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Adrian’s lip twitched. He could see why the Cat liked him. Even exhausted, he was fearless. “Noted,” he said. “But, in honesty, it is more for him than it is for you. It wouldn’t be the first time the Cat did something technically correct in the most incorrect way just to make a point. The Italians need to stay in their Ring unless they are traveling. Since that makes it harder for them to easily get to you while you are here, you should contact me if anything comes up. Dimitri will give you my number-”
“Issac, where is your backpack,” Dimitri blurted out suddenly.
Issac closed his eyes and sighed and Adrian wondered if he could sleep standing up. “I’m not staying past Young’s. The Cat will be picking me up at eleven today.” He looked at Adrian. “I’ll get your number and text you around then. Right now, we need to get to class so I have enough time to look at Dimitri’s sources.”
“Oh, so that’s why he was actually doing schoolwork last night,” Adrian said mildly, ignoring Dimitri’s hissing threat. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll let people who need to be aware of the change know. Don’t let me keep you.”
Issac nodded and walked away, Dimitri following him with the enthusiasm and concern of a loyal dog following its master.
That’s not a concerning comparison at all,Adrian thought, walking over to the sports car still waiting. The window rolled down as he approached, and he set both hands on the edge to peer inside. “Dobroyeutro.”
“Buongiorno,” the Cat replied, his hands resting on his steering wheel so Adrian could see them both clearly. The concealer was a better match to the Cat’s skin than Issac’s, but this close the signs were still there. There was more of it on the Cat’s neck.
“Seems no one got a good night’s sleep under your roof,” he said casually, not hiding his smirk as he allowed his eyes to dart down to a particularly large section of makeup on the other man’s neck.
The Cat’s eyes narrowed.
“Peace, Kot,” Adrian told him, lifting his fingers briefly. “I don’t care what two consenting men do in each other’s company.”
“Does that little brother of yours share that consideration,” Cat asked him, calm, casual, dangerous.
Adrian’s fingers twitched. “I’m sure even someone like you has had to swallow watching someone you hoped for go to someone else.”
“Perhaps,” Felinus agreed. “But I didn’t call them a whore and run to more powerful people to try to make the other guy go away.”
Adrian’s expression darkened. “I spoke with him about that.” He took a deep breath. Dragged it out was more accurate. Once the Cat had left and the other Italian, Lucio, had agreed to step inside with Fritz so he could speak with his brother, he put pressure on Dimitri to find out exactly what he and Issac had had a disagreement about. Dimitri was lucky Issac spoke to him at all after that, and he told him as much as he tore into Dimitri for, one, saying such things to someone he supposedly cared about, and two, putting him and Papa in a position to be surprised by the information. The Cat could have used the information to leverage things even more in his favor. He could have demanded Dimitri completely away from Issac for the sake of Issac’s health and Adrian didn’t think he would have done all that much to stop him knowing what he did. He sighed. “He’s a good kid. He’s just-”
“Spoiled,” the Cat suggested.
“Honest.”
A smile formed on the corners of the Cat’s lips and Adrian knew they both understood that he didn’t mean Dimitri’s ability to tell the truth.
“He means well.”
“God save us from the good intentions of honest men,” the Cat said mildly.
Adrian didn’t have an argument for that. “Issac tells me that you are picking him up early.”
“If I had it my way, he wouldn’t have come at all,” he said, a small scowl forming on his lips. “But apparently the first professor is a real hard ass.”
Adrian scoffed. “Hard ass doesn’t begin to describe Young. I’ve had to listen to Dimitri bitch about that man for three years. The bastard doesn’t give an inch.” He took a deep breath. “Makes me glad I went for a trade instead of college.”
“Professors for undergrads aren’t nearly as uptight as this fucker seems,” the Cat said, waving a hand and putting it back on the steering wheel. “But yes, I will be getting him early today.”
Adrian studied the man for a long moment then sighed slowly. “There’s no reason for you to waste the gas to just turn around and come back,” he said, drumming his fingers against the edge of the car door. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
The Cat raised an eyebrow that Adrian was sure he manicured somehow to be that perfectly arched. “I have,” he said, “but I wouldn’t say no to a coffee.”
“You mind driving,” Adrian asked, looking over the real leather upholstery. He liked his cars loud and colorful, but even he could appreciate the power of Italian engineering.
The faint smirk from before turned into a wide Cheshire smile. “Get in.”
