm. The full skirt of her dress was bunched up around her waist, caught on his legs. She was wearing red lace panties and matching