Laurell Hamilton - 16 Blood Noir

Asher and I had had sex and blood alone for the first and only time. Hed nearly killed me with pleasure, because I asked him to. Begged him to. We werent allowed to be alone anymore, because Id admitted to Jean-Claude that I still craved what wed done. Of all of Jean-Claudes vampires, Asher was the one I feared the most. Because he was the one who made me want him to do deadly things to me.

Jason hugged me and said, Im scared and thats making me stupid. Im sorry.

The pilots voice came over the speakers. It made me jump and make that girl eep. Jason kissed my forehead.

Were about to land, Ms. Blake, Mr. Schuyler. If you could take your seats, thatd be good.

Im okay, Jason, neither of us is at our best.

Forgive me.

Nothing to forgive, I said.

Jason nodded, but not like he believed it. I wasnt used to him being like this, emotional, forgetful. His father was dying. His mother was blackmailing him, emotionally. I guess he was entitled to be a little off his game.

I tightened my grip on the seat and his hand. Id be better when we landed. It would all be better when we landed. I tried to believe that, but part of me knew if Jason was already having problems, it was only going to get worse.

How did I end up holding his hand for this? Oh, right, Nathaniel volunteered me. I was so going to make him pay for this. The plane bounced a little on the runway, and I gasped a little. But we were on the ground. Things were looking up, at least for me.

I SAT IN my swivel seat for a second relearning how to breathe and fighting down the nausea. I told my stomach to stop being such a baby. We were on the ground, for Gods sake. I could always insist on renting a car for the ride homethough I knew I wouldnt. Id never be able to live with myself if I let my fear get that much of an upper hand. Fear was like cancer in remission. If you gave in to it, even by an inch, it would flare up again and eat you alive.

Jason stopped at the open door and looked back at me. You are coming, right?

I nodded. The nausea was past. I could breathe again. It was cool. Okay, that was a lie, but it was the best I could do.

Jason came back to stand and look down at me. I couldnt quite read his expression. It really scared the shit out of you to do this, didnt it?

I shook my head, then shrugged. I finally said in a voice that was way too breathy for comfort, The runway is kinda small, dont you think?

He bent down and kissed my forehead again.

I looked up at him. What was that for?

Being brave, he said, and he looked serious when he said it. He offered me his hand.

There was a time when I wouldnt have taken it, when I would have seen it as a sign of weakness, but Id grown up a little since then.

I took his hand. He squeezed it and gave me a smile. This smile was one of the reasons I was on the damn planethe smile that said he understood how much it had cost me, and that he understood me in a way that a lot of people didnt. We would never be real boyfriend and girlfriend. Wed never be each others sweetie, but Jason got me in a way that some of the men I was dating didnt. And I tried my best to understand him.

I realized as he led me down the narrow aisle hand in hand that it wasnt just Nathaniel who considered Jason one of his best friends.

Jason went first down the little folding steps, bent sort of backward, to help me. That was a little more help than I probably needed, but then I was wearing heels.

A man met us at the bottom of the steps. He was average height, more bald than hair, in a nice suit. Not as nice as the one Jason was wearing, but it wasnt a bad suit.

Mr. Summerland, I didnt expect you until tomorrow. He was smiling until Jason helped me down the little stairs in my heels.

Im not one of the Summerlands, Jason said. He said it as if the confusion wasnt unexpected.

The man looked at Jason, then at me, as Jason helped me down from the plane. The man winked at him. Of course not, youre Mr. Smith?

I was finally on solid tarmac, yea! Why dont you make it Mr. Allbright, its more original, I said. I thought I was making a joke.

The man began to scribble down Allbright on his clipboard. Of course, Mr. Allbright, were glad to have you with us.

Jason sighed. She was making a joke. The name is Schuyler, Jason Schuyler.

The man crossed out Allbright and wrote in the right name. Whatever you say, Mr. Schuyler.

Crap, Jason said under his breath.

Whats going on? I asked.

If I was a Summerland, why was I coming in tomorrow?

The man looked puzzled, but he played along in whatever game he thought we were playing. Your bachelor party, of course. Youre getting married at the end of the week. Your brother arrived yesterday with his fiance.

Look, I am a distant cousin of the Summerlands. I got mistaken for the twins all through school. My name really is Jason Schuyler. This is my friend Anita Blake. Im here to visit my family.

Of course you are. It was clear he didnt believe Jason, but at the same time very clear that he would repeat whatever lie Jason spouted, and swear to it in court afterward.

I take it the Summerlands are big shots around here? I said.

The biggest, Jason said.

The man with the clipboard looked from one to the other of us. The bride-to-be is already in town. Her bachelorette party is tonight.

You invited? I said.

He looked flustered. Of course not.

Then how do you know so much?

Ive been helping get the guests settled, he said, and sounded indignant.

Fine, but we are not guests.

Of course not, and if asked, I havent seen Keith Summerland. He will arrive tomorrow as planned. The man seemed pleased with himself as if hed said a smart thing. Then he walked away with another wink.

I looked at Jason. We are speaking English, right? I mean he does understand what were saying, doesnt he?

You have to know Keith to understand the mans problem. It would be like him to come in a day early with another woman. Hed probably bring the stripper in personally.

A wild child? I asked.

He thought he was. I just thought he was a dick.

Do you really look that much like him?

Yes. He said it flat and unhappy. I look enough like them both to make this visit even harder. The media will be all over this wedding.

But theyre like local celebrities, not national, right? I mean, it wont be that bad.

Do you know who Governor Summerland is?

I stared at him. Youre joking.

I wish.

The governor that theyre thinking about running for president is this Summerland?

Yep, Jason said.

I dont watch TV or read newspapers much, but even I know who he is.

If his eldest son is getting married this week, the media are going to be everywhere, and I look like his twin. We were always getting confused for each other in high school.

You cant look that much alike.

He pretended to be me on a date with my girlfriend. She caught on, eventually. He took a beating for me once from some of the guys at school. Id smarted off, and they found him first. He was hitting on a girlfriend of mine again. Pretending to be me.

And he got beat up for it? I said.

He did.

Very karmic, I said.

Jason nodded, actually looking happy. We had our bags on the tarmac and the pilot was asking for a return schedule when we were joined by a man who, though well dressed in a nice conservative suit, had thug tattooed across his forehead. Metaphorically speaking.

The suit was tailored well enough that if I hadnt been looking for it I might have missed the bulge on his hip. But I was looking, and I knew a gun when I saw it ruin the line of a suit. The Browning did not ruin the line of my suit jacket. For such a big gun it was strangely invisible under my little jacket in its new sideways holster.