He pulled his hands back. “So it’s true that there really are alarms set?”
“Afraid so,” she said.
“And you can’t just fly over it?”
“Not without setting it off.”
“Damn! I could never live like that.”
“It’s to keep people out, not us in.”
“Right,” he said.
Della frowned. “Look, I was hoping you might be able to help me out. I’m looking for someone who I think belongs to the Crimson Blood.”
“Why?” he asked.
“He was the old boyfriend of the girl I sort of ran across.” The fact that the girl was dead didn’t have to come up.
“I don’t think I met all of them. I just hung out with them a couple of days.”
“His name is Phillip Lance. He used to be in a band. Has brown hair. A tattoo on his neck of a skull.”
“This ain’t gonna come back and bite me in the ass, is it?”
“No,” she said.
“And what do I get for doing all these favors for you?” He smiled.
“I’ll owe you.”
“You already owe me,” he said.
“I’ll owe you more.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know why I like you.” He sighed and hesitated before finally talking. “There is a Phillip. Don’t know his last name, but he has brown hair. I don’t know if he played in a band.” He glanced up as if debating saying more, and then he blurted out, “He has a tattoo, but I’m not sure what it is.”
It had to be him. She nodded and a feeling of success filled her chest. “Thank you.” Now to get one more thing. “Where do they hang out? So I can go see him.”
Kevin held up his hands. “Now you’re asking too much.”
“Please.” It didn’t bother her nearly as much to beg when it was for someone else. And this was for Billy.
He hesitated. “Look, I can’t tell you where they call home, but there’s a supernatural bar on the north side of Houston called Hot Stuff.”
“Chan took me there,” Della said, remembering bits and pieces of the first week she’d been turned. If she had to, she thought she could find it again.
“Well, a lot of the Crimson Blood hang out there. You go there and you should run into one of them eventually.”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
He studied her a second, up and down, checking her out. “You got a boyfriend?” he asked, his blue eyes sparkling with interest.
“Yeah.” When her heart didn’t skip a beat, she realized it was true. Steve was her boyfriend. She didn’t know how things would be after this weekend, but …
“A shame.” He paused. “So, did you get Chan a proper burial?”
“Not yet. The FRU are doing an autopsy to confirm cause of death.”
“They should,” he said. “I was told it was freaky the way he got sick.”
Della remembered that niggling concern that she could actually have the same virus Chan did. “What … I mean, how was it freaky?”
“They said, he wasn’t feeling right for a while. I mean, he wasn’t feeling great when he left for Texas, but and they said he got a nasty rash.”
Della inhaled, with a tiny bit of relief. She didn’t have a rash.
Kevin shook his head. “You know he’s the first vampire I ever heard of that died of illness. I mean, I’ve lost several friends to gang fights and all, but I didn’t know we could get sick.”
“There’s viruses and such,” Della said, thinking she’d just had one. Was still dealing with one, minus the headache. And the sooner it all went away and she had her sense of smell back the better.
“Yeah, but they are like tiny colds, nothing that could kill you. I mean…” Kevin leaned his head back. “Company coming. Later!” He lit out.
Della inhaled, but still got nothing. Then she heard it, a rush of air. It was fast. Fast enough that she knew it was one of two people. Burnett or Chase.
The panty perv landed beside her. He took a sniff of the air. “Who was here?”
“Just someone I wanted to chat with,” Della said.
He glanced away. “Why are you meeting someone this late?”
“None of your business.” She started walking then turned back around, deciding she didn’t have to mention Jenny, but she could still say what she knew. “Unless you want to tell me who you’ve been meeting out here late at night.”
Surprise widened his eyes. “I don’t know what you mean.” His brow twitched.
“The hell you don’t.”
He looked puzzled. “How do you … Okay, fine, it was an old friend.” His brow didn’t shift; neither did his eyes. He told the truth.
“Why the secrecy?” she asked.
“He’s not registered.” Nothing wiggled on his face this time either.
She believed him.
“And now it’s your turn,” he said. “Why are you meeting someone at this time of night?” He looked concerned. Why?
“Let’s just say I’m trying to fix your mess. I’m following another lead on the murder.”
She saw him tilt his head to the side to listen to her heart rate. “True, but vague,” he said.
“You only deserve vague. You lied to Burnett about Billy.”
“I believe the kid is guilty, and I’m almost positive it was his trace I got, so that’s not really a lie.”
“And I believe he’s innocent,” Della countered.
He didn’t say a word.
“I’m leaving.” She only got a few feet.
“Wait,” he said.
She paused, but didn’t look back. And in spite of not wanting to go there, her mind took her back to the kiss. To the way it felt to be held close by him.
“Why?” she asked.
“To talk.”
“You have nothing to say I’m interested in hearing.” She got almost to the line of trees when she heard him.
“How about I tell you where I know you from?”
Of all the things he could say, that was the one that would stop her. She slowed down and heard him walking up beside her.
When he got to her side and didn’t say anything, she spoke. “I’m waiting.”
“One run, and then I’ll tell you.” He studied her face, as if looking for something. What? What could her expression give him? He could read her heartbeat and know if she told the truth.