Silver - By Kailin Gow Page 0,39
move a little more stiffly as she moved from customer to customer.
Kevin obviously spotted it, because less than a minute later, he was at Briony’s side, having said something to Jil that made the other waitress smile and nod.
“Come on,” he said. “It’s time you took your break.”
“But we’re stil in the rush.”
“Jil says she can handle it, if it wil help you. Now come on.”
Kevin led Briony out to the al ey behind the diner. It was quieter than inside, at least, and they leant against the wal together. Kevin reached out to touch her face.
“Something has you tense, Briony. Do you want to tel me what’s wrong?”
Briony sighed. “With Fal on, or with Pietre?”
Kevin stood very stil for a moment. “My brother, I can handle. Tel me about Pietre. Did he do anything to you, Briony?”
Briony shook her head. “He didn’t do anything except talk. But he could have. He got into my room somehow. He was there when I arrived after taking a shower. I wasn’t armed. I wasn’t ready. He could have done anything he wanted.”
“I bet he made a point of tel ing you that, too,” Kevin guessed. He moved until he was in front of Briony, his hands on the wal either side of her. “He wanted to scare you, Briony.”
“Wel , he succeeded.” Briony shook her head. “What sort of vampire hunter am I, Kevin? I get caught off guard like that, and…” she didn’t say the rest of it.
Kevin stroked her hair. “And?”
“And I can’t even keep track of my own life. George is a vampire, my great aunt’s gone, I have to find the dragon who beat us up if I ever want to see her again, Fal on and I are… wel , I don’t know what we are right now.
Oh, and I haven’t even started trying to run the Preservation Society.”
“When you do though, you’l do a good job.”
“No I-”
Kevin put a finger to her lips. Just that touch felt more sensual than Briony could have imagined. They had been so careful with one another since Briony had left his home, but it was obvious that the need for her stil bubbled beneath the surface for Kevin. And there was definitely something in Briony that answered it.
Kevin hesitated just briefly before leaning in to place the most delicate of kisses on her forehead. He stepped back a little. It was easier to think with him further away.
“I’ve told you before,” Kevin said, “it’s al right to feel a little under pressure, Briony.”
“I know. Losing my family, and al of this with the vampires, and everything else that has happened.”
“Don’t say it like it’s nothing. You’ve had more to deal with than most people.”
“And sometimes I feel like I spend my time whining about how unfair life has been to me.”
Kevin kissed her then, and just the joy of it drove that thought from Briony’s mind. “One of the things I love about you is that you don’t do that. Most people complain about every little thing in their lives, but you don’t even when you have something to complain about. I like that only I get to see when you’re real y hurt, Briony. I like that you let me in like this.”
“I let most of the diner in the other night when Fal on broke up with me.”
“I bet you tried to hide it though,” Kevin guessed. He smiled tightly. “Maybe I’m not the best one to help with the whole Fal on thing. I’m a little too happy that he’s gone, but I can help with the rest of it, if you like.”
That sounded tempting. More than tempting, given how out of control Briony’s life was getting. “How?”
“Wel , for one thing, I think I should move into the inn for a while.”
Briony wasn’t so sure about that. She could remember what it had been like living in Kevin’s cabin. How much tension there had been between them there. It sounded a lot like the kind of move that might increase her troubles, not solve them.
“Kevin, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“There would be more space than in the cabin, Briony.” It seemed that Kevin’s thoughts had already run in the same direction. “We wil both have more freedom to spend time away from it, too. It won’t be the same, and you need someone there for support if Pietre comes back.”
“Jake’s there.”
“Sometimes. He wasn’t there last time, was he? We both know that, with