2 Blood Trail by Tanya Huff Read Free Book Online Page B

wiffle.”
    “A what?”
    “Guy who does the joe jobs.”
    “Henry found you this?”
    “Yup. Found me the place too.”
    All the years she’d known Tony, the most he’d ever been willing to take from her had been the occasional meal and a little cash in return for information. Henry Fitzroy had known him less than five months and had taken over his life. Vicki had to unclench her teeth before she could speak. “Have you been spending a lot of time with Henry?” The question held an edge.
    Tony glanced over at her appraisingly, squinting a little in the bright afternoon sun. “Not much. Hear you’re gonna be doing some howling with him this weekend though.” At her frown, he leaned closer and in an excellent imitation of a monster movie matinee, intoned, “Verevolves.”
    “And did he discuss the case with you too?”
    “Hey, he just mentioned it.”
    “I’m surprised he didn’t invite you along.”
    “Jeez, Victory,” Tony shook his head. “There’s just no talking to you in this mood. Get laid or something and lighten up, eh.” He waved jauntily and raced to catch the streetcar at the lights.
    Vicki’s reply got lost in traffic sounds and it was probably just as well.
     
    “Is it something I said?”
    Vicki didn’t bother to lift her head off the cool glass of the car window. The highway lights were less than useless as illumination so why bother turning to face a man she couldn’t see. “What are you talking about?”
    Her tone was so aggressively neutral that Henry smiled. He concentrated for a moment on slipping the BMW into the just barely adequate space between two transports then out the other side to a clear section of road where he actually managed to achieve the speed limit for seven or eight car lengths before he caught up to another section of congested traffic. “You haven’t said two civil words to me since I picked you up. I was wondering if I’d done something to annoy you.”
    “No.” She shifted position, drummed her fingers on her knee, and took a deep breath. “Yes.” Personal differences must not be allowed to influence the case; things were going to be difficult enough already. If they didn’t deal with this now, odds were good it’d turn up sometime a lot more dangerous. “I spoke with Tony today.”
    “Ah.” Jealousy, he understood. “You know I must feed from a number of mortals, Vicki, and you yourself chose the other night to. . . .”
    She turned to glare at the indistinct outline his body made against the opposite window. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?” Her left fist slammed down on the dash. “For four years I couldn’t get Tony to take anything from me but a couple of hamburgers and some spare change. Now all of a sudden you’ve found him a job and a place to live.”
    Henry frowned. “I don’t understand the problem.” He knew her anger was genuine, both her breathing and her heartbeat had accelerated, but if it wasn’t the sexual aspect that bothered her. . . . “You don’t want Tony to be off the streets?”
    “Of course I do, but . . .” . . . but I wanted to be the one to save him. She couldn’t say that, it sounded so petty. It was also completely accurate. Abruptly anger changed to embarrassment. “. . . but I don’t know how you did it,” she finished lamely.
    The pause and the emotional change were as clear an indication of her thoughts as if she’d spoken them aloud. Four hundred and fifty years having taught discretion if nothing else, Henry wisely responded only to Vicki’s actual words. “I was raised to take care of my people.”
    Vicki snorted, grateful for a chance to change the subject. “Henry, your father was one of the greatest tyrants in history, burning Protestants and Catholics impartially. Disagreement of any kind, personal or political, usually ended in death.”
    “Granted,” Henry agreed grimly. “You needn’t convince me. I was there. Fortunately, I wasn’t raised by my father.”