"Karen Koehler - Slayer 02 - Dragon Blood" - читать интересную книгу автора (Koehler Karen)

Robin lit a cigarette. тАЬThatтАЩs how I came to know Edward Ashikawa.тАЭ
Alek bowed his head, looked up at the girl from under his tangle of undone hair. тАЬEdward
Ashikawa...the head of the Yakuza here in the city?тАЭ

Robin nodded. тАЬActually, it was a small bit pimp working for him that took me in, but I caught EdwardтАЩs
eye and things just...happened. He brought me into his inner circle and I met his people.тАЭ For a moment
her storm-blue eyes seemed to darken. тАЬSome were nice.тАЭ

тАЬNice people like those boys who attacked you,тАЭ he said.

тАЬAnd people like Kage.тАЭ

Alek jerked his head up, surprised to hear the sound of the name of a master vampire on such an
innocent little mortalтАЩs lips. More, to hear the name at all...which he had prayed would never, ever,
happen.

Robin read his reaction incorrectly as fatherly concern instead of the deep-hearted terror it had invoked.
тАЬKageтАЩs okay,тАЭ she said. тАЬHeтАЩll give you want you want. He watchdogs us at night.тАЭ

Alek felt his lips chap under his tongue. His stomach churned with the bittersweet coffee. тАЬKage.тАЭ

тАЬYeah. He makes people. He also unmakes them.тАЭ

Cryptic words. Did he want to pursue this? No. But now, having done what he did, having involved
himself with Edward AshikawaтАЩs property this way, he realized he had little choice in the matter. тАЬWhy
does Ashikawa want you? Did you take something from him?тАЭ

RobinтАЩs eyes crept sideways across the cafe over all the students in their army surplus jackets and
French berets and Doc Martens as if she expected the Grand Dragon of the Yakuza--or maybe Kage
himself--to materialize any moment and damn her for her sins, whatever they were. тАЬOne morning a few
weeks ago I woke up and realized I was done with this city. I only wanted to go home,тАЭ she said.
тАЬAbout that time someone approached me...a narc, I think. He wanted to get wires on Ashikawa but he
couldnтАЩt get into his home office. He said he would get me out, keep me safe, if I planted them. So I did.
Kage found out about them and traced them back to the narc.тАЭ She took a long sip of coffee and pulled
her shawl closer about her shoulders. тАЬThe guy called me...said someone was closing in on him and told
me where heтАЩd hidden the tapes heтАЩd made. A few days later I came home and found a body on the
kitchen table, all messed up...тАЭ She closed her eyes and her face froze like a stature. тАЬI didnтАЩt know what
to do, so I ran.тАЭ

тАЬYour agent must have had backup...someone you can go to...?тАЭ

Robin shook her head. тАЬHe never told me their names. And I canтАЩt go to the police; Ashikawa owns
them. He owns everyone. Everyone is just a thrall to him.тАЭ

Again Alek started. You didnтАЩt hear the word тАШthrallтАЩ too often unless you were dealing with a hive of
vampires. He wondered where she had come across the terminology. Then again, if the rumors were
true, Ashikawa, though not one himself, had several vampire heavies on his payroll.

Vampires like Kage, Debra whispered.