Love Your Entity(24)
“You also never told me much about your supposed claim to this property,” she said.
“My family has ties to it.”
“You used to live here?”
Instead of answering, he said, “Your great-uncle never lived here.”
“No, he didn’t. He bought it as an investment property and then rented it out. But he had a hard time keeping renters for very long.”
“My bad,” Ruby said, raising her hand. She was sitting on the kitchen counter, swinging her feet. “At first I liked the company, but then I got frustrated when they couldn’t see me so I scared them off.”
“What are you looking at?” Ronan demanded.
“Nothing,” Sierra said.
“You seem to look at nothing a lot,” he said. “I can’t help wondering why that is.”
“And I can’t help wondering why you still haven’t told me anything about your life.”
“What do you want to know?” he countered.
“How about where you lived before this?”
“Here and there,” he said.
“That’s real specific. If you don’t want to answer the question, just say so.”
“I don’t want to answer the question,” he readily admitted.
“Fine. Be that way.”
“I don’t want to answer it, but I will. I spent a lot of time in Europe.”
“Doing what?” she said.
“Traveling.”
“Were you a travel guide or something?”
“Or something,” he said.
Sierra was losing what little patience she had left. “When I asked how you were able to catch those plates so fast, you said you were something like a juggler and now you just said you were something like a travel guide. Which is it?”
“It’s complicated. I’ve done a lot of things in my life.”
Pissed off at his attitude, she said, “How about male stripper? Have you done that?”
“Are you asking me to give you a demonstration?”
“I’m asking you for the truth, but apparently that’s too much for you to handle.”
“Right back at you.” His voice was curt. “You didn’t mess up your room yourself. Who did it?” Stepping closer, he looked deep into her eyes. “Tell me who did it.”
She had to clap a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from speaking.
“Who did it?” Ronan repeated, his voice darkly hypnotic.
“It was me,” Ruby piped up to say. Jumping down from the counter she floated close to Sierra, breaking the spell Ronan seemed to have on her.
“It was me,” Sierra repeated.
“Like hell it was.” With that, Ronan stormed out of the house.
* * *
“She’s asking questions,” Ronan said as he joined Damon at the All Nighter Bar and Grill.
“I hate when that happens,” Damon replied.
“Yeah, me too.”
“So what kind of questions was Sierra asking?”
“Stupid ones,” Ronan said, drinking half a bottle of blood before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He’d had enough of being polite.
“Well, she is human. Naturally her questions will be stupid.”
“She’s not stupid.”
Damon sighed. “Why don’t you just tell me what she said.”
“She wanted to know where I lived before I came here.”
“And you told her what?”
“That I was in Europe.”
“Doing what?”
“Yes, that’s what she asked next.”
“And you said?”
“Not much.” Ronan’s voice reflected his impatience.
“Wise move,” Damon congratulated him. “Then what’s the problem?”
“She wants to know more.”
“They always do.”
“You speak like someone who has experienced this yourself.”
“Zoe knew I was a vampire the first time I met her,” Damon said. “And I knew she was a witch. I knew and wasn’t happy about it.”
“Just as I’m not happy about Sierra’s presence. Have you figured out yet why Sierra can’t be compelled like other humans?” Ronan asked.
“We’re still working on it.”
“How long is it going to take?”
“She’s hasn’t even been here two full days yet.”
“I’m on a deadline.” The words slipped out and Ronan instantly regretted saying them.
“What kind of deadline?” Damon’s voice turned hard.
“She gave me two weeks to stay in the house until her lawyer comes back. I have to get rid of her before then.”
“That’s it?” Damon asked suspiciously. “There’s no other deadline?”
Ronan shook his head. He was lying but it had to be done. He couldn’t reveal the bargain he’d made with Voz. Instead he focused on his cover story. “The longer Sierra stays, the bigger the risk that she’ll discover what I really am.”