sluggish heartbeat.
I gasped, staring into his haunted eyes. What the . . .?
A faint, slow flush darkened his cheeks. "I'm already dead. There's nothing they can do to me. But you don't have that luxury, lady. Get out of here while you still can."
For that, I had no answer.
He squeezed my hand, hot, and released it. "Just go."
Helplessness gripped me with ghostly hands. Everything was slipping away. "You have to help me," I said desperately. "You can't just leave me powerless. Tell me who took it. Give me something! You have to—"
"No, I don't. Look, I promise I'll never ask you for anything. You'll never see me again. Just go."
"But you can't just send me away!"
A triumphant smile. "Yes, I can."
"Don't." My mind raced in circles. "Please. Let's talk about this . . ."
But too late. He knew the trick. I couldn't stop him. He wiped his nose, blood smearing, and said it. "Jewel, get out of my house and stay out."
The pavement rushed up to meet my feet, warm and final, and a frustrated scream ripped from my lungs, but there was nothing I could do.
***
Chapter Ten
And she dissolves, into a wisp of white jasmine-flavored smoke.
I stare, mindfucked. I've seen some brain-twisting shit since I died, but that wins the prize.
I toss my head back and sigh, that lemony guilt stinging my throat. Hell, do I feel like a cast-iron asshole right now. She might be gone, but her disappointment in me still stinks, sharp like rotten fruit.
Rudolph creeps from under the bed and hunkers on the floor, glaring at me yellow-eyed with that look cats get, the one that says you are the lowest form of life on this earth. Right now, I can't disagree with him.
I jerk a few inches of braid into my hair at the nape of my neck, willing my hands to stop wobbling. Give me a break, Rudy. What was I supposed to do? How was I meant to explain that even if by some forsaken miracle I do find her lamp, there's no way I can give it back to her, no matter how reasonably she argues or how sweetly she checks me out with those saucy black eyes?
Because she did check me out, right? I'm dead, but I'm not blind. She most definitely sucked in a Tam-stuffed eyeful. Enjoy it while it's in one piece, darlin'. You caught me on a good day.
I grab an elastic band from the dresser and drag the long ends through a few times, snapping the plait tight. Kane really had me scraping the bottom this time. Stealing from decent, pretty girls, and then lying to them about it. That's real classy, Tam. How the hell does Kane think up this stuff? Nothing better to do than torment me, I guess. Nice work if you can get it. Prick.
French fries crust my bed with salt and grease, and uselessly I brush a few of them onto the floor. Rudolph sniffs at one and licks the salt off. I find some dry jeans and a dark T-shirt that won't show too many stains, and drag them on, careless if they're dirty or not. At least I don't need to shave, not even today. No time to pretty myself up. No time anymore even to hunt Joey DiLuca and rip his shiny black skin off for hurting my Katie.
No time for anything except this damn lamp. Kane's two days are melting away like . . . well, like a girl who turns to smoke.
I dig in Jewel's bag for cash, and stuff a couple of twenties and a few coins into my back pocket, along with my phone. Some pretty pills in there, too, and I pocket them as well. Maybe if I'm desperate I can flog them for a few bucks. The cat waddles after me, mewing, as I jog down the stairs. I refresh his litter tray and toss a handful of cat biscuits into his bowl. He stares at me, wide-eyed and pitiful, and I give in and empty the rest of the box in too. He digs right in, the little biscuits crunching in his jaws.
I should eat something myself, while I'm feeling good, but there's nothing but stale cornflakes and a scary slice of week-old pizza. So I leave it and grab my keys and my pistol, which Gavain left lined up neatly on the hall table. How thoughtful,
I gasped, staring into his haunted eyes. What the . . .?
A faint, slow flush darkened his cheeks. "I'm already dead. There's nothing they can do to me. But you don't have that luxury, lady. Get out of here while you still can."
For that, I had no answer.
He squeezed my hand, hot, and released it. "Just go."
Helplessness gripped me with ghostly hands. Everything was slipping away. "You have to help me," I said desperately. "You can't just leave me powerless. Tell me who took it. Give me something! You have to—"
"No, I don't. Look, I promise I'll never ask you for anything. You'll never see me again. Just go."
"But you can't just send me away!"
A triumphant smile. "Yes, I can."
"Don't." My mind raced in circles. "Please. Let's talk about this . . ."
But too late. He knew the trick. I couldn't stop him. He wiped his nose, blood smearing, and said it. "Jewel, get out of my house and stay out."
The pavement rushed up to meet my feet, warm and final, and a frustrated scream ripped from my lungs, but there was nothing I could do.
***
Chapter Ten
And she dissolves, into a wisp of white jasmine-flavored smoke.
I stare, mindfucked. I've seen some brain-twisting shit since I died, but that wins the prize.
I toss my head back and sigh, that lemony guilt stinging my throat. Hell, do I feel like a cast-iron asshole right now. She might be gone, but her disappointment in me still stinks, sharp like rotten fruit.
Rudolph creeps from under the bed and hunkers on the floor, glaring at me yellow-eyed with that look cats get, the one that says you are the lowest form of life on this earth. Right now, I can't disagree with him.
I jerk a few inches of braid into my hair at the nape of my neck, willing my hands to stop wobbling. Give me a break, Rudy. What was I supposed to do? How was I meant to explain that even if by some forsaken miracle I do find her lamp, there's no way I can give it back to her, no matter how reasonably she argues or how sweetly she checks me out with those saucy black eyes?
Because she did check me out, right? I'm dead, but I'm not blind. She most definitely sucked in a Tam-stuffed eyeful. Enjoy it while it's in one piece, darlin'. You caught me on a good day.
I grab an elastic band from the dresser and drag the long ends through a few times, snapping the plait tight. Kane really had me scraping the bottom this time. Stealing from decent, pretty girls, and then lying to them about it. That's real classy, Tam. How the hell does Kane think up this stuff? Nothing better to do than torment me, I guess. Nice work if you can get it. Prick.
French fries crust my bed with salt and grease, and uselessly I brush a few of them onto the floor. Rudolph sniffs at one and licks the salt off. I find some dry jeans and a dark T-shirt that won't show too many stains, and drag them on, careless if they're dirty or not. At least I don't need to shave, not even today. No time to pretty myself up. No time anymore even to hunt Joey DiLuca and rip his shiny black skin off for hurting my Katie.
No time for anything except this damn lamp. Kane's two days are melting away like . . . well, like a girl who turns to smoke.
I dig in Jewel's bag for cash, and stuff a couple of twenties and a few coins into my back pocket, along with my phone. Some pretty pills in there, too, and I pocket them as well. Maybe if I'm desperate I can flog them for a few bucks. The cat waddles after me, mewing, as I jog down the stairs. I refresh his litter tray and toss a handful of cat biscuits into his bowl. He stares at me, wide-eyed and pitiful, and I give in and empty the rest of the box in too. He digs right in, the little biscuits crunching in his jaws.
I should eat something myself, while I'm feeling good, but there's nothing but stale cornflakes and a scary slice of week-old pizza. So I leave it and grab my keys and my pistol, which Gavain left lined up neatly on the hall table. How thoughtful,
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