And what a profound shame that was.
She gasped and covered her cheeks with both hands. “Glorious grape juice, you don’t! That’s it—I’m going to die of shame right here and now. You have your way, Papa! I had sexual congress with a man without being married, and now I’m doomed!”
Merrick only just managed to keep from rolling his eyes. He did, however, not only pull back into traffic; he pulled an extremely illegal U-turn and started speeding back the way he’d come.
“What are you doing?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at the direction they had been headed. “Is it because we ... you know ... were intimate? Are you disgusted by me? If you are, then you can just bite my shiny pink behind, because I do not hold with double standards, and if you’re disgusted by the fact that I’d engage in carnal relations with a man I just met, then you should be disgusted by yourself, too. In fact—”
“I’m not disgusted by you,” he interrupted, annoyed that she’d think that of him. “On the contrary, I’m profoundly grateful that you fed me when you did. I will admit that I am unable to call to mind the exact proceedings that happened after the feeding, but such things are not unknown, and so long as you did not suffer by it, then I’m willing to forget it.”
“Forget it!” She smacked him on the arm, clearly outraged.
He wouldneverunderstand women.
“Well, of course you’re never going to understand us if that’s the sort of attitude you have.”
Why are you so angry with me?
Because you want to forget the fact that we had sex.
I said I was willing to forget it because you were just stating that you were going to die of shame. You were distressed, and I simply wished to ease that state.
Oh.He could feel her thinking. “Oh. That’s actually quite nice of you. Thank you. Why are we going this way? I thought you were taking me somewhere.”
“I was, but that has changed.”
She shot him a pointed look. “Because we had nooky time?”
“Because you saved my life. I cannot use someone who saved me.”
“Use how?”
He sighed, and thought lovingly of just pulling over and forcing her and the mongrel out of the car, but knew that was not an option. “Because I owe you a debt. I will find another way to reach Victor.”
“OK, let’s go back over that, because I don’t quite understand. Who is Victor?”
“A man who has killed many Dark Ones, and harmed even more mortals.”
“Bad guy, then. And why did you think I have something to do with him?”
“You were in his car.”
“I was? When?”
“Yesterday. I arrived to find a report from an informant that a man and woman were seen outside of Genoa traveling in his car. Photos were provided. You were in the photo. My informant traced you to the villa where I found you. Thus, you have a connection to Victor.”
“But the house and car belong to my father’s cousin Carlo, not Victor.”
“Then Victor has some connection to him.”
She was silent for a few minutes, and Merrick actually found himself missing her effervescent conversation. “I don’t know what that could be, but admittedly, I’ve only been here for a day, and I don’t know Carlo at all.”
“Are there others in the house?”
“Just the sociopath Giovanni. Oooh! Maybe he’s your bad guy? I can totally see him torturing and killing, and kicking puppies.”
“Describe him.”
She did so.
