"I don't know," I said. It had to be over thirty now, but truthfully, I didn't remember anymore. I didn't know how many lives I'd taken. A bad sign, that.
"Liv is mine, ma petite. You may speak freely in front of her."
I shook my head. "Never admit to murder in front of strangers, Jean-Claude. Just a rule."
Liv looked at me. She didn't seem to like what she saw. "So this is the Executioner." She shook her head. "She's a little on the small side, isn't she?" She stalked around me like I was a horse for sale. When she was at my back, I opened the purse. By the time she came around again, I had the gun out, behind the purse, unobtrusive, though in a pinch I guess I could have shot through the purse. But why, if I didn't have to?
Liv shook her head. "She's pretty, but she's not very impressive." She stood behind Jean-Claude, running her strong hands over his shoulders, his arms. She ended with her hands around his waist, fingers kneading his body.
I was getting very tired of Liv.
"I can do things that no human can do for you, Jean-Claude."
"You are being rude to Anita. I will not remind you of it again." There was a cold, even threat in his voice.
Liv unwrapped herself from him and stood between us, hands on hips. "The great Jean-Claude driven to celibacy by a human. People are laughing behind your back."
"Celibacy?" I asked.
Jean-Claude glanced at me, then sighed. "Until you give up your nunnish ways, ma petite, I am playing monk."
My eyes widened. I couldn't help it. I knew that Richard and I had each had one lover and chosen celibacy afterwards. But I'd never thought about Jean-Claude and what he might be doing to satisfy his needs. Abstinence would not have been one of my choices for him.
"You seem surprised, ma petite."
"I guess anyone who exudes sex the way you do... I just never thought about it."
"Yet if you discovered that I had been sleeping with another female, alive or dead, while we were dating, what would you do?"
"Drop you in a hot minute."
"Exactly."
Liv laughed, a loud, unattractive bray of sound. "Even your human doesn't believe you."
Jean-Claude turned to her, his eyes a blaze of sapphire flame. "You say they laugh behind my back."
She nodded, still laughing.
"But only you are laughing to my face."
Her laughter died abruptly like a turned switch. She stared at him.
"A little more submissiveness, Liv, or is this a challenge to my authority?"
She looked startled. "No, I mean... I never meant..."
He just looked at her. "Then you had best ask my forgiveness, had you not?"
She dropped to one knee. She didn't look afraid, more as if she'd done some huge social gaffe and now had to make amends. "I beg your forgiveness, Master. I forgot myself."
"Yes, you did, Liv. Do not make it a habit."
Liv got to her feet, all smiles, all forgiven. Just like that. The political maneuvering was thick in the air. "It's only that she doesn't look nearly as dangerous as you painted her."
"Anita," Jean-Claude said, "show her what you have in your hand."
I moved the purse to one side, flashing the gun.