Page 12 of Too Cursed To Kiss
“Ancestral? Okay, old money. Awesome. Exactly how far east?”
He paused. “Norway.” His lips pressed together again. Apparently, he disliked that place even more than he disliked the associates.
“Wow. Okay, so way east.” Not Russian. I was dealing with a Norseman. I laughed again, hoping it was a side effect of the drug which made this seem ridiculous. He wasn’t blond, but he certainly had the height. Maybe his eyes wereblue. Was that a stereotype? There must be brown-eyed Norwegians. I was looking at one. “Right, family, Norwegian descent. Your local family home is in the forest. Got it. Go on.”
“That’s enough for now.” He straightened as if to leave. I needed to keep him in the room.
“Wait. Is the time up yet?” I was feeling better. I actually hadn’t felt that bad for a while now.
He shook his head without even checking.
I sucked in a few shallow breaths. I was getting out of this. I would be going back to my horrible, awful, but safe normal life. “At least tell me about the snake antivenin? I’ve never heard of an antidote that makes it so you can’t touch the victim. Who put it on Gentry’s pen?”
“I did not say snake venom. The antivenin has properties that enhance sensations. Your skin exudes it at the end of its travel through your body. If I touched your skin right now, then I wouldreact.”
Wald licked his lips, as if he had an interest that had nothing to do with snakebites. If only I could see his damned eyes.
“React how?” I asked. It came out far too breathlessly. I bit my lip and hoped he didn’t notice. He had all the sharp lines of a guy who worked out without the bulk. One hundred percent my type. Lean and dangerous. I should be terrified and plotting escape. Instead I was considering his bed-ability. Jeezus.
“It would cause me distress. I will leave it at that.” He fiddled with the end of the zipper on his leather jacket. There was something soothing about his gravelly voice.
“Okay, then let’s go back to the forests of Washington since we’ve time to kill—oops, bad choice of words. Why don’t you tell me the story? I like stories.” I laughed. It was abroken kind of laugh. I was not broken. I was sad Gentry was dead. I was going home as soon as I could figure out how. Going home alive.
“No.”
“I insist. Or when I get home, the charges pressed will be… Unpleasant, Mr. Velvet Trunk.”
His jaw set tight, making his face even more marble-like. There was a little dimple in his chin. He had not once approached me with anger, and I was taking that as a good sign despite having no clue if it was or not.
“How about, no. Once you are healed, then you will leave, and the less you know the safer you will be.”
“Did you forget someone killed my ex? He wasn’t a safe man. Believe me, I understand danger.”
“I don’t think you do.”
That line drawn made me want to smack him. “How about you let me fucking decide what I can handle?” I crossed my arms.
He cocked his head. “You have no idea what you are dealing with.”
“I bet I fucking do. Want me to come over there and show you how much I can handle?” I stood up.
“One more step and I will leave you.” He tensed to leave, and the smile that curved his lips reminded me that I wasn’t going to win a physical fight. Besides, he’d be out the door before I’d get halfway to him.
“Fuck you. It was my ex who died. I need to know why he’s dead. You know. Fucking tell me. Tell me what the hell is so damned dangerous.” I wanted to add, “other than you.”
He pursed his lips, considering me. “All right, I will explain a little more, but don’t say I did not warn you.”
My maniacal laugh answered more honestly than I intended. “I think I can handle it.” Maybe I was losing mymind. Gentry was dead, and there was no way to tell if this guy was trustworthy. But for some reason, I didn’t think I was in danger from him.
“A month ago, my family received a letter, but it was unsigned. It demanded a family heirloom be delivered to a specific spot, or a family secret would be exposed. My father refused to meet the demands and burned the letters as they arrived without opening them. My mother saved the last one. It outlined how the blackmailer had sent a letter to a police informant with information on a chip. If they didn’t hear from us within twenty-four hours, the information would be taken to the police and the newspaper.”
“Oh my God. That was Gentry, right?”
Wald shifted, crossing his boots at the ankles. “Yes, he was the informant.”
“So you killed him?”
“No, I had no part in it.” His chin raised with displeasure.
