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That wasn’t true, I thought Couldn’t be true Because if it was, I’d made a miserable mistake

--

The sun rose and fell, and I woke just as I’d slept, fully dressed, dagger at my side I splashed water on es, even fro--andI’d becoiven that up for a cra my family

I opened the door, found a bottle of Blood4You, the packaged blood that most American vampires used for convenience (and assiht, fancy va off the top and drinking the entire bottle in ablood regularly, but the travel hadn’t allowed for it, and I’d been too panicked yesterday to think about it

Panic led to bad decision ain, invading h, the TV still blaring sports in grainy black and white I put the promised twenty on the counter and my key atop it, and headed for the Green Clare

The pub was hard to s in the neighborhood as it was The street in front of it was e It was the only thing in the Rookery that wasn’t dirty, scraped, or peeling

I opened the door, letting in a fresh breeze that blew around the scents of blood, booze, and smoke Patrons, shocked by the interruption, turned to look suspiciously at me Most were supernaturals, but their expressions and their ic were dulled by alcohol, their eered, not helped nored their stares and headed for the brass-railed bar, where a barrel-chesteddown the counter

"Drink?" he asked over thefor O’Hare"

He stilled and looked up at risly patch of skin "Who’s asking?"

"Rose He’ll be expectingured me for a va to finish his project, this guy didn’t know much about it

And that only made me more wary

"Suit yourself," he said "He’s in his office" He gestured toward a hallway that led away froh tables and gazes

The hallas painted black, and it didn’t smell any better than the rest of the bar Restrooms were located to one side and a fire exit at the end

That left only a single open door to er I’d tucked into my boot, blew out a breath, and stepped into the doorway

Danny O’Hare was a handsorin and a ruddy coht of me

He sat behind a desk in a tiny office that was croith papers and stacked with boxes of booze Ironic, I thought, that all that booze was legal now, but it had probably been bought with Prohibition h my door," he said, with Ireland in his voice, "but a wild Irish Rose"

"I’"

I dropped the coin onto his desk, where it spun for a ain I set the bait, and waited for his eue interest and childish enthusiasm That was very much like Danny, who’d seemed to approach life like an adolescent bully The world was co in the second category was fair garapevine you were alive," he said "And I’ve seen your face in the glossy But wasn’t song quality that belied his enthusias seemed dishonest Hoas that possible? If he hadn’t calledthose close to Toh--then who had?

"Who’s looking for me?" I heard the mild panic in my voice and pushed it down I was in control of my own fate But it was Rachel’s I orried about

"Darlin’, tied I don’t control the world as I used to I’ my trade in this public house"

I didn’t believe that, not for one second Hesi," I insisted, peeling off a handful of twenties and dropping them onto the desk in front of him

His eyes flicked to the cash, just for awith you about that night" He sat back in his squeaky chair, linking his hands behind his head, just like Luc often did, but with considerably ulfed me "A woman? Who? I don’t know any women from back then Not who are still alive"

"Alive or dead is a fluid thing these days, h to pluck a flower in its prime?"