"You saw what happened to those two vampires," I said. "They are just rotting corpses; everything else is illusion."
"You think he ever looks like that?"
I looked at Jean-Claude's back for a minute. "I'm afraid I do."
"How can you date him after seeing that?"
I shook my head. "I don't know."
"Corpse or not, you tried to keep him alive." He reacted to the look on my face. "Alive, undead, whatever you want to call it, you tried to preserve it. You were scared he was really dead."
I just looked at him. "So?"
"So, I killed another living being, or undead being. Hell, Anita, Bruce was so newly dead he seemed human."
"Probably why one bullet to the chest finished him."
"How am I supposed to feel about that?"
"Killing him, you mean?"
"Yeah."
"They are monsters, Larry. Some of them are prettier than others, but they are monsters. Never doubt that."
"You can honestly tell me that you think Jean-Claude is a monster." It was more statement than question.
I almost looked at the monster in question, but I didn't. I'd looked at him enough for one night. "Yeah, I do."
"Now, ask her if she thinks she's a monster." Jean-Claude leaned on the back of the love seat, his arms crossed over his chest.
Larry looked a little startled, but he said, "Anita?"
I shrugged. "Sometimes."
Jean-Claude smiled. "See, Lawrence? Anita thinks we're all monsters."
"Larry's not," I said.
"Give him time."
That was a little too close to the truth. "I asked for privacy, or did you forget?"
"I forget nothing, ma petite, but time grows short. My wolf is not the only one that needs a bath. Only our young friend is still fresh."
I looked at Larry. There wasn't a drop of blood on him. He was the only one who hadn't wrestled with vampires tonight. He shrugged. "Sorry; I just couldn't get anybody to bleed on me tonight."
"Don't joke, Larry," I said. "With Serephina I think you'll get another chance."
"Sadly, true, ma petite."
"How long can you go without a coffin?" I asked.
He smiled. "Concern over my well-being. I am touched."
"Don't give me crap. I opened a freaking vein for you tonight."
"If I have not thanked you for saving my life tonight, ma petite, my apologies."