“Do you? Because there are full years of my life I want to forget. Years,human,of watching my family and friends be tortured, murdered, of me having to live with the knowledge of everything they went through. I’ve seen humans ripped to shreds by creatures that they don’t even realize exist. There’s no walking back. No do-over. No fucking reset button if you choose to go this route.”
“Listen, hunter.” She looks to me for confirmation, and I nod, fear for her making me move closer.
If Rainey snaps, it’s lights out for Deissy.
“Hunter,” she repeats with a bit more confidence. “I spent three years of my life in a relationship where I was beaten daily. I was nearly killed fourteen different times and suffered head trauma, broken bones, internal bleeding, and I was too afraid to say anything. But now?” She looks at Tarnley then back to Rainey. “Tonight, I learned there are so many worse things out there, yes, but I learned that there are also people out there doing good. Helping, and that I have a vampire on my damn list of friends. Why the hell would I want to forget that?”
For the first time since I met her, Rainey is struck completely speechless. She simply stares back at Deissy, processing everything she’s said.
Then, after a few heartbeats of silence, she shoves some Skittles into her mouth. “Fine. But if you so much as breathe a word of this, of us, to anyone, I will personally see to it that you never speak again. Regardless of our mutual vampire friend.”
Deissy straightens. “Thank you.”
Rainey shakes her head. “Don’t thank me for this,ever.I’m not doing you a fucking favor. We should be wiping your memories, and one day you’re going to wish we had.”