Pale Demon th-9
Page 51
Trent relaxed, his rocking easing. “Good. Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“What choice do I have?” I said, eying my charmed silver. “The check from the Withons?” I guessed, and he nodded.
“And if you ever do want to come work for me—” he started, ruining the moment.
I exhaled, now realizing why he had been blocking the lawsuits. He still wanted me to work for him.
“Shut up, Trent, before I smash your face,” I said lightly, not a whisper of threat in my voice. “Do you want to stay for pizza?”
Trent sucked in his breath, and an alarmed expression filled his face. “Good God, no,” he said, making me laugh.
He was tidying Lucy’s blanket, showing all the signs of getting ready to leave, and all of a sudden, I didn’t want him to. “Thanks,” I said, standing forlornly next to the sink, not knowing what to do with my hands. “For everything.” He looked at me from under his bangs, and I made a weak gesture. “I suppose I could have done without you releasing Ku’Sox, but thanks for picking up the pieces and putting me back together.”
Trent was drifting to the door, moving slowly because of his cast. “You’re welcome. Uh, about that kiss,” he said, his voice hesitant.
I froze, wanting to ignore it. “Forget it,” I said. “I am.”
He hesitated a bare instant. “I was just going to say I was sorry for misleading you.” Turning away, he headed for the hallway, Lucy in his arms and his head bowed. “Good night.”
That was not what he was going to say, and I licked my lips in a flash of understanding as I again saw his loneliness, the space he kept between himself and the rest of the world. I knew he would love Lucy, but even then, he would hold himself apart. I’d seen him afraid. I’d seen him vulnerable and down to his last option. He had risked not just my life but his to give me a choice. And it bothered me that he was going to be so…alone. He had wanted to be a tailor when he grew up, because they had been stronger than his dad to his young-boy eyes.
“Trent?”
The word was out of my mouth before I even knew I was going to say it, and he stopped in the threshold, spinning quickly back to me.
“Yes?”
It was hopeful, and my heart beat strongly. But fear shot through me, chased by adrenaline. “Never mind,” I whispered. “Have a good night.”
He turned, but not fast enough to hide the light in his eyes, dimming, and it scared me even more. “You, too,” he said again, his voice precise and controlled again. “I’ll let myself out.”
He walked stiffly into the hallway, and I swallowed hard, feeling unreal. “Bye, Trent,” I said, my fingers trembling slightly as I felt my way around the center counter to sit in my chair and stare at the table. There was a new feeling trickling through me, making my breath come fast and my heart thump. It was more than having Trent off my case. The witches, too, and the I.S. if that conversation in the van was any indication. True, I was a day-walking demon and I couldn’t leave Ohio or Kentucky without notifying the I.S., but the legislation would go through soon, and I wasn’t shunned anymore. It wasn’t the satisfaction of saving San Francisco from Ku’Sox, or having finally freed myself from Al and the rest of them, or even that I’d become a demon godmother to Trent’s daughter and gotten my Saturdays back, too.
The mix of fear and exhilaration filling me grew from the undeniable fact that Trent had liked that kiss we had shared. Not only liked it but had hoped that I liked it, too.
And that was very fine information to have indeed.
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank my agent, Richard Curtis, for everything he does so I can do what I love, and my editor, Diana Gill, who makes what I love to do look good.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author KIM HARRISON was born and raised in Michigan, and has recently returned there to escape the South Carolina heat. Her bestselling Hollows novels include Dead Witch Walking; The Good, the Bad, and the Undead; Every Which Way But Dead; A Fistful of Charms; For a Few Demons More; The Outlaw Demon Wails; White Witch, Black Curse; and Black Magic Sanction. She also writes the bestselling Madison Avery YA series, including Once Dead, Twice Shy and Early to Death, Early to Rise.
www.kimharrison.net
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
ALSO BY KIM HARRISON
Books of the Hollows
Black Magic Sanction
White Witch, Black Curse
The Outlaw Demon Wails
For a Few Demons More
A Fistful of Charms
Every Which Way But Dead
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
Dead Witch Walking
And Don’t Miss
Unbound
Once Dead, Twice Shy
Holidays Are Hell
Dates from Hell
Hotter Than Hell
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