Pure Blood_ A Nocturne City Novel - Caitlin Kittredge [8]
And just like she and everyone else expected me to, I exploded. “What the fuck do you want me to say, Dr. Merriman? You want me to sigh and look at my feet and admit that I’m an adrenaline junkie and I thrive on chaos, and on those images of death that I carry around in my head? You think I don’t know that I’m self-destructive?”
Merriman smiled, and jotted on her pad, because she had something she could rat me out about finally, after three months of sessions where I’d given pat responses that cops involved in case-related deaths are supposed to give. “Honestly, Luna? I think you won’t be satisfied until everything around you is in flames.”
I walked out of her office at Cedar Hill Psych, and even though we had two more appointments I didn’t go back. Too many people had seen through me, but Merriman was going to be the latest to think she had something to hold over my head.
After I made it upstairs with the echoes of memories I’d rather not have, I stood under my shower until my fingers started to crimp at the ends, then I towelled off and put on sweats that had already seen more than one wearing. I shut off my lights and watched the moonlight play through the trellises outside my window. I thought about golden daemon eyes and the screams of Alistair Duncan. Sleep, when it finally came, was drenched in bloody dreams.
At exactly 4 A.M. I woke with the certain knowledge that someone was inside my house. I heard the screen door slap shut and then the inner door gently close, and a muffled curse as whoever-it-was caught themselves on my furniture.
I was out of bed and had the knife in one motion, keeping low as I crouch-ran to the top of the stairs. I reached up for the switch and stood, screaming, “Police! Freeze!”
“Hex me!” The figure below threw up his arms and dropped the pair of white bakery bags he was holding. Hot coffee sloshed out of one and across my new rug. “Shit!” he exclaimed, grabbing a grungy bandanna out of his back pocket and mopping at the stain. “Luna, you scared the crap out of me!”
Still poised with the knife on the stairs, I let out a long sigh. “Trevor, what the hell are you doing here?”
Trevor Wick gave me a look that was equal parts sheepish and pissed. “My last set ended early. I brought you breakfast in bed … or tried.”
I dropped the knife to my side and came down to help him pick up the bags and blot at the coffee. “How did you get in?”
Trevor sat back on his heels. “You gave me a key, remember?” He cocked an eyebrow at the hunting knife. “Babe, what are you doing with that?”
I set it on the arm of the sofa. “I don’t like having a gun in my bedroom.” Admitting it to someone else in a lit room, I felt ridiculous and more than a little crazy. Trevor kissed me on the cheek.
“You’re one scary chick. I love it.” He took the bag from me. “I’m gonna go toast the remains of my surprise. Cream cheese or lox?”
“Cream cheese,” I said, still crouched, not able to meet his eyes. Yeah, we hadn’t been dating for that long, but how much more of a freak could I look like?
Trevor brushed the side of my breast with his knuckles as he stood. “Don’t keep me waiting too long, sexy.” He disappeared into the kitchen. I stared down at the brown stain on my rug and felt like an idiot.
I got orange juice and plates while Trevor spread cream cheese on my bagel. Seeing him standing in my kitchen, easily finding knives and spoons and a plate for the lox, was weird. In a big way.
Trevor sensed me looking at him and cocked an eyebrow. “What’s on your mind, babe?”
I swallowed. He had only been in my house once before, but he’d stayed long enough to make me breakfast the following morning, and in what was obviously a fit of insanity I had given him my spare key. Had I somehow telegraphed that it was okay for him to barge in whenever he liked?
“Nothing. Last night was my first shift back at work.”
Trevor licked the knife and tossed it into the sink. “Cool. You bust any bad guys?”
Did crazed junkies trying to stab my face