Page 11 of Shift in the Blood
If she’d let me help her.
I had no sense of what she’d decide. I wasn’t a coward. I took up the necklace and the ring. I hoped like I’d not hoped in decades. I’d put a target on her by not being aware of her connections, and I needed to make this right.
Chapter Five
Clara
Aknock at my door brought me out of my reverie. I’d been considering how to safely get away from Maxim. If Didier was right, and the man at the museum was sent by my boss, there would be no talking. He’d already made his decision.
Which meant I would need to take Carina and run.
Someone knocked again.
Oh, shit. “Come in.”
Didier came in. “Thank you for your patience.”
“Sure. What did you want to talk about?”
He sat down in the chair he’d been sitting in before, pulling it closer to the bed. “First, I need you to know that I will protect you. I might be wrong, but I don’t think so. I think that your boss somehow discovered you’d arranged to meet me, and sent a hitman to kill you.”
His words hit me like someone kicked me in the face. They were factual, and true, but… after four years? This is how Maxim treated me? “I can’t believe he’d do this.”
“You’ve done a great deal of work for him. You know where the bodies are buried, I think the saying goes.”
“Sort of, yes. I don’t know as much as you’d think I might.”
“He can’t be sure what you do or don’t know. Better to remove you as a possible threat rather than take the risk of letting you loose into the world.”
“How can you protect me?” I needed to have him protect Carina as well. Maxim knew about her, although he’d never met her when I was around. She was my weak point. He knew it.
Didier took a breath, looking away for a moment before looking back at me. “What do you know about vampires?”
“You don’t sparkle, contrary to the movies I’ve watched.”
That made him snicker. “No. No sparkles.”
“That’s about it. I never believed vampires were real. I don’t have any expectations.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?” He leaned forward, a slight crease on his forehead.
Was he concerned? The thought made me tingle in unexpected places.
“I’m probably going to have a nervous breakdown later, when it’s more convenient. For now, I’m fine. How can you protect me?”
“By offering you this.” He held out his hand.
I didn’t reach for whatever he held. “What is it?”
He opened his hand and let a necklace drop down. “This is a pendant that represents the Ouroboros Society. These are vampires who have offered patronage to extraordinary humans. No other vampires can bother you, and it allowed your Patron, me, the right to protect you as needed.”
“Why would you offer this to me?”
In the light of the room, his cheeks looked almost human. He wasn’t as pale as he’d been when I’d turned and seen him at the museum. Weird. I wondered what the difference was.
“Because you are gifted, and you deserve more than to just create copies of the work of others. Even as that’s what I want from you, I recognize your talent. Your skill. If you accept this, you do not have to accept my commission unless you want to. I will pledge to support you as you work on your gift.”
“What about sexy times?” Holy shit. Had I actually said that out loud?
