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"Because I don’t feel like going home yet," I said, and I didn’t Hoius Dupré would be, and the walls of my apartment would close in onto plead Eli didn’t answer, but he ress and walked to Molly’s
Inside the atathered at the long, polished rabbed the corner booth by the frontand ordered another whiskey Eli slid into the booth across froether in a pissed-off expression He didn’t order anything His light eyes regarded h he usually observed ht was different There was so there, and I wanted to knohat it was I waited, thinking he’d tell uy, I suppose--even a vampiric one
The whiskey arrived, the waitress left, and I leaned forward "What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked, now feeling angry myself "It’s my brother out there Not yours" I literally boiled inside, all of a sudden, and since no one else was around who could take the blame, I put it all on Eli I let it all out "My whole life is screwed up One day I’ super in school; reat and we’re happy--despite ourpsycho and our loser father a lifer in some penitentiary Noake up and discoverunexplainable things exist,one of theed tea to keep an entire fa hard to understand it all, and do what I can to get things back the way they were So lose your sucky attitude" I sat back, glaring,fast "I didn’t ask for any of this"
Eli regarded ," he said, his voice deadly low "And I didn’t ask to be your fucking babysitter" He raked furious eyes overin French "Deal"
I kept my eyes locked on his as I lifted ulp, pulled two bucks from my pocket, and dropped them on the table "Duties relieved," I snarled, and headed for the door I was the last person who needed a freaking babysitter; I’d gone through toolife and handled a lot of problems most never encounter in their entire existence Screw that I threw a hand up at Martin when he said, "Take it easy, Riley," and I pushed out into the City Market nightlife crowd It was nearly ht; the tourists had so around, and would for a few more hours It wasn’t like I blended into the crowd; I stood out because ofI was tall on top of it, and I knew that if Eli wanted to co returned to me some sort of control; I’d lost it, and da tracked It wassuffocating
As I walked up Congress, rew soed the air; I headed straight for John-son Square and found hi the mossy oaks When he saw rinning "How you walk in deed the older Gullah, and he patted my back "Dere now, baby You don’t worry about nothin’, you hear? You listen to da Preacher h of a h, Riley Poe, to know you ain’t takin’ fast to havin’ soht? But you keep dat teave Capote a smile and a nod "I’ll do "
"Ha-ha," Capote laughed, and gave a nod "I never do, baby" He started again, hisall at once So, even old Capote knew about the vaht drizzle began again, but I didn’t care I stood there surrounded by towering live oaks draped in ray cluainst the slick brick and cobbles, ful of sultry August air It almost calmed me, until I remembered the cicadas Rather, their absence
A couple walked up, wrapped in each other’s arms, and stood close by to listen to Capote play I stood there for aup Whitaker toward Bay I let hts ramble I was somewhat shocked that Eli had allowed me thisand had gone back to his parents with a refusal to do it any longer I couldn’t blame him I’d been a bitch I’d allowed the situation to overwhel I of course hadn’t s, but at the time, it had sounded that way; maybe I’d allowed it to sound that way, too So, and I didn’t knohy I thought of Eli as anything but a thing I found hily unique The attraction I felt for hihtened because he was a vampire Hell--I sometimes had to remind myself he really was a vampire Other than his exceptional capabilities, and his transfored toward s and his mother and father certainly weren’t like Hollywood va fa but ordinary--that, and s settled I knew that Just like I knew that one day very soon, I’d see them Really see them
Just as I crossed Bryan Street, I heard thes, Seth, and the others, but I did--hter I searched the darkness, down Bryan Street, and there they were: seven altogether, wearing dark hoodies like so some skinny dude on the sidewalk He was alone, and the boys were harassing hiainst a car parked on the curb I couldn’t tell which one was Seth; they all looked alike froed va quickening, so I changed directions, ducked into the shadows, and moved toward them I knew I could take at least three of their skinny little asses out; uy alone Junkie or not, I wasn’t going to stand by and watch while they killed hiotten close, the boys had surrounded the guy and were pushing hiht then that the guy was as high as a kite; he just flailed between the boys, and they laughed, and he even laughed with theed me He didn’t deserve what they had for hi up as their freaking dinner Both were unacceptable
No sooner did I step out of the shadows than I was pushed back into theainst the brick wall of an en in the yard Da I pushed with all e hi We were front to front, our bodies pressed intiether He looked down at me as the brick scored into the bared flesh oflanced over his shoulder and then lowered his mouth to my ear "No matter what you see, stay here," he warned, and when he lifted his head and looked at me, I saw just how much he meant it I nodded, and just that fast he moved off of me I barely felt the air shift as he stirred
In the next breath, Eli stood a-fast move pushed the junkie clear; he landed on the other side of the car with a thud and a moan Now the boys surrounded Eli, and they beca; in theshadow fell over Eli, and as I watched, ut in knots, I saw his transforliged fangs,to comprehend Don’t hurt them! I yelled inside my head I wanted their asses kicked, not killed They were just boys, and one of them was Seth Eli had two by the throat; I couldn’t tell who they were, but their faces were so pale I could see their see froled theround; then he threw them--threw both of the-out users, they juain The others followed Next, adolescent bodies flew everywhere as Eli tossed theed toward hiht; I don’t kno much control Eli issued to keep theed I couldn’t take it anymore Maybe with two, they wouldn’t make such bold moves
The moment I stepped out of the shadows and into the street, one of the rabid boys noticed ed He was on me in seconds, and I found myself flat on my back in the middle of the street Beneath the hoodie I stared into a pair of opaque eyes and a pale face; relief washed over me when I saasn’t Seth It was his other friend, Todd, and I grabbed the boy by his skinny throat and held his gnashingup and down against my pal as a friggin’ ox, and it took all of th to push him back and shove hiain, I kicked with the flat of my shin and knocked hiain, and this ti fist and swung upward as he neared me, then elbowed his solar plexus Still he caain As much as I hated it, I fished the dope out of ie in front of Todd with rabbed it Then a smile pulled at his mouth, and it made my insides ice over His fist ca speed; I didn’t even have time to deflect it Warm liquid spilled onto my lip, and the pinpoint pupils in Todd’s white eyes widened as he stared hard at le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">