Leslie’s voice came on a hush, as if Claire’s secret had cast a spell in the room. “Every other Saturday…for how long?”
“Just over a year.”
”Ayear?“ Leslie shook her head. “How many men have you left for the police?”
“Nine so far.”
“And Nova already knew about this,” Philippa said quietly.
While Leslie stared, Nova nodded. “I found out a few months ago, from a vampire contact I have in the police department who’s been looking into the mysterious vigilante. He showed me a picture of Claire.”
Leslie nodded, still open and warm, her default settings. “I get needing a minute to tell me something this huge. We haven’t known each other long enough yet. But…why not tell Nova and Philippa?”
“That’s got nothing to do with us,” Philippa said. She met Claire’s gaze and held it with the empathic power of her own. “Did it even cross your mind to tell us, Claire? Or is it still too automatic, thinking you can’t count on anybody?”
So this was how full honesty felt. Claire pulled in a deep breath as her chest tightened against the words she had to say. “I wanted to tell you.”
“But?”
“But I told myself to be strong and independent.”
Nova’s look held a hint of frustration. “I guess that’s why you didn’t text me tonight.”
“I…I forgot to.” Forgot entirely, even in her loneliness, that a friend was waiting to hear from her. A friend who cared, who might worry.
Nova nodded her acceptance, but disappointment flickered over her face, as if Claire’s determined self-sufficiency truly bothered her.
After a long look from Claire to Nova, Philippa refocused on Claire. “Do you endanger yourself?”
“No, Pippa, really I don’t.” She gestured to her collarbone. “I only let myself get Tased tonight for the video evidence. These men are convinced they’re at the top of everything—strength, entitlement, you name it—and I let them prove what they are. But as I told Nova months ago, if one of them has a gun, I’ll know the minute he walks in the door and I’ll do something about it. Okay?”
Philippa gave another nod, and her shoulders lowered as she let out a breath. “Okay.”
“Wait, what?” Nova said. “You’re okay with this?”
“I think I have to be. Claire’s smart enough to pull this off, and…and she’s kind of a hero.”
“Fact,” Leslie piped up now that the longer friendships had weighed in. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “Claire, you’re amazing. You should be all over the news.”
“Absolutely not,” Claire said. “I wear a wig, contacts, extreme makeup. If the police ever do talk to the press about me, I’ll have to quit. These guys will know I’m coming for them, and it’ll change the whole situation.”
“But in the meantime, don’t you think someone should be your sidekick, lookout person, something?” Leslie said.
“No. That’s not what I need. I’m not in danger from humans, any more than y’all are.”
“Whatdoyou need, Claire?“ Philippa said.
The gentle question squeezed her heart, which already felt wrung out. As she tried to find an answer to the question, a tiny white paw stepped out of the cat carrier, onto the carpet. Then another paw. Then a pink nose and whiskers emerged, followed by an entire black-and-white kitten, sneaking low to the ground, looking around at each of the women, twitching her tail.
“Hello, Lavender,” Nova said.
“It’s so nice to meet you.” Leslie was grinning, clearly wanting to scoop the kitten up.
Lavender found Philippa, gave a small mew in her direction, and then padded over to Claire’s knee. She bumped it with her head, and Claire gave a quavering laugh.
“This,” she said. “I need this.”
She held her hand out to the kitten, and Lavender touched her nose to Claire’s fingers, then climbed into the space between her thighs and her calves as she sat with her legs crossed. Lavender poked her head up from behind Claire’s ankles and gave another small mew.
