“I never knew how much I adored you until I left,” he said loud enough for anyone we passed on the sidewalk to hear. “I’ve traveled all over. Arizona, Las Vegas, Florida. I was in New York before I came back here. But you are the ray of sunshine in my dark, dark life that led me back to you.”
“Spreading it on a bit thick, aren’t you?” I couldn’t help but smile a little despite my current annoyance at Thierry. I really did like Quinn a whole lot. When he’d left I thought that he hated me, even though he said he didn’t, and that I’d never see him again. We’d been through a lot together with the whole vampire-fledglings-united thing. He’d be another aspect of my vampire life I would have forgotten if The Darkness had performed that curse eradication.
We turned a corner and his cheery smile faded at the edges as he glanced over his shoulder. “Okay, I think we’re clear. Thierry contacted me.”
“I find that hard to believe, but go on.”
He snorted. “Yeah, I know. We’re not exactly poker buddies, are we? Anyhow, he explained the situation. Shit, Sarah. I feel like I’m to blame here. I’m the one who told you all that Gideon was dead.”
“He’s not.”
“Obviously. He’s like a cockroach; he can survive anything. The man is dangerous. Even more now that he’s desperate.”
My cheeks felt tense as I tried to smile. “And now you’re supposed to pretend to be dating me. What a great way to deal with a desperate killer like Gideon.”
He shrugged. “You don’t know Gideon like I do. We were friends ten years ago until I realized he was a complete sociopath. Don’t underestimate him for a moment.”
“I don’t.” I frowned hard. “So you don’t think there’s any part of Gideon that can be reasoned with? Some part of him that still has a chance of being redeemed?”
“He kills vampires.”
“So did you and you turned out okay in the end.”
He grimaced. “I never took pleasure in it like he does.”
I’d helped Quinn. In fact, I’d helped him when I probably shouldn’t have, back when he thought I wasn’t any better than a mosquito that needed to be squashed. It had taken him a while to realize he didn’t feel any different as a vampire than he did when he was human.
He saw what he’d done in the past was wrong. He was a hunter who wasn’t truly evil.
Now Gideon was going to become a vampire—if all went according to his master plan.
Would he see the light? Was it possible that he wasn’t completely evil? That there was a kernel of goodness somewhere inside him?
Hey, you never know.
“Thierry also told me about your curse,” he said in a near whisper and glanced at me sideways. We began to walk again. A few average, harmless pedestrians—at least that’s what they looked like—moved past us going in the opposite direction. “And he thinks it’s a good idea for me to be around just in case.”
My stomach lurched at that. “Just in case what?”
“Just in case the Ring sends somebody to investigate you. And by investigate, I mean eliminate. Consider me a layer of added protection at the moment.”
I swallowed hard. One more thing to obsess about.
“What about Janie?” I asked quietly.
“She’s willing to help out, as well.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I saw a picture of her kissing Thierry.”
His jaw clenched and his expression darkened. “Maybe I’ll kill Thierry just for old times’ sake. I’m sure I still have a sharp stake lying around somewhere.”
“So it’s true? You and her are together?”
He was silent for a moment. “Unless she decides she prefers ancient humorless vampires with zero personality, like some women I know.” He glanced at me and gave me a slight grin. “Yeah, we’re together.”
“You have strange taste in women.”
“You have strange taste in men.”
“Touché.”
He laughed at that. “I know it might seem crazy, but I love her. Completely. And I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”
“But she’s human. Won’t that be kind of awkward when she’s eighty and you look exactly the same as you do today?”
“She’s… well, she’s not exactly human anymore. She’s a vampire, too.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Long story, okay? Life or death situations call for rash decisions.”
I tried to keep the shock off my face. Everybody seemed to want to become a vampire lately. Were vampires the new black? The old black? We were in fashion? Maybe being a vampire was cool and desirable.
Sure, I believed it. If I was still as naïve as Amy. I kind of wished I was.
I let out a long breath. “I’m sure Janie probably wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of you pretending to be with me.”
“She said something about slicing you open and eating your heart if you touch even one square inch of my body.”
My eyebrows shot up.
“She was kidding, of course. Well, mostly.” Then his eyes narrowed as he looked farther up the block. “Speak of the devil.”
We’d turned a corner that brought us back onto Yonge Street. We’d walked around the block during our rushed and half-mumbled conversation. Up ahead I saw two very familiar vampires leaving the upscale restaurant they’d allegedly spent a good chunk of the afternoon at—the site of Amy’s earlier stakeout. Quinn slid his arm around my waist as we approached.
Thierry narrowed his gaze at Quinn, and then at me. “What a coincidence. Sarah, a pleasure as always.”
His words were warm, but his expression was not. In fact, it was subzero.
For that matter, so was mine. Half of me was happy to see him. The other half wanted to give him the cold shoulder for not being forthcoming with the info. Any info.
So annoying.
And yet I was supposed to just go along with everything and keep a smile on my face.
“Thierry,” I said, not trying to sound the least bit pleasant. “I see you have a new friend.”
“Old friend.” He took Janie’s hand in his and kissed it.
I felt my cheeks heat up and forced myself to relax and play along. For now.