Page 17 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“I’m sorry, I don’t have time to discuss this right now.”
“I just really want you to stop,” he says, almost begging. “What happens when someone turns their sights on you?”
“I’m fine,” I assure him. “I promise. I’m careful. Ezio will be with me. I know he kind of comes across as carefree half the time but he really is decent at the job.”
Joaquin says nothing. Clearly, he’s convincedhecan protect me better than a two-hundred-year-old vampire.
“I’m sorry, did you learn kung fu since I saw you last? Playing video games doesn’t count. Because umm… last I knew, you didn’t actuallyknowhow to fight. Ezio knows how to fight, and Casimir is some like… sword-wielding badass or something. I don’t know. Some of those details are sketchy.”
“I’m really fast. I ran track in high school.”
I laugh. “I know you’re fast.”
“Don’t need to fight if you can outrun them.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” I say. “You have zoomed me out of more than one altercation.”
“Thank you, thank you. Fine. I will trust you, but thesecondsomething seems sketchy, you let me know.”
“I will,” I agree, glad I never told him about the werewolves who broke into my house, prepared to slice me up when Ivo had decided he’d had enough of me. I really don’t need him protecting me from all werewolves too.
“I need to call Ezio now.”
“Fine. Go run off with your new boyfriend.”
“He’s never going to be my boyfriend,” I say. “Goodbye. And don’t stalk me.”
“I won’t.”
He hangs up and I call Ezio, who answers with, “I want to be excited you’re calling me but I’m more than a little worried it rhymes with herder.”
“It’s a murder.”
“Dammit.”
“You want to pick me up?”
“Would I ever? What have I done to be blessed with this?” he asks. “I’ll be right there. You can ride in my baby. You’ll love it. I’ll even let you stroke the seats. I don’t ever let CasimirorJulian stroke the seats.”
I kind of feel like that’s because no one wants to. “Uh-huh. See you then,” I say before I hang up.
He must fly right here, and he’s so excited he doesn’t even stop to ask why I don’t take my own car. I think he’s hoping I forever forget I have a car so he can drive me everywhere.
I slip into the car and try not to look at his ecstatic expression. “We’re heading off to a crime scene. You look far too happy.”
“Right, right,” he says.
And I know I’m being too trusting, especially since I found out that he was involved in the death of my family in some way. I just need to figure out how.
CHAPTER FIVE
EZIO
Past
I sit on the rock right outside the tavern as I hear music floating through the air. People are getting rowdier as the night goes on and they get drunker with each passing moment.
I hear footsteps but still, I don’t bother turning my head. I just really can’t find it in myself to care.
