The Harlequin   ::   Гамильтон Лорел

»

«Elinore and the other vamps didn't say that.»

«Because they could not.»

«You mean, if they had told anyone who killed their master, they'd have been killed?»

«Yes.»

«That's crazy, they all knew it.»

«Among themselves, oui , but not to outsiders, and once the Harlequin leave town the secrecy takes effect once more.»

«So we can talk about them now, but later, when they leave, it's forbidden to mention them?»

«Oui.»

«That's insane.»

«It is law.»

«Have I told you recently that some of the vampire laws are stupid?»

«You have never put it quite that way.»

«Well, I'm putting it that way now.»

«Come home, ma petite , or better yet, come to Guilty Pleasures. I will tell you more of the history of the Harlequin when I have you safe with me. We should be safe. It is a white mask. We are expected to act as if there is nothing wrong. So I will finish my work night.»

«You've fed the ardeur . You're done for the night.»

«There are still acts to manage and my voice to lend to a microphone.»

«Fine. Well be there.»

Nathaniel whispered, «They're coming over.»

I glanced up to find the couple that had been staring so hard walking toward us. They didn't look dangerous, and they were definitely human. I whispered into the telephone, «Are all the Harlequin vamps?»

«To my knowledge, why?»

«We've got a pair of humans walking toward us.»

«Come to me, ma petite , and bring Nathaniel.»

«Love ya,» I said.

«And I you.»

We hung up so I could give my attention to the couple. The woman was petite and blond, and embarrassed and eager at the same time. The man was grumpy, or embarrassed.

«You're Brandon,» she said to Nathaniel.

He admitted it, and I watched his stage smile come on line. He was happy to see her, and all the worry was just gone. He was on.

I didn't really have an «on» face. I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to do while strange women came up and said things to my boyfriend.

«But you were on stage, too,» she said, turning to me. I'd been recognized as Anita Blake, vampire hunter, zombie raiser, but never from that one night I'd gone on stage at Guilty Pleasures. Nathaniel had picked me out of the crowd instead of some stranger. I'd agreed to it, but I hadn't wanted to do it again.

I nodded. «Once.» I felt Nathaniel tense beside me. I should have just said yes. Nathaniel worried that I was embarrassed by him, and I wasn't. It was fine that he was a stripper, but it wasn't my gig. I was not nearly exhibitionist enough for it.

«I'd finally persuaded Greg to go with me to the club, and he was glad he came, weren't you?» She turned to the grumpy boyfriend.

He finally nodded, and he wouldn't look at me. Definitely embarrassed. That made two of us. None of my clothes had come off on stage, but I still didn't like being reminded of it.

«It was so erotic, what you did on stage together,» she said, «so sensual.»

Nathaniel said, «So glad you enjoyed the show. I'll be on stage tomorrow night.»

Her face glowed with happiness. «I know. I check the website. But it doesn't mention your friend.» She nodded at me. «Greg wants to know when you'll be back, don't you, Greg?» She was looking at me when she said it.

What I thought in my head was, When hell freezes over , I don't know what I would have said out loud, because Nathaniel saved us. «You know how you had to persuade Greg to come to the club?»

She nodded.

«I had to persuade her to get on stage.»

«Really?» she said.

«Really,» Nathaniel said.

Greg finally spoke. «Was it your first time on stage?»

«Yes,» I said, wondering how to get out of this conversation without being rude. I'd have been rude, but Nathaniel wouldn't be. Bad for business, and rude just wasn't one of the things that he did much.

«It didn't seem like your first time,» and he looked at me then. The look was the kind you never want a strange man to give you. Too much heat, too much sex.

I looked at Nathaniel. The look said clearly, End this conversation, or I will .

Nathaniel understood the look; he'd seen it enough. «I'm glad you enjoyed the show, and I hope to see you both again tomorrow. Have a wonderful night.» He started to move away, and I followed.

Greg moved closer to us. «Will you be there tomorrow night?»

Nathaniel smiled, and said, «Of course.»

He shook his head. «Not you, her. What's her name?»

I didn't want to give him my name. Don't ask me why, but I didn't. Nathaniel came to the rescue again. «Nicky.»

I gave him a look, but my back was to them, so they couldn't see it. Greg said, «Nicky?»

Nathaniel took my arm and kept us moving, balancing the box in his other hand. «When she's on stage,» he said.

«When will Nicky be at the club?»

«Never,» I said, and walked faster. Nathaniel kept up with me. When we were clear of his, our, fans, his face showed dread. Dreading the fight that was coming.



chapter five

I WASN'T SO angry that I forgot to check out the crowd as we moved, but I had to force the anger down to be able to see straight. I was actually more embarrassed than angry, which meant the fight could be all the worse for it. I hated being embarrassed, and usually masked it with anger. Even knowing that's what I did didn't change the fact that I did it. It just let me know why I was angry.

I actually waited until we were in the parking lot to say, « Nicky ? What the fuck kind of name is that?»

«One I'd remember,» he said.

I jerked away from him hard enough that he almost dropped the box. «I'm never going to be on stage again; I don't need a stage name.»

«You don't want them to figure out your real name, do you?»

I frowned at him. «I'm in the news enough. They'll figure it out eventually.»

«Maybe, but if you give them a stage name to remember, they'll think of you as a stripper, not as a federal marshal. You're embarrassed enough that Detective Arnet saw us on stage that night.»

«Yes, and I'm still waiting for her to tell the rest of the police that she and I work with.»

«But she hasn't,» he said.

I shook my head.

«She can't admit she saw you without admitting she was there, and why,» he said.

«Cops go to strip clubs all the time,» I said.

«But she didn't go to see strippers, she went to see me.»

That stopped me. Made me turn and stare at him. «What do you mean?»

«She came to the club on a night you weren't there. Since you've avoided the club as much as possible, that's a lot of the time. Can we have this conversation in the car?»

He had a point. I unlocked the car, and we climbed in.