Part 16 (2/2)
My cell phone rang roughly an hour later. It was four in the morning and Winkler and Weldon had gone to bed. I always put my cell on vibrate during that time so they wouldn't be wakened. The call was from Tony.
I walked into the hall to take it. ”What do you want?” I asked. Yeah, I was grumpy.
”Lissa, I still want to talk to you.”
”Tell me why.”
”What did you mean earlier when you said I was like all the other males, now?” Why was he worried over what I thought? And he knew I was vampire. He ought to let it go.
”Tony, every male I know is manipulative and controlling,” I sighed as I explained. He waited patiently while I'd gone silent, wondering whether I should answer or not. ”You joined their ranks tonight. Congratulations.”
”Even Winkler?”
That deserved a snort. ”Even Winkler,” I said. I wasn't about to go into detail about that-how Winkler blackmailed me and the Council declared me rogue-all when I was newly made.
”Renfro said he heard the word fiance over the phone.”
”Yeah. How about that? Not that the huge diamond on my hand was a giveaway or anything,” I grumped.
”Lissa, I don't know what to think about all this. Do you love this man? Is he a man?” That thought just hit him, I think.
”Not in the ordinary sense, no,” I said. He knew what I meant.
”Is this someone I might meet, sometime?”
”No. Not if you want to stay in one piece,” I said.
”Ah.”
”Yeah.”
”Lissa, we could make this work.”
”No. Don't even go there.”
”What if I need your help sometime?”
”You can try. I'll be honest with you; they keep me on a short leash because I'm young. My kind doesn't get to just run around and do as they please until after they're a certain age. That won't be for a while, yet. Feel free to email me, though, if you have a problem.”
He took my email address. ”You're dumping your phone, aren't you?” he asked. ”What if I promise not to have it traced?”
”No deal.”
”Is this just because you don't want me to know where to find you or because of your a.s.sociates?” He was digging for information.
”The latter, I a.s.sure you. It's safer for both of us that way.”
”They wouldn't harm you.”
”Yes they would. Trust me on that,” I said.
”The other agent tonight, Townsend?” Tony was giving me the vampire agent's name.
”Yeah?”
”He said to tell you he was the one who tipped off the Council about the rogue in Florida a few months back.”
”Tell him thanks,” I said.
”You know about that?”
”Tony, I killed the f.u.c.ker.” There was silence on the other end for a minute.
”You still there?” he asked finally.
”Yes.”
”Lissa, why do I have the feeling that you took out the terrorists that attacked Winkler's house in Texas?”
”You'll have to stew over that one. I admit nothing.”
”You did. I know you did.”
”You'll never hear me admit it. If somebody ever comes and tells me you told them that, I will call you a liar.”
”Lissa.”
”Don't Lissa me, Tony. Even the little bit of information you have could get me killed. You don't have any idea what my life is like. None at all.”
”What happened to the Tate kid?”
”Same thing that happened to the Miller kid.”
”Did you have anything to do with that?”
”No.”
”I still want to see you, Lissa. Townsend tried to tell me what a rarity you are. I can't believe that. Is it true?”
”As true as anything can ever be,” I told him. ”Stop talking and go to bed, Tony. You have to be tired.”
”I'd feel better if you were here with me.”
”Yeah. I get that a lot,” I said. ”What would you do with me, Tony? How would you feed me? Deal with my sleeping habits? Keep me safe when I do sleep? How?”
”Townsend says there are ways.”
<script>