Sunglasses at Night (Claws Clause 3)

“Do you have the contact?” she asked. “For the chick with the elixir. You have it, Eddie?”

He closed his mouth with an audible click.

Tabby regretted running out without Venice. It was still under her pillow where she left it, and while she could probably knock Eddie on his ass without any help, she felt more naked without her cinquedea than she did when she jumped out of bed a few moments ago.

She huffed. “Yes or no. Believe me when I tell you that I am not in the mood for your shit. Can you tell me anything about her?”

A war raged on his face. She could tell he desperately wanted to refuse at the same time as he couldn’t tell her no. In the end, he sighed before rattling off an address in Woodbridge.

“That’s all I have. The address and the time. One week from tonight, midnight. If you really want the elixir, be there. If not… she says to tell you that she’s going to smash it.”

That’s all she needed to hear.

“Thank you.” Turning on her heel, she started to jog up the steps that led to her apartment building.

“Don’t go back in there, Tabby,” he called after her. “Just… don’t.”

She didn’t even bother glancing over her shoulder as she tossed back, “See you around, Eddie.”

Something told her that, based on his reaction when he caught sight of Adam’s bite, she’d be seeing Eddie sooner than later.

At the soft sound of the doorknob turning, Adam finished his pacing. He had to wait until the door had shut behind her before he risked the pale light streaming in from the kitchen. During these torturous last fifteen minutes, he had decided it wouldn’t be enough to turn him to ash. A few mild burns would be worth it to close the gap between them.

Tabby came walking in, her head down, lost in thought.

He rushed her, wrapping his arms around her, lifting her off the ground, and racing back to the safety of the hall while keeping her pressed to his chest.

“Don’t do that again,” he grunted into the top of her loose hair.

“Adam?” she gasped. “Jeez. You’re squeezing me.”

“Sorry.” He pulled away, moving his hands from her lower back, cradling her elbows in his palms as he set her on her feet. He’d let her breathe, but that didn’t mean he wanted to let her go.

Once she had some space, Tabby tilted her head up, peering at him as if confused by his reaction. “Hey. What’s up?”

What’s up?

What’s up?

“Because of the stupid fucking sun, I had to stay in here!”

“Huh?”

“You said you would be right back. I wanted to go after you, but I couldn’t because of the goddamn sun!”

He expected Tabby to have some kind of comeback. Worse, he expected her to blow off his explosion, maybe offer that innocent smile of hers she pulled out when she was already plotting her next move.

She raised her hand, stroking the edge of his hard jaw. Adam leaned into her soft caress, breathing in deeply, grounding himself in her cinnamon scent.

“Sorry,” she murmured. A glimpse in her dark brown eyes and he was stunned to see that she meant it. “I’m used to running out on my own when I need to think. I guess… I forgot that you couldn’t come after me. The sun… it didn’t hit me until just now. I really am sorry.”

He felt some of the fear and frustration and outright worry melt away and her soothing whisper.

Not all. But some.

“I get that. I do. I never wanted to be one of those possessive bastards, but I gotta be honest with you. It killed me, telling you how I felt and then you ran away. Not that I’m knocking that.” His laugh was hollow. “We both fucking know that I’ve got a history of running myself. I didn’t want you to go, though.”

Her eyes widened, a teasing grin tugging on her pouty lips. “Nah. Really? You could’ve fooled me.”