Pure Blood_ A Nocturne City Novel - Caitlin Kittredge [26]
“What did she want?” asked Shelby when we were moving.
“We have the name of the club and the name of Vincent’s unsavory boyfriend,” I said, omitting the rest. If Shelby handed out any more sarcasm and snobbery tonight I’d lose it.
“Good,” she said. “We’ll hit it first thing tomorrow.”
I turned a corner and caught sight of the Crown Theater, an old movie house. A row of road bikes sat at the curb, just like the last time I’d come.
The Fairlane’s tires squealed as I gunned the engine and sped back toward the expressway, suspension be damned. The Redbacks were still in their old pack house, minus Dmitri. For a second I thought about turning around, but what would I say? Would anyone there even know me? Most of the Redbacks close to Dmitri had been killed by Duncan’s cronies when he got involved with me.
Gods be damned, why did the wound have to keep opening? I needed to shut him out of my mind. Dmitri Sandovsky was not coming back. He wasn’t my white knight.
He was just gone.
CHAPTER 9
You feel like glass on the tail end of a long shift, rigid and breakable. When I finally got back to the cottage, all I wanted was to make it to bed without allowing myself to have a psychotic break.
A small red convertible was parked in my driveway and my throat closed up a little. I left the Fairlane crooked on the crushed shells and ran to the door, finding it unlocked.
Sunny was curled on the sofa with a teacup and yesterday’s paper. She looked up when I entered and cocked an eyebrow. “You’re late.”
The wall clock said six A.M. No wonder I felt shattered. “What are you doing here?” I said in a carefully neutral tone as I stowed my gun, conspicuously not locking the desk.
“Am I not allowed to visit my cousin anymore?” Sunny said, setting the paper aside.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Are you? What do Rhoda Swann’s Rules of Life say this week?”
Sunny’s mouth curled down on one side. “You’re never going to get over Grandma Rhoda letting me move back in, are you?”
I slammed the drawer shut and said, “Letting you? That’s a great twist. She let me bargain you back when I needed her help most. Actually, no. That makes perfect sense in her bizzaro version of the world.”
“Luna.” Sunny sighed. “This may come as a shock, but I’m a person, and I do occasionally make my own decisions.” She went into the kitchen and I heard the water start. I followed out of habit. Sunny set the clean mug in the rack and faced me. “It’s easier for you to believe that Grandma manipulated me away than to admit this was partially your fault.”
“Wow, are you and Dr. Merriman sharing the same Psychobabble Bullshit handbook?” I asked with my eyes wide.
Sunny flipped a hand at me. “Don’t start. Displace your anger onto a punching bag or something.”
I burned. I’d forgotten how immune she was to my inherent bitchiness. Still, it felt good so I kept it up. “And how is life in Grandma’s gingerbread cottage?”
“No one’s broken in and tried to kill me yet,” said Sunny quietly.
That one, I didn’t have a snotty comeback for. I sat down and examined my hands so Sunny wouldn’t notice she’d scored a point.
“You’ve kept the cottage in good shape,” Sunny said. “No new damage. How’s your moonphase?”
“Fine,” I said. It was pleasantries now, and I hated the way Sunny swept things under the rug by reverting to small talk, but I was too tired to poke at her anymore. “I’m fine. The restraints have been enough for the past few months.”
Sunny nodded. “Glad to hear it. You know you can call me if you ever need anything.”
“Not on the warpath to cure me anymore?” I asked with a thin smile. Sunny shook her head.
“You made that choice when you killed Duncan. I saw how trying to control the phase was killing you. I’m sorry I pushed so hard.”
Well, I’m sorry you ran out on me was the first thing that came to mind. “Forget it.” I stood up. “I need to get some sleep. Me and my new partner are going to some fetish place tonight, and I’m exhausted.”
“Partner?” said Sunny. “That’s new. Who