Skin Trade (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 17)

Chapter 30

THE ANTECHAMBER HAD white tile and white walls; it was all so pale it was almost disorienting. The only thing that saved it was that the white had more wallpaper on it. The paper had raised designs in silver and gold. It was like standing inside a delicate Christmas ornament. It was almost too elegant for comfort, as if I were afraid I'd break something just by breathing too hard. The chairs were all those delicate, spindly-backed ones that only very small people fit into, if at all, and even if you fit, they won't be comfortable.

We'd come through a big door from the hallway, and there was another set of double doors in the far wall. Behind them, where Ava and Domino had gone, was Bibiana and her inner circle. Ava went to talk to Bibiana, but I think Domino went because they didn't trust him around me and all the guns. Rick was adamant that we weren't going before his queen armed to the teeth.

Crispin was sitting, waiting for us all to finish the debate. He seemed peaceful with all of it, as if it didn't matter to him what we decided. If the delicate chair was uncomfortable, it didn't show. He seemed more at ease than he had in the casino.

"The warrant excludes the weretigers, so you can keep us out of the inner room. But you can't force us to disarm," I said.

"Then you don't get in," Rick said. "But frankly, I thought at least one of you wouldn't be armed. Ava said one of these guys was supposed to be food. We don't arm our food."

"I've been personally threatened by a serial killer here in your town; I thought it was smart to bring food that could take care of itself."

He made a can't-argue-with-that face and said, "Fair enough, but you still don't get inside with all the shit you're carrying."

There were two more uniformed guards by the double doors. The two who had met us at the elevator were still outside in the hallway. Four armed guards, cool, but all human; interesting. If I had a choice of guards, I'd have picked weretigers to guard weretigers. I thought it was an interesting decision to use regular human guards like you'd see at any casino. There were more of them than normal, but still, it was pretty ordinary for the Master Vampire of the City.

"Then we're at an impasse," I said. "You won't let us in without the weapons, and we won't give them up."

"Then you leave," Rick said, "sorry."

Edward said, "What if two of us strip off most of our weapons, while the other two keep the weapons and stand at this door?"

I looked at him.

"You said we needed to come here, Anita. How badly do you want this interview?"

I met his eyes, so blue, so cold, so real. I nodded. "I want it. I want it before dark when the vampires will hunt again."

"Tactical units do this sometimes, when they have to negotiate," he said.

I wanted to say, But you had a bad feeling downstairs, but I couldn't say that out loud in front of the guards from the other side. I sighed. "Okay." I took off the windbreaker and lifted the MP5 in its sling over my head. "Who gets to hold for me?"

Edward held out his hand.

I gave him wide eyes. "No, you're going in with me."

"No," he said, "I'm staying out here with all my weapons, so that if you yell for help I'll come through like the cavalry."

We stared at each other for a minute. I thought about what he'd said, tried to be logical, instead of paying attention to my suddenly speeding heart rate. I gave him the MP5.

"Thank you," and I knew he meant not the gun but the level of trust that the gun represented for me.

"You're welcome, but how will you hear me when I yell for help?"

"I've got earbuds and radios."

Of course he did. It was Edward; he always brought the right toys for the play date. I stopped stripping off weapons and said, "Wait, who goes in with me, if you stay here?"

"Shit," Bernardo said, with real feeling to the word. He started taking off the jacket.

"Hold a minute," Edward said. He turned to Rick. "How clean do you want them to be?"

"They can keep the knives and one handgun."

"Thanks for the handgun," I said.

Rick grinned. "You'll do a hideout anyway. This way I know where the gun is."

"You could just search us," I said.

"I waited for you to get out of the elevator. All of us did. I don't think I want to touch you, little queen. In fact, the less I have to do with you physically, the better."

"You aren't on the meal plan?" I asked.

"I was, but I'm going to ask to be reassigned."

"Should I be offended?"

"No, it's a compliment. If you were just good sex, then no problem. I like sex. But you aren't just good sex. You're power. You're things I can't even name. But I know one thing for damn sure: you are dangerous, and it isn't the guns and badge that make you dangerous to me and Domino, and even Crispin." He nodded toward where he was sitting patiently in one of the uncomfortable chairs. "His gaze follows you like he's a devoted dog."

I glanced at Crispin, who gave me a peaceful face, as if the comment didn't faze him. "I didn't do it on purpose," was all I could think to say.

"I believe that. You're like a survivor of an attack by one of us. You don't know what you are yet."

