Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong Read Free Book Online Page B

later I was kicking back in a hotel suite, eating sandwiches and eyeing the bottle of Perrier with suspicion. I knew it was the fashionable thing, but I really didn’t get the point of bottling water. Give me a Coke any day. And none of that new Diet Coke either. I like my sugar straight.
    It was 7:05 when Nast rapped on the door. I had to double-check the clock. He was never late—not even by a minute. When he came in, I could see why.
    “Is your son okay?” I asked, standing.
    “Hmm?” He took a second to focus on me, those bright blue eyes bleary. He ran his hand over his face and straightened, pulling himself together. “Yes, thank you. He’s fine.”
    “You look like you got hit by the El train,” I said.
    He glanced up, giving me something that could have been a small, tired smile. Very small. Very tired.
    “Rough day, huh?”
    “Hmm.”
    “Come in and sit before you fall over. And no, I won’t ask what’s wrong. I know the rules. No personal stuff.”
    “Is that a rule? If so, I don’t believe I set it.”
    “You don’t need to. The Keep Out sign can’t be missed. Neon letters, ten feet tall and flashing. I’m pretty sure I heard sirens, too.”
    “Oh.” He gave me an odd look, then said, “Yes, I suppose so.”
    He moved into the living room.
    “You look like you could use home cooking,” I said. “Can’t help you there, but I’m handy with a room service menu.”
    He hesitated, and looked ready to tell me not to bother, then nodded, “Soup if they have it. And Scotch. A double. Single malt.” Another hesitation. “Unless you’d prefer I didn’t drink before a lesson.”
    “Something tells me you don’t make a wild drunk. A double single malt Scotch it is.”
    “Get something for yourself, too.”
    I grinned. “I intend to.”
    Nast wasn’t in any rush to start his lesson. He wanted to talk about my dilemma with Lavina and Dhamphir…or, I’m sure, wanted to listen to me talk about it, so he could rest. I explained that I’d dug up the evidence I needed to support the Cabal link and presented it to Lavina, who’d brushed it off. When the food came, he downed his Scotch in one gulp, with a shudder that said it wasn’t his usual drinking style.
    He picked at his soup, stirring it more than eating it, not saying a word until, gaze still on his bowl, he said, “My father didn’t appreciate me jetting home last week. It was an important meeting and …” A one-shouldered shrug. “A bump on the head is hardly life-threatening.”
    “It could be,” I said. “I’m sure your son was happy to have you there.”
    “His name’s Sean. He’s seven.”
    “Then he definitely would have wanted his dad there. You did the right thing. Not that you need me to tell you that, of course. I’m just saying—”
    “I know. My father was fine with it last week. Groused a little, saying that’s what nannies are for, but that was all. Then today, he found out one of the companies he acquired is losing money, so I got an hour-long telephone tirade about my lack of responsibility last week.”
    “Did you have anything to do with buying the company?”
    “I advised against it. My father overruled me. But
that
had nothing to do with me going home last week. He was angry about the loss and wanted to vent, so suddenly he decided I’d been irresponsible last week, giving him a target.” He leaned back on the sofa. “That’s par for the course with my father. He’s not an easy man to get along with. I didn’t particularly need that tirade in the middle of the day, when I was already running behind, and I’d barely hung up when my youngest called. He got a birthday card from his mother today.”
    “Oh. That’s good. Isn’t it?”
    “His birthday was last month.”
    I didn’t know what to say to that.
Then she’s a stupid bitch
came to mind, but it didn’t seem to be an appropriate response.
    Nast was obviously trying to open up to me—hence the quickly downed Scotch—and I wanted