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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 46 из 234"Anyone lower in the pack order contactsyou at their peril."
I started to smile and stopped. He was serious. "You're not kidding."
He raised a three-fingered salute. "Scout's honor."
"So how come you're here? You looking to move up in the pack?"
He paled. Honest to God, he paled. "Me? Fight Richard? Hell no."
"Then Richard won't mind you talking to me?"
"Oh, he'll mind."
I frowned. "Is Marcus going to protect you?"
"Richard gave a specific order. Marcus can't interfere."
"But he ordered you to come see me," I said.
"Yep."
"What's to stop Richard from busting your chops about this?"
Irving grinned. "I thought you'd protect me."
I laughed. "You son of a bitch."
"Maybe, but I know you, Blake. You won't like that Richard's been keeping things from you. You certainly won't like him protecting you. Besides, I've been your friend for years. I don't think you'll stand by while your boyfriend beats the hell out of me."
Irving knew me better than Richard did. It was not a comforting thought. Had I been fooled by a handsome face, a nice sense of humor? Had I not seen the real Richard? I shook my head. Could I be fooled that completely? I hoped not.
"Do I have your protection?" He was still smiling, but there was something in his eyes. Fear, maybe.
"You need me to say it out loud for it to be official?"
"Yeah."
"That a rule in the lycanthrope underground?"
"One of them," he said.
"You have my protection, but I want information in return."
"I told you I don't know anything, Blake."
"Tell me what it's like to be a lycanthrope, Irving. Richard seems determined to keep me in the dark. I don't like being in the dark."
Irving smiled. "I heard that."
"You be my guide to the world of the furry, and I'll keep Richard off your back."
"Agreed."
"When does Marcus want to meet?"
"Tonight." Irving had the grace to look embarrassed.
I shook my head. "No way. I'm going to bed. I'll meet with Marcus tomorrow, but not tonight."
He looked down into his coffee, fingertips touching the mug. "He wants it to be tonight." He looked up at me. "Why do you think I've been camped out in my car?"
"I am not at the beck and call of every monster in town. I don't even know what Fur Face wants to meet about." I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms. "No way am I going out tonight to play with shapeshifters."
Irving squirmed in his chair, rotating the coffee cup slowly on the table.
I started to smile and stopped. He was serious. "You're not kidding."
He raised a three-fingered salute. "Scout's honor."
"So how come you're here? You looking to move up in the pack?"
He paled. Honest to God, he paled. "Me? Fight Richard? Hell no."
"Then Richard won't mind you talking to me?"
"Oh, he'll mind."
I frowned. "Is Marcus going to protect you?"
"Richard gave a specific order. Marcus can't interfere."
"But he ordered you to come see me," I said.
"Yep."
"What's to stop Richard from busting your chops about this?"
Irving grinned. "I thought you'd protect me."
I laughed. "You son of a bitch."
"Maybe, but I know you, Blake. You won't like that Richard's been keeping things from you. You certainly won't like him protecting you. Besides, I've been your friend for years. I don't think you'll stand by while your boyfriend beats the hell out of me."
Irving knew me better than Richard did. It was not a comforting thought. Had I been fooled by a handsome face, a nice sense of humor? Had I not seen the real Richard? I shook my head. Could I be fooled that completely? I hoped not.
"Do I have your protection?" He was still smiling, but there was something in his eyes. Fear, maybe.
"You need me to say it out loud for it to be official?"
"Yeah."
"That a rule in the lycanthrope underground?"
"One of them," he said.
"You have my protection, but I want information in return."
"I told you I don't know anything, Blake."
"Tell me what it's like to be a lycanthrope, Irving. Richard seems determined to keep me in the dark. I don't like being in the dark."
Irving smiled. "I heard that."
"You be my guide to the world of the furry, and I'll keep Richard off your back."
"Agreed."
"When does Marcus want to meet?"
"Tonight." Irving had the grace to look embarrassed.
I shook my head. "No way. I'm going to bed. I'll meet with Marcus tomorrow, but not tonight."
He looked down into his coffee, fingertips touching the mug. "He wants it to be tonight." He looked up at me. "Why do you think I've been camped out in my car?"
"I am not at the beck and call of every monster in town. I don't even know what Fur Face wants to meet about." I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms. "No way am I going out tonight to play with shapeshifters."
Irving squirmed in his chair, rotating the coffee cup slowly on the table.