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Chapter 20

“You look like shit.”

Torr and Laria climbed the concrete stairwell behind the courthouse. With no further leads on the Walsh family to be found in the local library, he’d spent the week at the bar. Five days closer to opening.

Four days of discussions with Charlotte, and the two of them were no closer to an agreement.

“Thanks,” he said as they reached the top.

“When did you last feed?”

The older the vampire, the longer they could go without blood. But it had been a while, admittedly, and he probably did need to feed soon.

“Too long.”

“Maybe Charlotte—”

He stopped, about to say something, when he realized she didn’t know about the impasse they’d reached. Torr had assumed Charlotte told Toni and Alessandra everything, and since they were close with his sister, he’d assumed she would know too. But maybe she hadn’t told anyone?

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Torr, out with it.”

They walked up the street toward the mansion that was their temporary home. Darkness had just begun to fall, the night coming alive with streetlights that blinked on as they passed. It was only Thursday, so there was less foot traffic than there’d be on the weekend.

“I’ve never seen you like this before. I mean, it’s not entirely bad, to be honest. I think Charlotte is good for you—”

“She wants me to turn her.”

Laria froze. She knew precisely what that would mean to him.

He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. The two of them, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, stared at each other.

“I mean, technically, you could do it.”

“You know I won’t.”

Laria looked up as the last streetlight flicked on above them.

“Yes, I know you won’t. But does she?”

Turning back toward town, he glanced in the direction of Charlotte’s street. Though he couldn’t see her apartment building, he knew she was probably getting ready now. A colleague of hers had just gotten engaged, and she and a few friends were going out to celebrate.

He hadn’t seen her all day.

And he didn’t like it. If they couldn’t reach an agreement, it would be like this always. He’d have to learn to live without her, knowing she was out there.

“I told her, but she thinks I’ll change my mind.”

And he wouldn’t. Not with this.

Torr had only ever turned one person, and that had been a disaster. He’d not repeat that mistake again.

“That was hundreds of years ago, and technically, it wasn’t the turning that killed her.”

“It doesn’t matter.”