Be Still My Vampire Heart(54)

 

She hesitated. "Some… water, thank you."

 

A safe choice. She'd be able to taste if anything odd was added. Bugger. Had he lost her trust so easily? "Make yerself at home," he muttered, then couldn't help but add, "If ye try to escape, an alarm will sound."

 

He strode into the kitchen to avoid the worried look on her face. The devil take it. He was already pissed. Why was he goading her and making it worse?

 

He grabbed a bottle of Type O blood from the fridge and popped it into the microwave. Maybe her distrust was a blessing. He could use it to keep a distance between them.

 

He fixed her a glass of ice water and removed his bottled blood from the microwave. The foyer was empty, but he spotted her in the library. She was wandering along the bookshelves, examining the books. It had been only last night that he'd stood in this same room, confiding in Roman and declaring his intent to protect Emma from a distance. And yet here she was—alone in the house with him.

 

He approached quietly. "Yer water."

 

She spun toward him. "I–I didn't hear you come in."

 

He held the glass out to her, and she reluctantly took it. Bugger. "Do ye think I'm poisoning you?"

 

She blinked. "What?"

 

"Ye act like I can no longer be trusted. I thought we'd gotten past that."

 

"We have." She gulped down some water.

 

"Then why do ye keep looking at me strangely?"

 

"I'm not. I'm just not sure this… friendship is a good idea. It's causing me trouble at work."

 

"Really? Ye seemed happy enough to attack us alongside Whelan."

 

She sighed and walked into the foyer. "I tried to talk him out of it, but the man won't listen to reason. He's not going to believe anything I've learned from you. And I'm in an awful position. He had a photo of you tonight, and I had to lie that I don't know you."

 

"Ye lied for me?" Angus's heart expanded.

 

She glared at him. "Don't look so happy about it. This whole thing has me in such an awkward situation."

 

"I'm sorry." Angus smiled. "I'm just happy I havena lost yer trust."

 

She rotated the glass in her hands. "I'm upset about another murder in Central Park. I know you don't want me to go hunting—"

 

"Nay, I do no'."

 

She gave him an exasperated look. "But you said the Malcontents are your enemy, too. Why don't you help me slay them? Wouldn't that be the friendly thing to do?"

 

Ah, so that was the problem. He gave her a reassuring smile. "We are friends." He motioned to the parlor. "Let's have a wee chat."

 

"Fine." She strode into the parlor. "Nice room." She circled to the right around the three maroon couches. "Big telly. I suppose you watch a lot of DVN."

 

He waited by the door, sipping from his bottle. "No' much, really. I usually work all night."

 

She set her ice water on the coffee table. "Don't you get vacations? You know, a week off every fifty years or so?"

 

"Verra funny." He headed toward the couch to the left. "I give my employees a few weeks every year."

 

"What about you?" She removed her backpack and dropped it on the couch to the right. He ignored her question, since he couldn't remember his last vacation. "What's in yer backpack?"

 

"The usual party favors. Wooden stakes, silver handcuffs, whips and chains." She settled on the couch next to the backpack. "You'll be proud of me. I even brought duct tape."

 

"Ye're a fast learner." He sat across from her on the left couch. "I'll be keeping yer backpack."

 

"What? Are you trying to get me fired?"

 

Angus leaned forward to set his bottle on the coffee table. "Ye can tell yer boss that I took it forcibly from you."

 

She rose to her feet, glaring at him. He immediately stood.

 

"I need my weapons to go hunting. And I thought, since you're my friend, that you would come with me. After all, you claim to be worried about my safety."

 

"I am, but you doona know the full story." He motioned to the couch. "I'll tell you."

 

"Fine." She sat.

 

He took his seat. "The Malcontents believe the slayer is one of Roman's coven. They assume only a vampire could manage to kill another vampire."

 

"Vampire arrogance," Emma muttered.

 

"They have promised to declare war on Roman's coven if another Malcontent is slain."

 

She frowned. "So you want me to stop in order to save the lives of Roman's coven?"