Fire Within - By Ally Shields Page 0,39
as cool and distant as she’d seen him in a long time. Except for what might have been a glint of humor in his eye.
Bernie scrambled to his feet, glowering at Andreas, but he wasn’t quite bold enough to say anything. Andreas waved him to his seat with a careless hand. He sat and pulled his chair to the table.
Andreas finally looked at him, a long look. “Enough.”
Bernie broke eye contact and muttered to Ryan. “Patricia shouldn’t have been dating outside her own people. That’s what we told her. That’s all.”
“Who do you mean by ‘we’?” Ryan asked, acting as if the conversation hadn’t been interrupted.
“Me, Richard, Bario. But we never hurt nobody. ’Specially Patricia.”
“Why do you say it that way? ‘Especially Patricia.’”
“No reason. She was a good kid.”
Uh-huh. He’d been attracted to Patricia, Ari thought. Maybe he’d been harassing her out of a socially awkward bid for attention or simple jealousy.
“I guess you didn’t like her boyfriend, Carl,” Ryan said.
“Didn’t know him, but he’s a full blooded human.”
“And that’s a problem for you?”
Bernard snorted. “Duh. Of course. Not that I’d expect you to understand. We’re the chosen, see? Patricia had gone slumming. We were just trying to straighten her out. But nobody in the Pure Bloods would have hurt a sister.”
“Just who are the Pure Bloods?” Ari asked. “What does your group stand for?”
Bernie gave her a cheeky look. “How’s that any of your business, honey?”
Andreas cleared his throat.
Bernie scowled at the table. “We’re friends who like to hang together. We understand and acknowledge the superiority of vampires.”
“Superior to who?” she asked. “Humans or everyone?”
“Everyone. In every way. Wouldn’t mind giving you a demonstration, honey.” He leered at her, licking his lips.
“Ok, Bernie, I’m not interested in playing games or flirting with you. You’re here to answer questions. And you’ll sit in that chair until you do.”
His smug face said he wasn’t impressed yet.
Ari hardened her voice. Playing the bitch was an easy role, especially tonight. “Your attitude makes me think you’re guilty of something. I could hold you for further questioning on that alone. If I decide to do that, whether you spend your jail time at the Otherworld center or in a human cell, with its sunny windows and no blood bank, would be up to me.” She leaned across the table. “And my name’s not ‘honey.’ Got it?”
Bernie’s nostrils flared. The human jail was a death trap for vamps. His focus slid to Andreas and Ryan before returning to Ari. “Yeah, I get it.”
“Good. How many Pure Bloods are there?”
“About twenty. It varies.”
“Can you account for any of them at the time Patricia was killed? And for yourself? That would be last night between six and ten.”
“I told you, none of us would do that.”
“Humor me.”
His mouth hardened. “We were together. Here and there.”
“Try again. Who and where?”
“We don’t take attendance. Don’t pay much attention to time either.” His face was flat, the tone careless. “Can’t exactly say where we were at any particular moment.”
Ari clenched her jaw. Now, he was playing dumb. “Then begin when you crawled out of your coffin. Or wherever in hell cockroaches like you sleep. Relate everything you did, and I’ll tell you when you can stop.” He’d gotten under her skin, and her witch blood began to stir.
Bernie grinned. “Now, honey, you sure are cute when you’re mad.”
He had such a short freaking memory.
He leaned toward her, broadening the grin, smug, showing full fangs.
At the first hint of fang, a flash of blue fire erupted from Ari’s fingers. The stun sent Bernie flying backward and planted his butt firmly on the floor for the second time that evening.
Ryan leaped to his feet. He eyed the uninjured vampire and then Andreas, who hadn’t moved a muscle. “Why don’t we take a break?” he said. “I could use some coffee. Anyone else?”
Ari cocked her head at Ryan and stood. What he really thought was she needed a break. He was right on that one. If she didn’t get her temper under control, the next one might not be a stunner.
“I will wait with Bernard,” Andreas said. “It will give us an opportunity to chat.” The corners of his mouth twitched as he looked up at Ari.
Poor Bernie. Ari hoped his ego was sliced and diced during their absence.
When they were outside the room, Ryan turned to Ari with a cautious grin. “I’ve never seen you in action before. Feel better?”
“Yeah, I think I do. Rather therapeutic.”
Ten minutes later, they resumed the interview.