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"Did they say why?" Kevin’s voice was bland His expression wasn’t Not only could I see thehis knees had grohite-knuckled If he hadn’t been healing too fast, there’d be bruises for Luther"

He blinked slowly Twice

"You killed … Luther?" The lilt in his voice ed, still not sure what it un, at least one other with ht have been Luther I wouldn’t know It’s not like they introduced theave a snort of coravation and a under his breath that I didn’t quite catch A day or so ago I ht have been insulted by the reaction I ar and company If they were impressed, well-- Now I not only wasn’t insulted, I was almost as surprised as Kevin Of course I didn’t say that Instead, I tried to look aloof as I stared out at the inco waves

"Luther was very old and very smart He was also ruthless as hell I wouldn’t have wanted to hunt him alone I’m really surprised you were able to take hi me as a person for the first time instead of as one of his father’s students or his sister’s soar’s e?" Kevin asked

I repeated what the vampire had told me, verbatim Kevin sat as if frozen He didn’t answer Didn’t act as if he’d even heard But I knew he had

It was a long time before I broke the silence "Can I ask you a question?"

He gave a curt nod

"Who are these people?"

He shook his head "I can’t tell you I wish I could, though, because you’re in so far over your head that you ain"

"What should I do?"

He rose to his feet in a single fluid et so to check a few things out Try to put the pin back in this grenade"

"And if you can’t?"

"That would be very, very bad"

I nodded glumly I was afraid of that He stood up and I stood with hi time before he said, "I’, he pulled me into his arms and held me Just held ed breath I would not cry again I wouldn’t But it was teet control oftime since I’d let a man just hold s I’d alanted to say to Kevin, and you’d think this would be the perfect time But it wasn’t This was quiet time, the calm before the storm that would undoubtedly co to react, rather strongly, to my presence, he didn’t let the tension build There was coe that we could touch, skin on skin, without feeling the need to go further

I was a little afraid of further with Kevin Too, I wouldn’t want to ruin what he had with Amy That wouldn’t be fair to any of us And then there was the question of whether he wanted ht just be another "little sister" or forever a "good friend"

But I wouldn’t worry about that tonightFor noould take his comfort There was little to be had elsewhere

13

I’d had a long cry and a hug from a friend I’d taken et rid of the sorrow, the anger, and the sense of i doo, hot bubble bath I arita to sip while I soaked It’s part of the ritual, lying in the water, sipping that lile grain of kosher salt off the rilass I don’t clione or the drink is A second drink gets h a home pedicure and one of those ht I put a gun on the toilet seat and skipped the facial My skin looked huically imbued saltreally, really, hard not to think too --which is harder than it sounds, particularly when I could watch the nicks froht’s injuries fade in fast-forward