Personal Demon (Otherworld 8)

"It is. Fuck him. I'll deal with it."

I undid his button. Then my cell phone started and Jaz let out a string of curses venomous enough to make me jump. He lifted off me and hovered there, then backed away.

"Better get it."

In other words, he'd take his punishment from Guy, but wasn't going to let me.

It was indeed Guy, and in a foul mood, demanding to know if Jaz was with me. Jaz must have overheard, and took the phone. After a minute, he hung up, scowling.

"Some Cabal bullshit. Wants us there in twenty minutes."

Even the promise of more Cabal information wasn't enough to keep me from thinking It's a ten-minute cab ride, fifteen tops, so that leaves us five minutes... But it was too late. The mood was broken.

When I asked Jaz what he wanted to do, he gave a humorless laugh. "What I want to do obviously isn't what I'm going to do. And I'm not rushing this." He leaned over, lips brushing mine. "It's too important to rush. We'll have time afterward. Maybe I can manage a bed for you, like a gentleman."

"I don't want a gentleman."

A grin. "Let's get this damned meeting over with, then."

EVERYONE WAS ALREADY in Guy's office when we arrived. Jaz led me over to where Sonny was leaning against the wall.

"Glad you could join us," Guy said.

Jaz's silence--when he'd usually make a good-natured comeback--had Guy eyeing him, then glancing at me.

"Everything okay?" Guy asked.

"Peachy, boss. So what's up?"

"What's up" was indeed a Cabal problem, though not urgent enough to warrant such a sudden meeting...but that may have been sexual frustration talking.

Guy had received information that identified one of the men who'd robbed and beaten Jaz and Sonny. From his contact, Guy knew the target spent most evenings out, and kept a home office. Where there's an office, there's paperwork, or at least the electronic version. A break-in might tell us why the Cabal suddenly felt the need to smack down Guy's gang. If that failed, then they could wait until the man returned and get the information direct from the source.

As Guy talked, Jaz's annoyance with the meeting fell away, until he was fairly squirming in his seat, shooting grins my way.

"Sounds like we're going to have another exciting night," he whispered to me, then called to Guy, "I'm out for interrogation duty, boss. Not my style. But I'm there for the break-in. Faith should come along--she can scout for trouble and she's a damned good thief, so--"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Jasper, but that's not the plan."

Jaz glanced at me. "But that power of hers--"

"--is invaluable in a sensitive break-in. I agree. Of course she's in."

"He means you're out," Bianca said.

"You and Sonny will stand down tonight," Guy said. "For cat burglary, you can't be beat, but tonight we're looking for information, not valuables."

"But--"

"No buts. I need Rodriguez for the computer and Faith for trouble detection and Bianca for searching. I'll be hunting too, and that's a full house. You other four will patrol the perimeter, with Tony and Max coming in later if we need muscle for questioning."

Guy talked for a few more minutes, then adjourned the meeting. Jaz stared straight ahead, gaze blank, uncharacteristically thoughtful. Then he squeezed my hand an

d winked.

"I'll fix this."

I could have said it was hardly the end of the world if he missed tonight's break-in. But it wouldn't matter. In some ways, Jaz was like a child--he wanted what he wanted, and he wanted it now. It sounded like immaturity, but there was no real selfishness behind it, nor any tantrums to be thrown when he didn't get his way. Like last night. While he'd admitted to being frustrated, he'd waited until noon to call, in case I had a hangover, then had taken me out to lunch. With Jaz, "I want it and I want it now" seemed almost an...innocence. A purity of impulse.