[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
curtain, blood running down his face where the glass had cut him.
Edward was on the ground in a combat stance, gun out. He pointed it at Neal, as he struggled free of the
curtain.
"Don't shoot him," I said. "I think the fight's over."
Neal stood, kicking free of the clinging curtain. "I'll kill you."
I drew the Firestar and pointed it at him. "I don't think so."
Richard stepped up beside me. "She drew first blood, Neal. The fight is over, unless you want to fight
me, too."
"And me," Sylvie said. She stepped up on the other side of Richard. The rest of the pack stepped up
behind us. Stephen crouched at my feet.
"She is pack now," Sylvie said. "You fight one of us, and you fight all of us."
Edward raised his eyebrows at me. "What is going on, Anita?"
"I think I've been adopted," I said.
Neal glared at me.
"Do it, Neal," Sylvie said.
Neal knelt in the glass and the curtain. The cuts were already beginning to heal on his face. Glass wasn't
silver or the claws of another monster, so he healed almost magically.
"You are dominant. You are alpha." The words were dragged from his throat. "If this window hadn't
been here, you couldn't have bloodied me."
"Why do you think I moved in front of it, Neal?" I asked.
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His eyes squinted. "You planned this?"
I nodded and raised my gun skyward. "I'm not just another pretty face."
Richard took my left hand, squeezing it gently. "That's the God's honest truth."
I put up the Firestar.
Edward shook his head, smiling, but didn't put his gun up. He did stop pointing it at anyone. "You are
the only person I know who leads a more interesting life than I do."
Jason patted me on the back. "Tomorrow night we'll take you out chasing deer."
"I thought you'd chase cars," I said.
He grinned. "What fun is that? Cars don't bleed."
I smiled, and then stopped. His eyes were as innocent as spring skies, as joyous, and staring into them, I
wasn't sure if he was kidding me or not. I almost asked, but didn't. I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
12
Edward was five foot eight, with blond hair cut very short and close to his head. He was blue-eyed and
the epitome of WASP breeding. He was also the most dangerous man I'd ever met, living or dead.
He was amused as hell by the gathering of lycanthropes. The group broke up soon after his arrival,
mainly because all the business had been taken care of. The meeting had mainly been a last-ditch effort to
convince Richard to compromise his morals and kill someone. Barring that, for him to pick a lupa who
would kill for him. We'd sort of killed two birds with one stone, pun intended. But I was very aware that
I'd gotten lucky with Neal. If he'd had a background in any martial art, if he'd known anything about
fighting, I'd have been toast.
Richard had boarded up the broken window and had a call in to a glass repair shop that was willing, for
an exorbitant fee, to come out and repair the damage immediately. I'd offered to pay for the damages
since I made them.
Edward, Richard, and I sat around the kitchen table. Edward and I sipped coffee. Richard drank tea.
One of his few serious faults was a total dislike of coffee. Hard to trust a man who won't drink coffee.
"What have you found out?" I asked.
Edward sipped his coffee and shook his head. "Not much. The contract has been picked up."
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"Even with the time limit?" I asked.
He nodded.
"When is the twenty-four hours up?" I asked.
"Let's say two o'clock. I got the offer about one o'clock last night, but we'd add an hour to be safe."
"To be safe," Richard said. I think it was sarcasm.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked.
"Am I the only one in this room who's worried?"
"Panicking won't help, Richard."
He stood up, emptying his mug in the sink and rinsing it automatically. He turned, leaning his butt against
the cabinets, arms crossed over his chest. "You need a clear head to plan?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
He stared at us. I watched him thinking about something serious. He finally said, "I don't understand how
the two of you can be calm. I'm shocked that someone has put a contract out on Anita. Neither of you is
shocked."
I looked at Edward, and he looked back at me. We had one of those moments of perfect [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl karpacz24.htw.pl
curtain, blood running down his face where the glass had cut him.
Edward was on the ground in a combat stance, gun out. He pointed it at Neal, as he struggled free of the
curtain.
"Don't shoot him," I said. "I think the fight's over."
Neal stood, kicking free of the clinging curtain. "I'll kill you."
I drew the Firestar and pointed it at him. "I don't think so."
Richard stepped up beside me. "She drew first blood, Neal. The fight is over, unless you want to fight
me, too."
"And me," Sylvie said. She stepped up on the other side of Richard. The rest of the pack stepped up
behind us. Stephen crouched at my feet.
"She is pack now," Sylvie said. "You fight one of us, and you fight all of us."
Edward raised his eyebrows at me. "What is going on, Anita?"
"I think I've been adopted," I said.
Neal glared at me.
"Do it, Neal," Sylvie said.
Neal knelt in the glass and the curtain. The cuts were already beginning to heal on his face. Glass wasn't
silver or the claws of another monster, so he healed almost magically.
"You are dominant. You are alpha." The words were dragged from his throat. "If this window hadn't
been here, you couldn't have bloodied me."
"Why do you think I moved in front of it, Neal?" I asked.
Page 86
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
His eyes squinted. "You planned this?"
I nodded and raised my gun skyward. "I'm not just another pretty face."
Richard took my left hand, squeezing it gently. "That's the God's honest truth."
I put up the Firestar.
Edward shook his head, smiling, but didn't put his gun up. He did stop pointing it at anyone. "You are
the only person I know who leads a more interesting life than I do."
Jason patted me on the back. "Tomorrow night we'll take you out chasing deer."
"I thought you'd chase cars," I said.
He grinned. "What fun is that? Cars don't bleed."
I smiled, and then stopped. His eyes were as innocent as spring skies, as joyous, and staring into them, I
wasn't sure if he was kidding me or not. I almost asked, but didn't. I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
12
Edward was five foot eight, with blond hair cut very short and close to his head. He was blue-eyed and
the epitome of WASP breeding. He was also the most dangerous man I'd ever met, living or dead.
He was amused as hell by the gathering of lycanthropes. The group broke up soon after his arrival,
mainly because all the business had been taken care of. The meeting had mainly been a last-ditch effort to
convince Richard to compromise his morals and kill someone. Barring that, for him to pick a lupa who
would kill for him. We'd sort of killed two birds with one stone, pun intended. But I was very aware that
I'd gotten lucky with Neal. If he'd had a background in any martial art, if he'd known anything about
fighting, I'd have been toast.
Richard had boarded up the broken window and had a call in to a glass repair shop that was willing, for
an exorbitant fee, to come out and repair the damage immediately. I'd offered to pay for the damages
since I made them.
Edward, Richard, and I sat around the kitchen table. Edward and I sipped coffee. Richard drank tea.
One of his few serious faults was a total dislike of coffee. Hard to trust a man who won't drink coffee.
"What have you found out?" I asked.
Edward sipped his coffee and shook his head. "Not much. The contract has been picked up."
Page 87
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"Even with the time limit?" I asked.
He nodded.
"When is the twenty-four hours up?" I asked.
"Let's say two o'clock. I got the offer about one o'clock last night, but we'd add an hour to be safe."
"To be safe," Richard said. I think it was sarcasm.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked.
"Am I the only one in this room who's worried?"
"Panicking won't help, Richard."
He stood up, emptying his mug in the sink and rinsing it automatically. He turned, leaning his butt against
the cabinets, arms crossed over his chest. "You need a clear head to plan?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
He stared at us. I watched him thinking about something serious. He finally said, "I don't understand how
the two of you can be calm. I'm shocked that someone has put a contract out on Anita. Neither of you is
shocked."
I looked at Edward, and he looked back at me. We had one of those moments of perfect [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]