“My brother,” she said, tonelessly. His knees were behind hers, one arm under her head, the other holding her to him. A huge exhausted yawn took her unaware, threatened to crack her jaw. “Someone killed my brother, Nikolai.” If you won’t help me…
“Cooperate with me, and I will find whatever killed your brother,” He sighed again, relaxing against her back the way a cat might. A very big, very warm cat. “Dawn is approaching. Will you come with me?”
She should have known. The same offer as always, delivered as if she should be grateful for it. Leave it to Nikolai to use even her brother’s murder to try and get what he wanted out of her. “I have work tomorrow.” She watched the edge of her pillowcase, breathing shallowly. Leave me alone. You got what you wanted, now go away.
“Already attended to. You are not expected there for another two weeks.”
Jesus. “I can’t afford—”
“With pay.”
“I don’t want your money.” I don’t want to fuck you, either. See how well that works out?
“Mh. It is not mine; it is from the college. You may call it a gift. For my Selene.”
She closed her eyes. If he was human, what would I do? I’d ask him to help me and he might even do it without turning it into a power play. “Don’t call me that. I’m not yours.”
“You must belong somewhere,” he said softly.
“I belonged with my brother.” Poor Danny. Locked in his apartment except for those times he slipped the chain of his own body and went Journeying. How many times had Selene climbed the steps to his apartment to ask his help for the cases Jack Pepper brought her? How many times had she brought him meals, or little things he needed because he couldn’t stand to leave the wards Selene had made for him?
Danny had been immune to her pheromones, immune to her curse. He had been the only man capable of seeing her without her goddamn body complicating things.
I belonged with him plenty, you undead jerk. Now he’s gone, and you wouldn’t have even let me look at his body.
I hate you.
And he was so easy to hate, wasn’t he? A Nichtvren. Inhuman, for all that he’d been mortal once, however long ago. How old was he, anyway?
“He was under my protection too,” Nikolai said. “Come with me, Selene. You will be safer.”
Like hell I will. “No.”
“One day you will.” He didn’t push the issue, for once. “Jorge will come to offer you use of a car.”
“And to keep an eye on me? No thanks, Nikolai.” Selene bit her lower lip. It was bruised already. She tasted blood. She would ache tomorrow. It had been too long, she’d built up a heavy debt, and her body had exacted its toll with a vengeance. Not only had she cleared a poltergeist infestation and pulled the wards from Danny’s apartment, but there had also been the work for that witch over on Seventeenth Street.
She’d needed the money. She always needed the money. Lecturing didn’t pay nearly enough for both her rent and Danny’s. And by God, Selene never wanted to be poor again. She agreed with Scarlett O’Hara on that count, thank you very much.
Nikolai paused, and his hand tensed against her belly. She held her breath, but he didn’t move, just tightened his arm around her.
“This is not a request. Jorge will come, and if you leave this place it will be with him. If you do anything foolish I will be vexed.” Even his breath was warm against her hair. Does he breathe because he knows it makes me a little more comfortable? I suppose he has to breathe to talk, doesn’t he? I should ask.
Exhaustion crept in. If she fell asleep now she might be able to get a few hours of rest before…no. The fatigue blurred everything, made it difficult to think.
“Vex all you want, Nik,” she said, and his fingers tapped against her belly once, twice. Then he stopped. “I’m not your servant. I don’t take your orders.”
Yeah, Selene. If you lie often enough, you might even be able to halfway believe it.
He made a low sound against her hair, and Selene’s entire body leapt. The medallion gave one scorching burst of heat. “Of course, if Jorge is incompetent enough to lose you, I suppose he will need punishment.”
You bastard. I should have known. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would, Selene. I would also make you watch.” He sounded calm as if he was discussing a grocery list. “I dislike the thought of damage to you. I will take steps to avoid it.”
Everyone knows I’m your little pet. Nobody messes with me anymore, you jerk. I might even be able to use that to find out who killed Danny. “Nothing’s going to happen to me.”