Blood and Fire (McClouds & Friends #8)(52)

A horrible realization began to unfold. “Oh, my God.” Her belly clenched. She regretted having eaten so much. “You think I’m a liar?”

He stared into her eyes for a long moment. Trying to read her mind. “No,” he said softly. “I don’t think that. God help me, but I don’t.”

She pressed both arms against her belly. “Well, that’s good, at least. But then how do you justify . . .” Her voice trailed off, as it slowly, painfully sank in. “Ah. I see. So you think I’m crazy, right?”

His mouth was a flat, unhappy line. “I think you’re confused, and scared, and sleep deprived. And stressed to the f*cking max.”

It was the truth, but his gentle tone and careful word choice were still offensive to her. “I see,” she said, bitterly. “So, I’m a couple cans short of a six-pack, right?”

Bruno dropped his face into his hands, shoulders slumped. “Fuck if I know,” he muttered. “But those killers are real.”

The silence was unbearably heavy. Lily straightened her shoulders. Time to suck it up and move on. “Fortunately for you, it’s no longer your problem.” She sidled past him to the bed, where he’d piled the shopping bags. “I apologize for wasting your time. And I’ll just, ah, get the hell out of your way now.”

“You can’t do that now, Lily,” he said.

“I’ll need the stuff you boughtumped clothes onto the bed, pawed through them. “I’ll reimburse you. What did Aaro say? Four hundred?” She rifled through the panties, picked out the least offensive of the lot. Peach lace. She pulled them on. Struggled into the jeans.

“I don’t give a shit about the money,” he said.

“I don’t really care what you give a shit about. How much did you spend on gas? You’ll have to let me know whatever Aaro bills you, too.”

“How about my legal bills, when somebody gets around to charging me with murder two?”

That was way too big a bite to chomp down on right then. “Let’s stick with simple stuff for now.” She pulled out the T-shirt, the sweater. She couldn’t put them on without getting naked, and she hesitated to do that in front of a guy who thought she was a lying opportunist. But he’d seen it all, so what the hell. Off with the robe.

She wrenched on the tee. The sweater was huge, sleeves flopping sadly off her shoulders. She sat on the bed and got to work on socks, shoes. She felt so stupid. Embarrassed to exist. She shrugged on the coat. The clothes were comforting in their stiff bulk. Like armor.

“I’ll just hike down to civilization now,” she said. “This stuff should keep me plenty warm. Thanks for everything.”

“It would take a day to walk down from here, even if you knew the terrain and could take shortcuts, which you don’t. Don’t be stupid.”

“It’s crazy, not stupid, buddy. Crazy has a better ring to it. And like I said, no longer your problem. Please forget I ever bothered you.”

“No,” he said. “You’re in danger.”

“Tell me something I don’t know. Let me out of here before I die of embarrassment.” At the moment, death by exposure or being eaten by a cougar was preferable to having Bruno look so sorry for her.

She wasn’t even to the door before he grabbed her from behind. He pulled her against his body, which reminded her of a lot of things she would rather forget right now.

“Sunset is two hours away,” he said roughly. “Please, Lily. Don’t be both crazy and stupid. Just don’t.”

“You can’t stop me.” She immediately wished she hadn’t said it. Because of course, he could. Easily.

To his credit, he didn’t say it. She was very glad she was facing away from him. He didn’t have to watch the crazy girl start to snivel.

So damn stupid. After all those dire warnings to herself, all her stern pep talks, she’d suckered herself into the fantasy of Lily and Bruno, the intrepid team. Lily and Bruno together, pitted against ultimate evil, had been a way different vibe than Loser Lily, pitted against it all by herself.

Bruno released her cautiously, like he was afraid she was going to bolt. “Let’s hike up to the bluff, since you’ve got your coat on already,” he said brusquely. “I have to make those calls.”

She shook her head. “You’ve established my status as a lunatic. So cut me loose! Focus on your own problems!”

“I still have to figure out what to do with you. Just because your bad guys aren’t connected to me doesn’t mean they’re not deadly.”

“Oh, no!” She shook a frantic finger. “No, you don’t have to ‘do’ anything with me. I can take care of myself.”

He pulled his jacket on, ignoring her. It pissed her off to the point of screaming. “Look, I’m mentally ill, right? Cut me loose! Simplify your life! If I get killed, it’s not your fault! You don’t even have to feel guilty! I release you from all responsibility! I’ll sign a f*cking waiver!”

“I need you as a witness, for what happened outside the diner.”

It was a good try, and a convincing argument, but she didn’t buy it for one second. “It’s because you had sex with me, isn’t it?”

Hah. She’d nailed it. She could see it, all over his face.