His forehead furrowed, but he opened the door. She stepped through, past him, back turned so she wouldn’t trip over his troubled pale gaze and talk herself back into feeling again.
She came to the front window and stared out of it, her hand rubbing her aching right arm. Outside, the bird-of-paradise plants lurked in the darkness, leaves scratching the panes in small bursts of dying color.
“I thought you’d want to talk about the Vampire Killer, Dawn, but it sounds like you’ve got something else in mind.”
She could feel Matt behind her, probably unsure of how close he should get.
“First, I’ll tell you why I’m not here. We’re not going to talk about what happened the other night with Eva Claremont’s dress. We’re never going to mention that again. I just need your help to hunt down some problem vamps.”
She remembered how Frank had read Cassie, how he’d touched his neck. Maybe he’d end up being one of her enemies, too, but right now, Eva was the biggest one. Eva and her master.
She could hear Matt breathe out a deep huff behind her. “I thought you had all the help you needed with Limpet.”
“If what Jonah Limpet offers is help, I’d hate to see the opposite.” After all, he’d put Breisi in the position to die tonight by hoarding information, by even having this mission to find an Underground.
Dawn needed to know that she had backup if Jonah wasn’t going to be there to support her own vendetta. That’s where Matt was coming in.
Something flashed by the window—not quite there, but there all the same. A Friend on watch. Were they keeping tabs on how much Dawn said to Matt?
In back of her, he moved forward. “Dawn—”
She spun around, anticipating his touch on her shoulder. Left arm up, she attempted to block him, but instead accidentally caught his skin with her nails. He jerked his hand back, then wonderingly looked at the scratches she’d left.
“I’m sorry,” she said, voice gritty, “but this is business. Just…business.”
And that’s all it’d ever be.
His jaw clenched as he glared at the kitchen floor and planted his hands on his hips. The scratch was nothing to him, but she’d set him off by striking.
“I want to hire you to back me up, Matt. How much do you charge?”
“Too much.” He looked at her from beneath a lowered brow. “Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on and then we’ll talk about what happened with the Vampire Killer?”
“I’m not being a drama queen, if that’s what you’re getting at. My friend just got her throat cut open and—”
It felt like blades were slashing into her on all sides, and Dawn raised her arms to shield her face, to hide from Matt as she sank to her knees.
Breisi.
Dawn could still feel the slickness of blood under her palm, the futile pumping in Breisi’s neck as she fought to stay alive.
“She killed her,” Dawn said, emerging tears warping her voice. “Breisi died, and then the Vampire Killer…”
She trailed off. The real killer was Eva, because she’d only made a token effort to “save” Breisi, but she hadn’t wanted to—and that hesitation had made all the difference. Now, the only person Dawn could take at face value was dead.
“Who killed who…?” Matt got down on his knees, too. “You found the Vampire Killer? I saw what was on TV.”
Something gnawed at Dawn about what he’d just said, but it was beyond her. Instead, she uncovered her face, airing her rage as she struggled for a breath to help her stop crying. Her face was wet, exposed.
“I’m going to cut her in two.” Eva…she was going to kill Eva. “And all her vamp buddies. Then I’m going to take care of…”
Jonah.
Horrified, she halted before she could say his name. Why couldn’t she go on? Was all her training making her refuse to tell Matt about her boss? Or was it the soreness around her heart, a deep wound caused by his failure to save Breisi?
Or was it…shaken affection?
The realization shook her. Affection? She was going to make him pay, too. Breisi deserved better than to die because of Jonah’s damned causes.
Matt was leaning forward by now, his gaze wide, as if he was a mercenary staring at glistening gold. “You’re going to do what, Dawn? What?”
Chest tight, she allowed herself to breathe. To hesitate and think about what she was doing for once.
She licked her dry lips. “I’m going to find out why this happened.” Why Jonah had let it happen.
Yes. That made much more sense. Maybe she shouldn’t be here at all right now.
“You’re going to cut the Vampire Killer in two? Didn’t you already say she’s dead?” Matt was shaking his head, reaching out to her but knowing better not to touch. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Can you explain everything to me? Now, who died?”
“Breisi.” The name was a coiled tightness in her throat.
“I’m sorry, Dawn. I’m so sorry.”
He made as if to touch her again, but she jerked back. One sear of his skin against hers and it was over. She’d melt into him and dilute her hate. Dawn didn’t want that because the hate felt too good, too just.