Page 40 of Reap the Night
I cameto on a leather sofa in a stranger’s apartment. It was empty, except for a sofa suite, walls bare and unadorned. What the fuck?
Oh…Oh shit. Shay and the alley and?—
“Good, you’re awake.” Ezekiel stepped into the room from the balcony. “I was about to enter your mind to find you.”
“Where are we?”
“Your new apartment,” he said smugly. “I acquired it yesterday for you. I know how much you enjoy staying in New Town.”
“So youboughtme an apartment?”
“You can decorate it as you wish. I will provide the funds.”
Was he serious right now? “I don’t need or want your apartment.”
He frowned. “That isn’t what your behavior of the last few weeks tells me.”
“Because you’ve been spying on me.”
“Keeping an eye on you, yes. For your protection, which tonight saved your life. The Baobhan sidhe would have drained you.”
“The what?”
“His kind are rare, especially on this side of the veil. They feed on human emotions, fear, joy, desire…” His shoulders tensed. “If I hadn’t been there tonight…”
His tone was more I-dread-to-think than you-best-thank-me.
But he deserved my gratitude. “Thank you for saving me.”
“Don’t thank me. Make better choices.”
“Says the guy who chooses violence most every time.”
His smile said he conceded the point. “Why were you with the sidhe? Do you know him?”
“No. But he’s a friend of…a friend…” Did Crush know what a slime bag his friend was? I doubted it. I’d have to inform him.
“Maybe I should speak to this friend.”
“No. I’ll deal with it. I just…I’ll sort it out, okay?” The last thing I needed was Ezekiel getting up in Crush’s face and alienating the only fae world contact we had. My gut told me Crush didn’t know what an ass his buddy was. Heck, maybe Shay wasn’t even a close friend, maybe he was a business associate.
I swung my legs onto the floor, back in command of my body, but my mind was still clouded. The fae wine hadn’t worn off completely yet, and being around Ezekiel when not in command of my full faculties was dangerous. “I need to go.”
“Weren’t you listening?” he asked.
“I don’t want to stay here.” I stood slowly.
“Then I’ll take you back to the chapter house, or…you can come back to Branwood. Your room is still there.”
“It’s fine. I have a key to Kaster’s, so I?—”
He made a gruff sound of displeasure. “You don’t have to go back tohisapartment. This is your space.”
“It’s not about the apartment, Ezekiel. It’s about Kaster. I want to be with him.” And there was truth in that.
He flinched. “You…you care for him.”
“I do.”
