Deciding to save her ire for its intended target, Kat cast about for a change of topic. “Is Patrick still in town?”
“Don’t think so. He had to go meet a contact about a job.” The book lay unopened in Anna’s hands.
“You know, working with him wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be.”
It didn’t seem like a very noteworthy comment until Sera appeared with a pizza stone in one hand and a six-pack of Heineken in the other. “Jesus, what did he do to change your tune? Cure cancer and rescue a litter of kittens?”
“I appreciate a certain level of ability and efficiency.” Anna tilted her head and flashed them a wicked grin. “Plus, did you see those tattoos? Too bad he’s off limits.”
“Says who?” Sera settled the food on the well-abused coffee table and took a beer. “If you’re not going there, I sure the hell am.”
“Uh-huh.” Kat didn’t need beer, but she did lean forward and claim one of the corner pieces from the pizza. “Don’t let the road-warrior act fool you, guys. Patrick’s squishy hearted. The tattoos aren’t a bad-boy thing. They’re magic.”
“Magic,” Anna agreed. “Only way for someone like him to stay alive, doing what he does.”
“He’ll never say where he got them or what they do…” Kat trailed off and grinned. “I’ve heard he can hold his own against shapeshifters, though. I mean, he must.”
Anna grabbed the remote control, turned on the TV and began scanning through the channel guide. “So, what’re we watching tonight?”
It was about as subtle as the way Sera could spend two hours in a room with Julio without looking at him once. Avoidance and denial, and it made Kat want to laugh. She’d spent so much time feeling unattractive and awkward and violently jealous of Anna and Sera, and they were just as lost and insecure as anyone else.
Whether you were a blonde femme fatale, a bombshell redhead or a geeky brunette, men were still a pain in the ass. Some truths were apparently universal.
It didn’t take an empath to see Kat was pissed.
Andrew parked the car, pulled up the emergency brake and turned to her. “What did I do?”
She shook her head. “Inside. I’ll talk inside.”
It had to be the fact that she’d been under guard. All the way into the warehouse and up to his loft, Andrew considered the possibilities, and it was the only one that made sense. He dropped his keys on the kitchen counter and turned, bracing his hands on the granite as he faced her. “I was going to talk to you about it.”
“But you didn’t.” She eased the wide strap of her laptop bag over her head and set it down next to the door. “Which is a whole different and way more serious issue than the fact that I have to have guards to begin with.”
“By the time I thought about it, there wasn’t time.” He retrieved two bottles of water from the refrigerator and held one out to her. “It’s no different than what we were doing when the cult was still active. I figured we could talk about it later.”
Kat stared at the bottle of water for a few seconds before taking it, though she immediately set it down.
“There was time to tell Miguel and Anna.”
“There was time to ask them to watch out for you. I didn’t have to explain why.”
“And you thought I’d get pissed off or not trust you? If you just told me without explaining?”
“Give me some credit, Kat. I thought it would wait, is all.” And he hadn’t wanted her to worry, but admitting as much might just upset her more.
Instead of replying, she jerked at the zipper on her jacket, tugging it down in abrupt, rough movements that showed she was still angry, still clutching at her temper. She slid out of the garment and tossed it over the back of the couch. “I found out that I might have to have a bodyguard for the rest of my life from someone else. And I felt like a stupid kid again, like every time someone shuffled me off into a closet because bad stuff was going down but no one wanted me to know about it.”
“I’m sorry.” It was the very last thing he’d ever meant to do. “I don’t think you’re a kid.”
Kat closed her eyes and sank to the cushions with a groan. “I know. But it’s—it’s a sore spot, and it’s always going to be. I need you to be the one person who is painfully, brutally honest with me when things are dangerous.”
“Okay, I screwed up.” Andrew perched on the arm of the couch. “The guy Julio and I were dealing with today has a chip on his shoulder about the council, and it doesn’t matter that I don’t have legacy.
He’ll push my buttons like anyone else’s, and I don’t really think he cares how he does it.”
“And people are already figuring out I’m one of your buttons?”
One thing didn’t change, no matter who or where you were—gossip. “People like to talk.”
She tilted her head back and stared up at him. “I don’t love the idea of a bodyguard, but I can get my head around it, as long as we get a few things clear upfront.”
“Such as?”
“I get to decide who. And how.” She shifted to her knees, so her head was closer to his. “And we get Jackson or Mahalia or someone to ward your loft and my apartment well enough that I can have time alone when I need it. If this is a shapeshifter threat, then magical protection is enough. I’m not going to live the rest of my life like we did the last couple weeks.”
“Done.” He touched her hair, relishing the way the soft strands slipped through his fingers. “I really wasn’t being a jerk this time. There’s been so much going on, that’s all.”
She leaned into his hand and offered a tiny smile. “I was furious. I wanted to come back here and strangle you with some cat-5 cable. And then I did give you credit. I thought of every time you choked back your instincts so you wouldn’t smother me, and I realized I should trust you.” The smile faded. “And then I wondered if you didn’t trust me. If you thought I’d be so reckless that I’d fight this just to—”
“You were worried the other night,” he cut in. Maybe if she understood why… “Freaking out about the cult stuff, and thinking you might go off the deep end. Maybe—maybe I didn’t want you to think that your life’s going to be one never-ending string of boss fights that are going to push you closer and closer to the edge.”
Her lips twitched. Pursed. She clenched them together as her face scrunched up, like she was fighting to hold in laughter. She fought it until her face was red. “Boss…fights?” Her mirth spilled free, the sound filling his ears as she dropped her forehead to his leg and laughed until she shook.
He sighed. “You know, aside from my unfortunate use of video-game terminology, that’s really not funny.”
“I know, I know…” She gasped in another breath and stared up at him. “I just…I love you, Andrew. I love you enough to have bodyguards or babysitters or whatever the hell else it takes, because you’re not going to let me get anywhere near the edge.”
He dragged her closer. “Not if I can help it.”
“I’ve got dark places inside me, but that’s not all bad.” Her hand landed on his chest, fingers spread wide. “I figure I can spend the next few decades letting you see all of them. If you can handle them.”
If anything, her dark places matched his. “As long as you need me the way I need you. Everything else is…everything else.”
The tip of her tongue teased over her lower lip in a quick, nervous gesture. “I don’t even have words for what I need. I could let you feel it?”
He had no reservations. “If you want.”
She left one hand on his chest and lifted the other to his cheek. The first tickle ghosted over him as her eyes drifted shut, just a hint of affection.