business,” I say to Victor. But then my anger overtakes my fear and I lean forward, whispering harshly. “There’re getting to be too many vampires in this city.”
Victor eyes me curiously. “I keep a pretty good head count. It’s not that high.”
“Well, then, you do a bad job of keeping them in line. And the next time one of them comes near me, I will shove my stake—”
“Another vampire attacked you? Where?”
Is that anger I hear in his voice? Not directed at me, but at my unseen foe? It rattles me, makes me rethink what may have happened. “No, not attacked. Just followed. At school. I don’t know what he was trying to do.” I cross my arms over my chest and rub my hands up and down them. “Scare me, maybe. Maybe it wasn’t even a vampire; the sun was still out, even if it was cloudy. I didn’t get a good look at him. He was wearing a hoodie pulled forward. It doesn’t matter.”
“If the sun was out, it couldn’t have been a vampire.”
Logically, I know that. It’s just that this guy was so … weird. But more, I don’t like appearing to be irrational in front of Victor. “He could have a nest somewhere in the school.”
“That’s possible. My father…” He hesitates.
“What?” I insist.
“He may have ordered someone to follow you. I know he had someone following your parents.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“You don’t really think he relies on the delegate to bring him all the information, do you?”
“Son of a bitch.” I glance out the window. Where’s the real sun when I need it? Then I glare at Victor. “Is that why you’re in the city? To spy for him?”
“I’m not here doing his bidding.”
“Then why are you?”
“Maybe if we were friends—but, well, you said that won’t happen—so I’ll keep my reasons to myself. But I promise you that my presence puts no humans in danger.”
“Yeah, right. You’d have to say that, wouldn’t you?” I rub my brow. “I should tell the Agency you’re here.”
“You didn’t tell them?”
I hadn’t meant to confess that. “There wasn’t a good opportunity to bring up the subject. I was crunched for time. Had to get to school, so discussing the negotiations with your father took precedence.”
“Thank you,” he says, his low, seductive voice sending pleasure spiraling through me.
What’s wrong with me? Why do I care if he’s happy?
“Can you please go?” I ask.
“I won’t stay long.”
“Don’t you get it? I’d rather you not stay at all.”
He studies me for a minute as though he’s trying to judge the veracity of my words. Other than threatening him with a stake, I don’t know how to get my point across.
“Fine. I came here to give you this. I meant to give it to you this morning … but, well, I was a little distracted.” He reaches into his jeans pocket, then sets my cell phone on the table between us.
I snatch it up. I hadn’t yet worked up the courage to tell Rachel that I’d lost it. And I sure could have used it when Hoodie was following me through the school. “Oh my God, you went back for it?”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal. But there could have been other vampires around. Or Night Watchmen investigating a trolley that was no longer running. One with dead vamps in it. I don’t want to be grateful to him, but I am, dammit.
I open it. There are the texts from Michael. The missed calls. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Thank you?”
I look up at him, totally unable to understand his motivation. What does he want from me? Vamps never do anything without expecting some sort of payback. “Yeah. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Victor says, like we’re back at Valentine Manor, having to be all formal and polite.
Since it’s obvious he’s not leaving, I decide a little interrogation might be in order, and if it makes him uncomfortable, all the better. I’m not in the manor now, and I’m not under his father’s scrutiny, which means I’ve more freedom to
Victor eyes me curiously. “I keep a pretty good head count. It’s not that high.”
“Well, then, you do a bad job of keeping them in line. And the next time one of them comes near me, I will shove my stake—”
“Another vampire attacked you? Where?”
Is that anger I hear in his voice? Not directed at me, but at my unseen foe? It rattles me, makes me rethink what may have happened. “No, not attacked. Just followed. At school. I don’t know what he was trying to do.” I cross my arms over my chest and rub my hands up and down them. “Scare me, maybe. Maybe it wasn’t even a vampire; the sun was still out, even if it was cloudy. I didn’t get a good look at him. He was wearing a hoodie pulled forward. It doesn’t matter.”
“If the sun was out, it couldn’t have been a vampire.”
Logically, I know that. It’s just that this guy was so … weird. But more, I don’t like appearing to be irrational in front of Victor. “He could have a nest somewhere in the school.”
“That’s possible. My father…” He hesitates.
“What?” I insist.
“He may have ordered someone to follow you. I know he had someone following your parents.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“You don’t really think he relies on the delegate to bring him all the information, do you?”
“Son of a bitch.” I glance out the window. Where’s the real sun when I need it? Then I glare at Victor. “Is that why you’re in the city? To spy for him?”
“I’m not here doing his bidding.”
“Then why are you?”
“Maybe if we were friends—but, well, you said that won’t happen—so I’ll keep my reasons to myself. But I promise you that my presence puts no humans in danger.”
“Yeah, right. You’d have to say that, wouldn’t you?” I rub my brow. “I should tell the Agency you’re here.”
“You didn’t tell them?”
I hadn’t meant to confess that. “There wasn’t a good opportunity to bring up the subject. I was crunched for time. Had to get to school, so discussing the negotiations with your father took precedence.”
“Thank you,” he says, his low, seductive voice sending pleasure spiraling through me.
What’s wrong with me? Why do I care if he’s happy?
“Can you please go?” I ask.
“I won’t stay long.”
“Don’t you get it? I’d rather you not stay at all.”
He studies me for a minute as though he’s trying to judge the veracity of my words. Other than threatening him with a stake, I don’t know how to get my point across.
“Fine. I came here to give you this. I meant to give it to you this morning … but, well, I was a little distracted.” He reaches into his jeans pocket, then sets my cell phone on the table between us.
I snatch it up. I hadn’t yet worked up the courage to tell Rachel that I’d lost it. And I sure could have used it when Hoodie was following me through the school. “Oh my God, you went back for it?”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal. But there could have been other vampires around. Or Night Watchmen investigating a trolley that was no longer running. One with dead vamps in it. I don’t want to be grateful to him, but I am, dammit.
I open it. There are the texts from Michael. The missed calls. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Thank you?”
I look up at him, totally unable to understand his motivation. What does he want from me? Vamps never do anything without expecting some sort of payback. “Yeah. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Victor says, like we’re back at Valentine Manor, having to be all formal and polite.
Since it’s obvious he’s not leaving, I decide a little interrogation might be in order, and if it makes him uncomfortable, all the better. I’m not in the manor now, and I’m not under his father’s scrutiny, which means I’ve more freedom to
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