Free Tempt Me When the Sun Goes Down by Lisa Olsen

longer than love,” was all she said, her face somber.
    I left, too disturbed by that pronouncement to think of something else to say.  Rob had moved on ahead, his feet quick now that he had a purpose.  He paused to wait for me near the last landing, impatience shining from every pore.
    “Come on then, this is meant to be a hunt, not a stroll,” he teased.  “Something wrong?” he added when I didn’t crack a smile.
    “You mean besides your sister offering to cut out my heart to save yours?” I snorted.  “No, I was thinking about something else she said.  I don’t believe that.”
    “What?”
    “That hatred lasts longer than love.” 
    Rob started down the last flight of stairs, his eyes on the steps before him.  “It’s true enough with us.”
    “If that were true you wouldn’t be sick right now.  Unless you mean you don’t love me anymore.”
    He stopped, looking up at me with hooded eyes.  “I don’t deserve to love you.”
    I stared down at him for long moments, torn between agreeing with the sentiment and pulling him close to make it up to me.  In the end, I did nothing but start down the stairs again.  “Let’s go find your cousin.  Maybe he’ll have better news for us. 
     
    * * *
     
    “How many cousins do you have anyway?” I asked as we set off down the street on foot, Lee trailing in the car behind.  I wanted to tell him he could meet us back at the house later, but the look in his eye let me know that Lee wouldn’t leave me alone with Rob for the moment. 
    “Don’t know,” Rob answered honestly enough.  “Seems there’s always more of ’em turning up out of the woodwork every time I turn around.” 
    “I suppose that’s bound to happen when you live as long as you have,” I considered aloud.  “Are they all… you know, special?”
    “How do you mean?”
    “Like you and Leila, you’re a lot older than you look.  And Laveda, she’s got that thing that makes her extra tasty to fangers, as she likes to say.  And all of you have a resistance to compulsion.”  At least he had when he was alive. 
    “Leila and me, we’ve only got this longer life because of our close ties to Jakob, sharing his blood.  Ain’t most of them ever even seen the likes of him.  But blood will tell.  Most of our lot has a few quirks, as you’ll see.”
    “This guy, Stevo, he’s quirky too?”  I was under the impression he wasn’t anything special seeing as how Rob thought he didn’t have a lick of magic about him.
    “That’s a nice way of putting it,” Rob snorted, his hand settling naturally against the small of my back as he guided me around the corner. 
    We found Stevo (pronounced like Steve-oh) working a table in front of a chip house, hawking knock-off purses to passersby.  He was good looking, if a little rough around the edges, wearing a t-shirt with a black open vest, jeans, and scuffed boots.  His dark hair was longish and fell over his brow on both sides with a rakish tilt.  The goatee was saved from a disreputable slant by his charming smile, which seemed to be the key to his sales pitch. 
    His voice was high spirited and engaging as he called out, “Walk up, ladies and gents, walk up.  You’ll never find finer this side of the Thames.  At these prices, it’s practically a steal.” 
    A small crowd gathered before the table, inspecting his wares.  It gave me a few minutes to get a good look at him before he noticed us and the power of his smile was considerable.  “How ’bout you, luv?  A cracking bird like you deserves the finer things in life.  How’s about you get your geezer to fork over a few quid and treat you like the queen you are?”
    “How’s about I lay you out for trying to chat up my girl?” Rob countered, but there was no menace in his voice, his lips curved into what passed for a grin.
    “Lord strike me… Rob?” Stevo gaped, the shill forgotten as he recognized him.  “I heard you was…”
    “I am,” Rob said