“You don’t have evenoneex-girlfriend?”
“No.”
Red flags waved all around Maggie’s face,but she ignored them all. “So you don’t have any exes because youdon’t date; is that because you prefer to use prostitutes?”
After Carha’s words last night about notusing her services again, Aiden knew why Maggie had asked thatquestion. He dreaded the one he knew would follow his answer.“No.”
“Then what services of Carha’s were youusing? Do you do drugs?”
“I don’t do drugs.”
Maggie tapped her fingers on the counter asshe waited for him to explain more, but he remained silent. “Notgoing to tell me what she did for you then?” she inquired.
“There are things I’d prefer you didn’tknow.”
“And there are things I’d prefer you didn’tknow.” Taking A.J.’s photo from him, she traced his beloved facebefore placing the picture down. “I’m going for a run now.”
“There are things about me, Maggie, that Idon’t want to touch your life.”
She’d been making her way between hercountertop and the card table that served as the kitchen table shenever used. His words stopped her. “Are you going to hurt me?” shedemanded.
“No! Never!”
“I’ve seen and been through a lot in mylife. I think I managed last night pretty well. Most probably wouldhave shit themselves or run screaming. Believe me, there’s nothingI can’t handle.”
“You did handle last night well.” She’dcertainly taken the knowledge of vampires with far more ease thanhe would have expected from someone who’d been doing her job oneminute and plunged into a supernatural war the next.
“But you’re still not going to tell me whatCarha was talking about?” she asked.
“No. Not now.”
“Fair enough.” She took another step forwardbefore recalling his earlier words and halting. “What about thesecronies you mentioned before?”
“Since they can’t tolerate the sun, Savagessometimes use humans to do their bidding during the daytime. If theSavages know where you are, they could send some of those humansafter you to either monitor you or to take you to them.”
“Why would those people do anything theSavages wanted them to do?”
“There are some who will do anything for achance at immortality.”
“You think the Savages would send thosepeople for me?” she asked.
“Yes. You shouldn’t go out alone, at anytime.”
“I’m not getting my life back, am I?”
“Not anytime soon, and maybe not ever.”
“I’m going for a run.”
CHAPTER 22
Maggie’s feet slapped against the sidewalkas she ran up the hill with her head bowed and her arms and legspumping to propel her faster. Sweat dripped off her brow and stuckher clothes to her body. Strands of hair had worked free of her bunto stick to her face. Her lungs burned as she pushed herselfonward. He kept pace with her as she ran up one hill and downanother. She ran so far they went through neighborhoods she’d onlyever traversed in the ambulance before.
She’d never run this far or fast before, butshe couldn’t stop as her mind spun with Aiden’s revelations. Theyhadn’t spoken since she’d walked out of her apartment with himtrailing her.
Finally, unable to continue, she came to agasping halt on a street corner. Her hand went to the stitch in herside as she bent over to catch her breath. Aiden rested his handson his knees beside her.
“Thank you for stopping,” he muttered, andshe burst into laughter broken only by her inability to breathe. Itfelt weird to be laughing when everything was crumbling around her,but she had no idea what else to do, not anymore.
