I gulped down my water and then sighed. “It’s hard to get used to unsolved mysteries.”
“You’ll learn to live with it. It’s not as if we’re in a rush, and one day something might link back to those old cases and allow us to solve them. Maybe you should get out more.”
“I would, but I’m without transportation.”
“Last I looked, you had two strong legs.”
“The walk to town is too far, so I’m saving up for some wheels. It would be a different story if the train were near the mansion.” I took a bite of my sandwich, the bread so buttery I had to wipe my fingers on a napkin. “You know, I used to sleep in trains and subway stations before they started beefing up security. It was a lot safer than alleyways or abandoned buildings.”
“You’re just full of happy memories.”
When Betty set my pie down and slipped away without a word, I peered over my shoulder to watch her. She looked back at us briefly before clearing off a table.
Vampires weren’t especially frightening to look at when their fangs were receded. While their black eyes could be unnerving, they didn’t stand out in a way that drew attention. Lots of people had dark eyes, and it was only when you looked close enough that you realized how bottomless they were. Betty’s peculiar behavior made me even more curious about the man I was partnered with.
“Jaysus wept.You’re not going to convince me this is cheese.” He dropped his sandwich on his plate and then wiped his fingers down his black coat. “I’m suddenly reminded why I gave up eating. Cuisine just isn’t what it used to be.”
“I thought your aversion to food had to do with the latrine.”
“That too. So, are you going to explain why you dragged me all the way into the city on such a fine morning?”
I finished half my sandwich and waited for the pregnant woman walking past us to go into the bathroom. “It’s about that favor you owe me.”
“You mean the favor for that inane bet where I had to abstain from sex for your amusement?”
“That’s the one.”
He slowly dragged the glass of milk toward him and gulped it down as if it were ale. When he finished, he held my gaze.
I struggled not to laugh at his milk mustache. “I want you to take me to see my father.”
He tapped his finger against the edge of his glass. When he didn’t reply, I shifted my eyes to the parking lot outside. A couple emerged from an SUV and held hands as they waddled like penguins toward the front of the diner. A few snowflakes clung to the window, and I clung to the hope that this wasn’t going to erupt into an argument. Why did everything with Christian turn into such a fucking battle? He owed me a favor, and that was supposed to mean something in our world.
“Then hurry up and eat your sandwich,” he finally said.
My heart skipped a beat. “I don’t meannow.”
He leaned back. “For feck’s sake, then why did you invite me out all this way?”
“I didn’t want anyone overhearing our conversation, especially Viktor. You know the general opinion about cutting ties with our human life. He wouldn’t approve, but this is something I need to do. When the time is right, I want to see my father without having to give you an explanation.”
“What does this have to do with me? Can’t you go by yourself?”
“You know why. I need a Vampire to scrub his memory when I’m done. He’s already moved on with his life, so this isn’t about making him feel better. If anything, it might do the opposite. I need to get some things off my chest.”
“Besides your bra?” He cocked his head to the side. “Why not just go now and get it over with?”
Christian wouldn’t understand. I was terrified of how my father would react when he saw me alive. Terrified that the truth might send him into cardiac arrest. Terrified that seeing him might be a mistake. Would he resent me for abandoning him? Maybe I wasn’t ready for the truth that my father might be happier without me in his life. But I needed that final good-bye. That was all I really wanted—a hug from my daddy and maybe his forgiveness.
Eventually.
Just not right after my apple pie.
“Can you be available when I ask? No questions?”
Christian scratched his ear, a perturbed look on his face. “And here I thought you just wanted to share my good company. I can’t be at your beck and call for the rest of eternity while you make up your mind. If you haven’t called me in a fortnight, I’ll drag you there myself.”
I started to laugh and held it back.
