Read Online Anita Blake 15 - The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laurell K. Hamilton
Tags: Fantasy
Ads: Link
want to be recognized, for several reasons. It was rude to distract the audience from Byron's show, and "Brandon" wasn't working tonight. Lisandro unlocked the door and ushered us through.
The door closed behind us, and it was blessedly quiet. The rear area wasn't soundproof, but it was sound-muffled. I hadn't realized how loud the music was until it stopped. Or maybe that was just how bad my nerves were tonight.
Lisandro led us down the hallway to the door on the left-hand side. Jean-Claude's office was its usual elegant black-and-white self. There was even an Oriental screen in one corner that hid an emergency coffin. Sort of a vampire's version of a rollaway. Only the couch against the wall and the carpet were new. Asher and I had ruined the old stuff with sex that got so out of hand, I'd ended up in the hospital.
Lisandro closed the door and leaned against it, on this side. "You staying?" I asked.
He nodded. "Jean-Claude's orders. He wants you to have bodyguards again."
"When did he order that?"
"Just a few minutes ago."
"Shit."
"Did your beast try to rise again?" he asked.
I shook my head.
Nathaniel had set the box on Jean-Claude's black lacquer desk. He took off the hat and coat and laid them on one of the two chairs in front of the desk. "I've got to get a lighter-weight hat if I'm going to keep using it for a disguise. The leather is just too warm." He wiped a thin bead of sweat off his forehead.
"If your beast didn't try to rise again, then why are you back to needing bodyguards?" Lisandro asked.
I opened my mouth, closed it. "I don't know how much Jean-Claude will want you to know. I'm not even sure how much anyone is allowed to know."
"About what?"
I shrugged. "I'll tell you if I can."
"If you're going to get me killed, can I at least know why?"
"I've never gotten you hurt before."
"No, but we've lost two of our rats guarding you, Anita. Let's just say that if my wife ends up a widow, I'd like to know why."
I glanced at his hand. "You don't wear a ring."
"Not at work, no."
"Why not?"
"You don't want people knowing you have people that you care about, Anita. It can give them ideas." His gaze flicked to Nathaniel, just for a moment, then back to me. But Nathaniel had seen it.
"Lisandro thinks I'm a victim. That you need stronger men in your life."
I went to sit beside Nathaniel on the new white couch. He put his arm across my shoulders, and I settled in against him. Yeah, we'd been fighting, but that wasn't Lisandro's business, and it certainly wasn't his business who I dated.
"You can date who you want, that's not my beef."
"What
is
your beef?" I asked, and let my words take on that slight hostile edge that was almost always just below the surface for me.
"You're a vampire now, right?"
My, my, news travels fast. "Not exactly," I said, out loud.
"I know you're not like a bloodsucker. You're still alive and everything, but you gained Jean-Claude's ability to feed off sex."
"Yeah," I said, still hostile.
"Human servants gain some of their master's abilities, that's normal. You should have gained the ability to help Jean-Claude feed his hungers, but your feeding on lust isn't an extra for his energy, it's a necessity for you. I heard what happened the night you tried to stop feeding it. You almost killed Damian, and Nathaniel, and yourself. Remus thinks you would have died if you hadn't fed the
ardeur
. If you hadn't fucked someone, he really thinks you might have died."
"Isn't it nice that he shared with everybody," I said.
"You can be all defensive about it if you want, but it's weird as hell. Rafael can't find anyone who's ever heard of a human servant gaining a hunger or thirst like this."
"And how weird my life has become is your business, why?"
"Because you're asking me and my people to risk our lives to keep you safe, that's why."
I gave him unfriendly face because I couldn't argue with his logic. I had gotten two of the wererats killed in the last couple of years. Killed
The door closed behind us, and it was blessedly quiet. The rear area wasn't soundproof, but it was sound-muffled. I hadn't realized how loud the music was until it stopped. Or maybe that was just how bad my nerves were tonight.
Lisandro led us down the hallway to the door on the left-hand side. Jean-Claude's office was its usual elegant black-and-white self. There was even an Oriental screen in one corner that hid an emergency coffin. Sort of a vampire's version of a rollaway. Only the couch against the wall and the carpet were new. Asher and I had ruined the old stuff with sex that got so out of hand, I'd ended up in the hospital.
Lisandro closed the door and leaned against it, on this side. "You staying?" I asked.
He nodded. "Jean-Claude's orders. He wants you to have bodyguards again."
"When did he order that?"
"Just a few minutes ago."
"Shit."
"Did your beast try to rise again?" he asked.
I shook my head.
Nathaniel had set the box on Jean-Claude's black lacquer desk. He took off the hat and coat and laid them on one of the two chairs in front of the desk. "I've got to get a lighter-weight hat if I'm going to keep using it for a disguise. The leather is just too warm." He wiped a thin bead of sweat off his forehead.
"If your beast didn't try to rise again, then why are you back to needing bodyguards?" Lisandro asked.
I opened my mouth, closed it. "I don't know how much Jean-Claude will want you to know. I'm not even sure how much anyone is allowed to know."
"About what?"
I shrugged. "I'll tell you if I can."
"If you're going to get me killed, can I at least know why?"
"I've never gotten you hurt before."
"No, but we've lost two of our rats guarding you, Anita. Let's just say that if my wife ends up a widow, I'd like to know why."
I glanced at his hand. "You don't wear a ring."
"Not at work, no."
"Why not?"
"You don't want people knowing you have people that you care about, Anita. It can give them ideas." His gaze flicked to Nathaniel, just for a moment, then back to me. But Nathaniel had seen it.
"Lisandro thinks I'm a victim. That you need stronger men in your life."
I went to sit beside Nathaniel on the new white couch. He put his arm across my shoulders, and I settled in against him. Yeah, we'd been fighting, but that wasn't Lisandro's business, and it certainly wasn't his business who I dated.
"You can date who you want, that's not my beef."
"What
is
your beef?" I asked, and let my words take on that slight hostile edge that was almost always just below the surface for me.
"You're a vampire now, right?"
My, my, news travels fast. "Not exactly," I said, out loud.
"I know you're not like a bloodsucker. You're still alive and everything, but you gained Jean-Claude's ability to feed off sex."
"Yeah," I said, still hostile.
"Human servants gain some of their master's abilities, that's normal. You should have gained the ability to help Jean-Claude feed his hungers, but your feeding on lust isn't an extra for his energy, it's a necessity for you. I heard what happened the night you tried to stop feeding it. You almost killed Damian, and Nathaniel, and yourself. Remus thinks you would have died if you hadn't fed the
ardeur
. If you hadn't fucked someone, he really thinks you might have died."
"Isn't it nice that he shared with everybody," I said.
"You can be all defensive about it if you want, but it's weird as hell. Rafael can't find anyone who's ever heard of a human servant gaining a hunger or thirst like this."
"And how weird my life has become is your business, why?"
"Because you're asking me and my people to risk our lives to keep you safe, that's why."
I gave him unfriendly face because I couldn't argue with his logic. I had gotten two of the wererats killed in the last couple of years. Killed
Similar Books
