Nightstruck - Jenna Black Page 0,81

please?” I asked without looking. Blood trickled down Bob’s leg, but even with the wound I was sure he was stronger than me—especially when I could only hold on with one hand because of the gun—and I couldn’t let Aleric take another poke at him.

Apparently Luke was the proactive type, because before I’d finished the sentence he was there at my side, leash in hand. He clipped the leash on Bob’s collar and gave a little tug.

“Come on, Bob,” Luke said, patting his leg encouragingly. “Let’s go have a Milk-Bone, okay, buddy?” Luke leaned close so he didn’t have to shout. “I’m going to take him upstairs. I’ll be right back.”

I felt safer having Bob close by, but with him already hurt and me waving a gun around, Luke probably had the right idea. I nodded reluctantly, and Luke gave Bob’s leash a tug.

Luke and Bob had definitely bonded during the time we’d spent together, and though Bob resisted being led away, he didn’t resist as hard as he could have. I pointed my gun at the mail slot, but Aleric’s eyes had disappeared and the metal flap was closed. I wished that meant he was gone, but of course I knew better.

“Don’t think I won’t shoot you through the door,” I yelled, though in all honesty, it wasn’t something I saw myself doing. Aleric was obviously one of the Nightstruck, and that automatically made him a bad guy. However, he hadn’t done anything to me, hadn’t been there on the night my dad was killed, and I didn’t feel justified shooting him in cold blood.

“That might be a bad idea,” Aleric said. “There are metal reinforcements in the door, aren’t there? You wouldn’t want to hit one of those reinforcements and have the bullet ricochet.”

Unfortunately, he was right. Firing through the door would be a dumb idea. It was just as well I hadn’t really planned on doing it.

“Let me make it easier for you,” he said.

The first of the dead bolts on our door turned with a click, and I gasped. There was the sound of keys clinking together, then the second dead bolt turned.

My mouth hung open and I started to shake. Apparently Aleric had my dad’s keys.

“Don’t worry,” Aleric said as the doorknob began to turn. “I’m not here to hurt you. I won’t even cross your threshold. I just want to talk face-to-face.”

The door swung slowly open, letting in a blast of chill air. Pull the trigger, I urged myself, but I stood frozen, almost unable to move. Bob was barking himself hoarse, but the sound came from a distance now as Luke dragged him up the stairs. I considered yelling for Luke to let him go, but didn’t. My every instinct said Aleric was out of Bob’s league.

My finger tightened on the trigger as the opening door revealed Aleric standing there, tucking a ring of keys into the front pocket of his tight black jeans. It was freezing out, but his bomber jacket was hanging open, revealing a green T-shirt that matched his eyes. On the pavement at his feet lay the fireplace poker he’d used to jab Bob. There was blood on its sharpened tip.

As he’d promised, he made no attempt to cross the threshold, and the moment Dad’s keys were tucked away, he held both his hands out to his sides in a gesture of surrender. Despite my fear, despite my anger at him for hurting Bob, I found I couldn’t shoot someone who was just standing there in front of me and going out of his way to show he was no threat. Even remembering the consequences of failing to shoot immediately on the night of my dad’s death couldn’t motivate me to pull the trigger.

“Why do you have my dad’s keys?” I asked, still pointing the gun and trying to find the will to shoot.

“Piper gave them to me,” he answered. “I thought it was time you and I talk, but I didn’t think you’d open the door for me.”

“I have nothing to talk to you about!”

He arched an eyebrow. “You sure about that? Sure you don’t have any questions you’d like to ask me? Because I’m willing to give you some answers.”

I snorted. “Like I would believe anything you said.”

To my immense relief, I heard the slam of the study door upstairs, followed by the pounding of Luke’s feet on the stairs as he ran back to me. I was armed and dangerous, and Aleric showed no sign of