A low whistle made him shake himself and focus on John.
"Yeah. Sure. "
John frowned. You want to have a parking ticket stapled to your forehead?
"What?"
Sorry, I had a feeling you weren't tracking. Guess I was right.
Qhuinn shrugged. "Look at it this way, I don't feel like coldcocking you anymore. "
Oh, good. Bonus. But Blay is right. I won't do this again.
"Thanks, man. "
Drink?
"Yeah. Good idea. Great one. " He headed around the bar. "Matter of fact, I'll get my own bottle. "
Chapter Nineteen
"She's dead. "
At the sound of the male voice, Lassiter looked over his shoulder. Across his bedroom, Tohr was standing in the doorway, holding himself up by the jambs.
Lassiter put down the fleece he'd been packing. The suitcase routine wasn't because he could take any of his shit with him, but rather, because it seemed only fair to get his stuff in order for the summoning that was coming: After he got sucked back into the In Between, the staff was going to have to ditch the clothes he'd worn and the few things he'd collected.
The Brother entered and shut them in together.
"She's dead. " He limped over and sat on the chaise lounge. "There, I said it. "
Lassiter lowered his ass down on the bed and stared at the guy. "And you think that's enough. "
"What the fuck do you want from me?"
He had to laugh. "Please. If I were running this show, you'd have had her back down here months ago and I'd be long fucking gone. "
Tohr laughed a little in surprise.
"Aw, come on, my man," Lassiter muttered. "I don't want to screw you. You're too flat chested, for one thing - I'm a boob man. And for another, you're a good guy. You deserve better than this. "
Now Tohr looked downright shocked.
"Oh, for fuck's sake. " Lassiter got up and went back to the open drawers of the dresser. Pulling out a pair of leathers, he messed them up, and then folded them again.
Futzing around with his hands was supposed to help his brain focus. Didn't work all that well, though. Maybe he should just slam his head into the wall.
"Going somewhere?" the Brother asked after a while.
"Yeah. "
"Giving up on me?"
"I told you. I don't make the rules here. I'm going to get pulled out, and it's going to be sooner rather than later. "
"Pulled out to where?"
"Where I was. " He shuddered, even though it was a pussy move. But an eternity of isolation was hell for a guy like him. "It's not a trip I'm looking forward to making. "