"And to take out the man with the money," Edward said. "As long as the money is out there, Anita won't be safe."
"Any ideas how to accomplish this?" Richard asked.
Edward nodded and up-ended his coffee mug, finishing the last of it. He went to the counter and refilled it, like he was at home. He sat back down. Good ol' Edward, comfortable wherever he was.
I sat waiting, watching him quietly. He'd tell us when he was ready and not before. Richard was practically dancing in place. "What?" he finally asked.
Edward smiled, I think at Richard, or maybe at that eternal music that only he could hear. The rhythm that kept him self-contained and alive.
"The assassin might come here today, and we'll take precautions for that. A herd of shapeshifters was perfect. I'd have passed on the hit myself until they cleared out."
I glanced around the quiet kitchen. The spot between my shoulder blades was itching. "You think we're in danger now?"
"Maybe." He didn't seem too worried. "But I think they'll hit you tonight on your date with the Master of the City."
"How did you know I had a date tonight?"
Edward just smiled. "I know that the Master of the City is taking the Executioner to the opening of his dance club, Danse Macabre. I know that you'll be arriving in a limo."
"I didn't even know that," I said.
He shrugged. "It wasn't hard to find out, Anita."
"I was going to cancel my date tonight and hide out."
"If you stay here, the assassin will almost certainly come here."
I glanced at Richard. "Oh," I said.
"I can take care of myself," Richard said.
"Could you kill a human being?" I asked.
He blinked at me. "What do you mean?"
"I mean if someone came at you with a gun, could you kill them?"
"I said I'd kill to protect you."
"That's not what I asked, Richard, and you know it."
He stood up and paced a small circle in the kitchen. "If it was standard ammunition, it couldn't kill me."
"You wouldn't know whether it was silver ammo until it was too late," I said.
He hugged his arms, ran his hands through his long hair, and turned to me. "Once you decide to start killing, it never stops, does it?"
"No," I said.
"I don't know if I could kill a human being."
"Thanks for the honesty," I said.
"But that means you'll take an assassin into a club crowded with people'? You'll endanger all of them to keep me safe?"
"I would endanger almost anyone to keep you safe."
Edward made a small sound, almost a laugh. His face was pleasant and empty. He sipped coffee. "Which is why I don't want Richard in the line of fire. You'll be so busy worrying about him, it might make you careless."