He nodded, as if that made perfect sense to him. “I will see you safely to your friends, and then I will go back to the hotel.”
“Good,” I said, and then because it was me, I couldn’t leave it alone. “No offense, but you don’t seem bothered that I’m nervous about you now.”
He shrugged those broad shoulders. “I startled you, and I don’t know what happened just now, either. Until we know whether it was your blood, your power, or mine, caution is not a bad thing.”
“Okay,” I said, “then just watch me walk around the corner, and you can go.”
“Agreed.” He gestured me forward. I walked wide around him, and we sort of circled each other until we got to the corner of the building. All I had to do was walk around the corner, and a few yards away were Edward and all the rest. A cluster of cars whirred by on the street, oblivious to what we were doing. It was almost startling to see the cars and know there were people just over there, as if we’d been in some little pocket world of our own for the last few minutes.
One thing I noticed in the circling dance we were doing was that Truth’s gun in its belt holster showed without the leather jacket. The black T-shirt wasn’t long enough or wide enough to hide the gun.
Did he have a carry permit for this state? I didn’t know, but I did know that being a big guy all in black, flashing a gun, could make some eager cop stop him. Being a vampire would not help him when it happened.
I took off the leather jacket and held it out toward him.
He shook his head. “I told you, I don’t feel the cold like you do.”
“It’s to hide your gun,” I said, “I’d rather not have you stopped by a cop for brandishing.”
He almost touched the gun at his back, but stopped himself in midmotion. He took his jacket, being careful not to touch me while we made the exchange. That let me know that the fact that I was still spooked showed. Oh, well.
He took the jacket and slipped it on. He hugged the leather around him. I thought he was cold for a moment, then realized he was smelling the coat. Smelling me on it. Again, it was more a shapeshifter gesture than a vampire one. I stared at him in the stronger light of the streetlights, and he looked rosy cheeked and healthy. If I hadn’t known what I was looking at, even I might have said human. What the fuck?
I stood on the sidewalk and asked, “Did your bloodline have any other superpowers?”
“We could pass for human, even to witches.”
“Anything else?” I asked.
“A few, why?”
“Nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Aren’t you planning to be home before dawn?”
“I wouldn’t count on it.”
“I feel torn, Anita. I should be by your side, guarding you, yet I must let you go into danger without me. It seems backward.”
“It’s my job, Truth.”
He nodded. “I will await you at the hotel. I hope you get home before dawn.” He turned and said over his shoulder, “You’re still bleeding.”
I looked down to find blood trickling down my hand to drip on the sidewalk. I put pressure on the wound and held it up. How had I not felt that?
“How are you going to explain the wound?”
“I’ll think of something. Now go, Truth, just go.”
Classical music played, a little high-pitched but recognizable as Beethoven. Truth reached into his jacket pocket and drew out his cell phone. He answered with, “Yes.”
I waved good-bye and started for the corner.
Truth called, “Anita, it’s for you.”
I stopped and looked back at him. “Who is it?”
“Your marshal friend, Ted Forrester.”
I went back to him, taking the phone he was holding out to me. “Ted, I’m just around the corner from you.”
“I don’t think so,” he said. I heard noises.
“Are you in your car?”
“We got a call out.”
“What’s happened now?”
“Club invaded by vampires. They let some of the customers go but kept all the dancers. The released hostages described a vampire that fits the holy water scars that you described on Vittorio.”
“Shit,” I said.
“You said he’d up the body count tonight, Anita. You were right.”
“Believe me, Edward, I didn’t want to be right on this one.”
“I’ll give you the address.”
“Is there anyone home to drive me?” I asked.
“It was an all hands, Anita.”
“Shit.”
“Don’t you have transport?”
“Yeah, Truth is still here. I’ll let him bring me to you.”
“Make sure he sets you down well behind the police barriers. I wouldn’t want the uniforms on the barriers to see a vampire flying with a woman in his arms tonight.”