Page 19 of Unhallowed Murder
He heard her thoughts as she processed the order, and then her thoughts went quiet. He hated the distance, but sheneededto be able to do this.
“Good job. I can’t hear your thoughts anymore.” Honesty was important to both of them, so he added, “No doubt, I could get around it with ease at this point, because it’s new, but I won’t. If you put the shield up, I’ll respect your privacy. You understand I can’t justnothear what you’re thinking when your shield isn’t up, right?”
She nodded. “I remember her saying that holding it is like going to the bathroom. As adults, we hold it all the time and have to make an effort to relax those muscles. As babies, we have to learn to do that. She said it’s the same, and I’ll eventually hold my shielding without thinking about it, but I never really understood what she was trying to get me to do. This seems too easy. I mean, I did it and passed Martin’s test, but then forgot it.”
“It’s quite easy while you’re thinking of it, but as you said, remembering to hold it is the trick.”
She ate another couple of bites, and Josef missed the running commentary of her mind, but it was important she felt comfortable around him, so it had to be done.
“How often do youchange? How much time do you give to your other nature?”
“It’s hard sometimes, because if a high-profile crime happens, I can be called at any time, and they might understand it taking me ten minutes to get back with themif I was in the shower, but the brass expects me to answer the phone when they need me. For the longest, I’d have to take my phone with me and she couldn’t get too far from it. If it went off, I’d have tochangeback to see who called.”
“And now?”
“Nathan lets me prowl on his Pride’s land, and I trust a few of the women with my phone. They have a particular song they play if I need tochangeback to human and take a phone call.”
He smiled. “You don’t want to tell me the song?”
She rolled her eyes. “Eye of the Tiger. It’s silly, but it gets her attention.”
“I look forward to seeing her. Do you let her out to play much?”
“There isn’t a set schedule. Maybe two or three nights one week, all night, and then not again for a week or two. Some people drink to relieve tension, I let the cat out to play.”
“How much does she help you on cases?”
“She helps keep me safe. You were in my head, so you know, right?”
“Somewhat. I could sense when you got information from her, but I couldn’t sense her thoughts.”
“She doesn’t think in words.”
“No, most animals don’t, but I can usually sense their feelings, warnings, and intentions. I knew when you got information from her only because of your thoughts. She’s shielding from me.”
Ronnie’s grin told him she liked this idea, and Josef couldn’t wait to kiss those delectable lips.
Would his little tiger want to metaphorically bite back? He kind of hoped so.
“Now that you can shield your thoughts, will you tell me about who bit you, and why?”
She looked down, and he felt the distance between them increase. “Did you just wrap another balloon around the first?”
Cop eyes again. Icy cold and calculating. “Brick wall, how did you know?”
“You got farther away. Nothing more. I can’t see your thoughts, I only felt the distance.”
She nodded, blew out a breath, and forced herself to relax. Josef was fascinated by her control.
“Martin owed a Strigorii a meal and they wanted a female. I was his only option without having to bring someone else in. He knows better than to offer me for sex, and I guess he’d warned the vampire not to try, because he didn’t do anything other than bite me physically, but…” She took a deep breath and finally looked up, her gaze one of pain and confusion. “I expected to hate it, but he made mefeel. I didn’t like it, and yet…”
Josef didn’t say anything. He wanted her to finish the thought. A good thirty seconds later, she finally ended her sentence. “I’d gone to South Carolina with Martin, once the old Swan King was deposed and we were all trying to take the state back. A vampire helped us in battle, and Martin made a promise, thinking he’d offer himself. He didn’tmean to offer me. He’s an asshole, but he wouldn’t have…” She trailed off and looked down, her shields firmly in place.
Someone had hurt his little tiger once. That much was clear, but she’d have to tell him when she was ready. He wasn’t going to poke at it, and he wouldn’t dig so he could see for himself.
“Okay, Ronnie. When you want to tell me more, you will. I won’t look.”
“Could you?”
