Part 22 (1/2)
”Jacob, it has been one of my harder days, after an even harder night. Tell me what you called to tell me.”
”I got offered a contract on you and your boyfriends, Blake.”
”What kind of contract?” I asked.
”They didn't want us to kidnap anyone this time,” he said, voice quiet.
”a.s.sa.s.sination,” I said. My voice sounded bored.
”You don't sound surprised. Did you already know that it was happening?”
”No, I didn't know.” Nathaniel put an arm around my waist, drawing me more firmly against his side.
”But you aren't surprised,” he said.
”Let's just say that my surprise is all used up for a while. I'll a.s.sume that if you were taking the contract you wouldn't have called.”
”I turned it down. I told the person calling that no one should take it, that if they did you'd find a way to f.u.c.k them up.”
”Thanks for that, Jacob, but I take it you don't think they'll take your warning to heart.” I tried to feel something about the idea that they'd tried to hire people to kill us, but I didn't feel anything, not really.
He didn't answer my question, but asked one of his own. ”How's Nicky?”
I thought about a lot of answers but finally said, ”Ask him yourself.” I handed the phone to Nicky, who said, ”A little wired, but good.”
He was quiet for a few seconds. ”No, really, Jacob, I'm good. I've never been this relaxed.” He laughed. ”Yeah, I guess you're always happy when you're on the drugs, but I don't come down, Jacob.” He laid his hand on my bare shoulder. The moment he did, I felt a little better, a little warmer. Nathaniel cuddled closer, and it was better still. ”All I have to do is touch her and it's just an upper,” Nicky said.
He handed me the phone. ”He wants to talk to you.”
I took it and made room on the bed for him to sit down. The moment I had both of them on either side, it was better. I'd begun to realize that I might be Nicky's drug of choice, but the men that were connected to me metaphysically were mine, too.
Jacob said, ”He sounds happy.”
”I do my best.”
”I buy that, but Blake, it's too much money. Someone will take it.”
”Thanks for the warning.”
”It's my fault you got your hooks into Nick. The least I can do is keep him alive.”
”So you called not to help me, but to help Nicky?”
”Yeah, because honestly I'm not sure I didn't call you because I had to.
You rolled me a little, Blake, and I'm not sure I'm free of you. Did I call you to help Nick, or because at some level you're my master, too, and I had to protect you? I tried just to not take the job, but I had to call you. I had to warn you, Blake, do you understand?”
”I think so.”
”Do you?” He was angry now.
”You kidnapped me, remember? You threatened to kill the men I love. Don't go all victim on me, Jacob. You started the bad stuff, not me. I just protected myself and the people I love.”
”I know that, d.a.m.n you. I know that I'm the bad guy here, but I still hate you, and it still scares me that I couldn't not call you, couldn't not warn you as if I were your lion to call, or something worse.”
”If I told you to come to St. Louis and help protect us, would you?”
I heard his breathing on the other end of the phone, fast, hard. ”You said if if; please, Blake . . .” He stopped and I heard his breathing go out in a shaky line. ”I know you don't owe me anything. Even this call, this warning, is probably because I can't help myself, but please, don't ask me again. Don't take the if if off that question. Don't make it an outright request, please.” off that question. Don't make it an outright request, please.”
”We're looking for a new Rex, Jacob.”
”Not last I checked, Blake. You've got a stone-cold killer as your Rex.”
”Not anymore,” I said softly.
Nicky stroked his hand down my arm. Nathaniel hugged me tighter. It all helped, but . . . I still didn't feel anything.
”Whoever beat him is your new Rex, Blake.”
”My dance card is a little full, Jacob. I don't think I can add another job.”
”You did not beat him in a fair fight.”
”He cheated first,” I said.
He was quiet for a second or two. ”So one dead Rex, but none of his lions won the job?”
”Yep.”
”You do complicate your life, Blake.”
”Things just go weird with the lions; why is that?”
”Our culture is harsher than most.”
”Maybe,” I said, ”but we still need a Rex now. You're a Rex with a pride and no territory of your own. We're a territory with a pride and no Rex.”
Nicky had gone very still beside me, his hand still on my arm. He was concentrating like h.e.l.l on the conversation now.
”Don't ask me, Blake. Please, you don't owe me this, but . . . don't ask me.” His voice held pain.
”Do you really believe that if I asked you outright to come here and be our Rex, you couldn't refuse me?”
”I don't know, but I do know I don't want to find out.”
I thought about it, but Jacob and his people were professional bad guys; we didn't need more killers in St. Louis. ”How long ago did they ask you to come kill us?”