She crossed the road and kept looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t followed. Embarrassing.” He shook his head. “You’re home early.”
“I am.”
“Did they not play well this evening?” Flint drummed his chin with his fingers.
“The performance was exquisite.” And so was Leera.
“What’s that smile about?” He leaned on the wall.
Vaihan’s BlackBerry vibrated. “I need to take this.” As he leaped up the stairs, he withdrew the device from the holster.
“Hello, Vaihan?” a man questioned in a high-pitched voice.
He pressed the smartphone to his ear. “Yes, Ralph...”
“I don’t mean to call you so late. I was catching up on some paperwork and wanted to talk to you about this letter you want me to send to Jean Denoix’s widow’s lawyer. We’ve known each other a long time. This woman is trying to move on with her life. Let this go.” A heavy sigh was breathed into his ear.
Maybe the woman didn’t need to hear what her husband had said to him in the moments before his death, but he couldn’t rest until she told him herself to let this go. Just because he couldn’t stay for the police with the dead body in his trunk didn’t mean he wasn’t worried about the man’s widow. “I want you to track down the client.”
“I can’t do that. I’d be breaking a whole bunch of laws.”
“And suddenly that is an issue.” Fine time for him to decide he wanted to only do things aboveboard. “I’m calling in all the favors you owe me. Get this for me, and you get a clean slate.”
“You’re such a bastard.”
When he had to be. “Thanks, Ralph. We’ll meet up once you have a name so there won’t be a record of the exchange of information. No one will ever know. Call me when you have what I want.” He pressed the End Call button.
Chapter 7
Rowley hated calling Peter’s house. Speaking to the missus was like speaking to a dim-witted teen. Leera’s sister in-law was a piece of work, and if he didn’t need Peter at Devin’s arraignment in the morning, he’d wait and call the office.
“Hello,” the doe on the other side of the line said.
“Hello, Meg, is Peter around?” Rowley asked.
“I sent him out to get me ice cream–pregnant woman craving. Did you want me to let him know you called?” The pitch of her voice annoyed him.
If his purpose wasn’t to speak to Peter, why the fuck would he call? The woman wasn’t too bright. Pretty, but not much else. “I’d appreciate that very much.”
“Sure thing. Rowley, did you hear the latest about Leera?”
“No.” His heart pounded in his chest. “What about her?”
“She’s going on a date. Isn’t that so exciting?”
Not in the least. “Oh, really? Who’s the lucky chap?”
“Well, he isn’t a chap. He’s one of those undead. Vaihan Louchian. You know of him, right?”
The creature was pursuing his woman. “Yeah, the Special Advisor to the President in Undead Relations.”
“Vaihan is such a gem. I really hope they hit it off, don’t you? Leera’s been so depressed. I think this is really good for her.”
Not if he could stop it. “I’ve got to run. Please, let Peter know I called.”
“Will do. ’Bye.”
Rowley jabbed the End Call button with his thumb. No way would Leera agree to go out with one of those things. Meg had to have her facts wrong.
* * * *
Rowley hit the red door with his fist again. Every moment since his call with Meg, he’d grown more frantic about whether Leera would go out on a date with an undead. Could he have let her slip away again? No. Not this time. He could turn this around.
The volume of the music inside the house lowered. The winter chill bit into him. He lifted his hands to his mouth and blew. The door opened.
Leera stood in jeans and a t-shirt with her curls pulled back. “Hi, Rowley, great to see you.”
With his arms crossed over his chest, he entered. “Is it true?”
She cocked her head to the side. “Is what true?”
There was no way she could think nothing of what she had agreed to. “Are you going out on a date with that thing?” Heat tightened around his torso at the idea of her with one those creatures, but especially with one able to endear itself to the nation.
A soft breath escaped her lips. “Yes. Vaihan is taking me out to dinner.”
What possible reason did she have to mix with zombies? “You mean it’s going to have you for dinner.”
Leera chuckled. “No, he won’t, it would hinder any possibility of a second date.”
“You think this is a joke?” For months he’d wanted to see her smile, but not under these circumstances. “We’re food to those creatures. I care about you and couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.” He took her hand, locking his fingers with hers.
“Nothing will happen to me.” She stepped back.
“They’re freaks of nature, abominations. You’re a smart, sexy woman. You don’t need to resort to this...this thing.” He grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“I’m not resorting to anything.” She retreated. “It’s one outing.”
Was it him, or was she being standoffish? “If I’d known you wanted to go out, I’d have taken you.” He caught her wrist.
Her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want pity.”
“Pity?” That wasn’t even close to what he felt. “I want you, Leera. My feelings for you have never changed. I’ve been trying to do the right thing here and give you the time you need to grieve.” He slid his hand around her waist.
“It’s not a switch I can turn on and off. Where one day I can say I’m grieving and the next I’m past it.” She took hold of his arm and slid away. “But I want to start living again, okay?”
Something was definitely up. Every time he touched her, she backed off. “I want that for you too.” For him to get his Lee-lee back.
“When would we go?” She smiled.
The sooner the better. “Thursday.” He reached for her.
“No,” she said, withdrawing from him. “That’s when Vaihan is taking