"She's gaining powers as if she were a born tiger," Crispin said, from his chair.

Rick nodded. "I noticed that. Now, whoever is going inside, take off the weapons."

I started taking stuff off and handed it to Edward. Bernardo did the same, handing his gear to Olaf.

Edward handed earbuds and waist radios to the four of us. Rick never protested the radios. Again, not doing what I thought he'd do.

"I've got it set to broadcast continuously, so Otto and I will hear whatever is going on."

I had a thought. "What's the range on these? I wouldn't want just anyone to overhear."

Edward smiled. "I'd rather not say in front of our host."

Rick said, "Don't mind me."

"But it's small enough that if our local friends are trying to listen in, they'd have to be standing in the room with us to overhear."

"Okay." I understood that he didn't want to tell Rick, and thus all the weretigers, how far they'd have to take Bernardo and me so that we could yell for help and not be heard, but... I'd have liked to know the range. But I trusted Edward. I trusted him with my life and my death. I had no higher compliment to pay to another executioner.

I had to readjust my straps on the holsters, to settle the guns again without all the other stuff to get in the way, and with the addition of the radio. Adjustable holsters are a wonderful thing. Bernardo was doing similar things to his guns and knives.

"How did you know Edward was going to pick you to go in with me?" I asked, as I checked the last knife.

Bernardo gave me a look. It wasn't a happy one. In fact, those dark eyes were downright sullen. He straightened up, hands doing one last check on the new location of all his weapons, automatically. "Because if it's the cavalry you want, the heavy hitters stay out here, and neither of you thinks I'm a heavy enough hitter."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. Edward saved me. "If I didn't trust you, Bernardo, I wouldn't send her in with only you as backup."

Bernardo and he exchanged a long look, and then finally the other man nodded. "Fine, but we both know you'd send Olaf if you didn't think he'd eat her."

"I thought we were the only ones who ate people," Rick said, with his hand on the door.

I gave the weretiger the look the comment deserved. He smiled at me.

Crispin had moved up beside me, just waiting for us to finish the weapons. Apparently, he had no qualms about following me anywhere. He'd already done enough to get him in trouble in most of the wereanimal groups that I was familiar with. Insubordination isn't tolerated among the furry.

Rick touched Crispin's arm. "You must either wait here with her other friends, or go ahead alone."

"I want to stay with Anita."

"You have already refused one direct order from your queen and master. Do not make it two, Crispin." Rick's face softened. "Please, stay here, or go ahead."

I didn't argue for Crispin to stay with me because Rick was right. Crispin had already gotten himself in potential trouble. I didn't want to make it worse.

He turned to me. "What do you want me to do?"

I blinked at him. What I really wanted him to do was not to have asked that. I really wanted him to make the decision on his own in case it came back and bit him. But either you're the dominant or you aren't. Fuck.

If he stayed here, he'd be safer. If he went ahead, they might punish him, but I might also be able to get him back at my side and help me control the tigers.

"If he goes ahead, what happens to him?"

"He has earned discipline, but since he is your white tiger to call, he falls under vampire rules."

"You can't hurt him because he's mine."

Rick nodded. "As long as you're in Vegas, yes."

We looked at each other. I didn't know Rick well enough to know that look this well, but I did. The look said, plainly, that if I left Crispin in Vegas, bad things might happen to him. Jean-Claude was not going to like me coming home with extra baggage, but I couldn't leave him to be hurt, could I?

"Go ahead, Crispin. We'll be right behind you."

Crispin looked from me to Rick, then finally nodded. He went through the far, whooshy doors, and we were one man down.

Olaf finally spoke. "Do you wonder why I did not protest Bernardo going with you?"

I turned and looked back at him. His face was its old mask of anger and arrogance, and things I could not read. "I thought you might argue about Bernardo, yes."

"If you are Ted's woman, then it's his choice who goes in with you. It's his job to protect you, not mine."

I let the "Ted's woman" comment go, and concentrated on something I could understand. "I don't need anyone to protect me, Otto. I do a fine job on my own."

"All women need protection, Anita."

Bernardo touched my arm. "We don't have time for you to win this argument."

I took a deep breath, let it out, then turned back to the big guy. "You might ask Edward which of the three of us he'd trust most to protect his back." Then I nodded at Rick. He swung the door open. Bernardo gave me a sideways glance. I stepped forward, and he followed me. Or maybe he just didn't want to be the first person through the door.