at her and took her phone to read it. “That’s an odd place to meet. It’s on the lake and probably closed at this time of the night.” He shook his head and dialed a number on her phone and waited a moment before hanging up. “The bastard’s not answering.”
Clementine snagged her phone back from him. “He may have shut the ringer off. He was doing surveillance, remember?”
“Quick work, if you ask me.” Sam pursed his lips as he stared at her almost as if he was going to ask something, then he shook his head again, walking away to the door. “Well, let’s go. The park’s clear across town.”
She scanned the small apartment, sorry to leave it. She didn’t have anything to bring; not even the clothes on her back belonged to her. Twisting around, she offered Sam a small smile, then took his hand. His touch gave her strength, made her feel braver. “I wish we’d have met under different circumstances.” She rose on tiptoe, placing a small kiss on his lips. She’d have forever to wonder what if.
He blinked. “Me too.” Then he squeezed her hand. “Doesn’t mean I can’t visit, right?”
It took all her self-respect not to jump up and down in glee. She grinned, glad he’d offered without her asking. “I’d like that.”
They left the twins a note on the fridge, not wanting to wake them, and exited building. Once in the car, she swiveled in her seat to face him as he drove. “Why is Sugar still human?”
“That’s a million dollar question. If you could figure out a way to convince her to cross over, Daedalus would probably give that much and more.” Sam chuckled. “I haven’t the foggiest idea. And if she wanted me to know, she would have told me by now.”
“You never asked?” She couldn’t keep the incredulity out of her voice.
“Why should I, when everyone else we live with has?” He shrugged. “It’s her choice.”
She leaned forward and regarded the unwrinkled skin of his face. His youth made her ache. “That’s very wise for someone so young. I would have liked a choice.” The residual anger at her maker stirred deep in her gut. It would never go away.
“You were made against your will?” He touched her face in the close quarters of the vehicle. “So was I. That’s probably why I don’t pester Sugar like her sister and Daedalus. They both chose this type of life.”
“What would you have done if you had remained human?” She leaned toward him, her gaze intent on his face as the hard edges softened. What would it have been like if they’d both been human? Sam could take her to dinner, maybe they could have watched the sunset without her bursting in flames.
“Nothing spectacular, probably would have married a nice girl and had some kids by now. I never wanted to go to college. Maybe I would have picked up a trade.” He shrugged. “You?”
The ancient anger grew cold and spread over her body, chasing away the warmth Sam had given her. “I was married when they took me.” She rubbed her numb arms. “We lived on a small farm in Texas. I guess I would have had the same dream as you.”
“What happened to your husband?”
Cold became empty. “They killed him.” She’d stopped mourning him decades ago, but wished she could remember what his face looked like. Even vampire memories fade with time. “My maker was looking for pretty humans and my husband didn’t qualify.” She tried to give Sam a smile but failed. She’d killed their amicable mood.
He pulled her against his side, wrapping his arms around her tight.
She leaned into his strength and absorbed his living heat. He didn’t make small talk or try to cheer her up and she appreciated the silence. For a shifter, he sure understood a vampire’s pain.
“Where do you think Daedalus will send you?” Sam twirled her curls around his finger as he drove with the other hand.
“I don’t know. I’m just an accountant. But I’ll ask him to stay close enough for you to visit.” The words were out
Clementine snagged her phone back from him. “He may have shut the ringer off. He was doing surveillance, remember?”
“Quick work, if you ask me.” Sam pursed his lips as he stared at her almost as if he was going to ask something, then he shook his head again, walking away to the door. “Well, let’s go. The park’s clear across town.”
She scanned the small apartment, sorry to leave it. She didn’t have anything to bring; not even the clothes on her back belonged to her. Twisting around, she offered Sam a small smile, then took his hand. His touch gave her strength, made her feel braver. “I wish we’d have met under different circumstances.” She rose on tiptoe, placing a small kiss on his lips. She’d have forever to wonder what if.
He blinked. “Me too.” Then he squeezed her hand. “Doesn’t mean I can’t visit, right?”
It took all her self-respect not to jump up and down in glee. She grinned, glad he’d offered without her asking. “I’d like that.”
They left the twins a note on the fridge, not wanting to wake them, and exited building. Once in the car, she swiveled in her seat to face him as he drove. “Why is Sugar still human?”
“That’s a million dollar question. If you could figure out a way to convince her to cross over, Daedalus would probably give that much and more.” Sam chuckled. “I haven’t the foggiest idea. And if she wanted me to know, she would have told me by now.”
“You never asked?” She couldn’t keep the incredulity out of her voice.
“Why should I, when everyone else we live with has?” He shrugged. “It’s her choice.”
She leaned forward and regarded the unwrinkled skin of his face. His youth made her ache. “That’s very wise for someone so young. I would have liked a choice.” The residual anger at her maker stirred deep in her gut. It would never go away.
“You were made against your will?” He touched her face in the close quarters of the vehicle. “So was I. That’s probably why I don’t pester Sugar like her sister and Daedalus. They both chose this type of life.”
“What would you have done if you had remained human?” She leaned toward him, her gaze intent on his face as the hard edges softened. What would it have been like if they’d both been human? Sam could take her to dinner, maybe they could have watched the sunset without her bursting in flames.
“Nothing spectacular, probably would have married a nice girl and had some kids by now. I never wanted to go to college. Maybe I would have picked up a trade.” He shrugged. “You?”
The ancient anger grew cold and spread over her body, chasing away the warmth Sam had given her. “I was married when they took me.” She rubbed her numb arms. “We lived on a small farm in Texas. I guess I would have had the same dream as you.”
“What happened to your husband?”
Cold became empty. “They killed him.” She’d stopped mourning him decades ago, but wished she could remember what his face looked like. Even vampire memories fade with time. “My maker was looking for pretty humans and my husband didn’t qualify.” She tried to give Sam a smile but failed. She’d killed their amicable mood.
He pulled her against his side, wrapping his arms around her tight.
She leaned into his strength and absorbed his living heat. He didn’t make small talk or try to cheer her up and she appreciated the silence. For a shifter, he sure understood a vampire’s pain.
“Where do you think Daedalus will send you?” Sam twirled her curls around his finger as he drove with the other hand.
“I don’t know. I’m just an accountant. But I’ll ask him to stay close enough for you to visit.” The words were out
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