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"Hell, yes," I said, grinning. "In every possible way. So you're staying?"
"If that's all right with--"
"It's great. I can't even remember the last time we spent more than a weekend together."
"It has been a while," Lucas said softly, then cleared his throat. "My schedule lately has been busier than I anticipated, and I realize this isn't an ideal arrangement for a relationship--"
"It's fine," I said.
"It's not what you expected."
"I didn't expect anything." I flipped off him and sat up. "No expectations, remember? Take it one day at a time. That's what we agreed."
"Yes, I know that's what you said, but--"
"It's what I meant. No expectations, no pressure. You stay for as long as you like."
Lucas pulled himself up. "That's not what--" He paused. "We need to talk, Paige."
"Sure."
I felt Lucas watching me in the darkness, but he said nothing.
"What do you want to talk about?" I asked after a few moments.
"About--" He held my gaze for a moment, then looked away. "About the case. What happened tonight?"
"Oh, God." I thumped onto the pillow. "You have some strange friends, Cortez."
A quarter-smile. "I wouldn't classify Jaime as a friend but, yes, that's one way of putting it. So tell me what happened."
I did.
A Theory
AT SEVEN, STILL TALKING, WE MOVED THE CONVERSATION from the bed to the restaurant downstairs. Dining that early meant we got the best seats, a table in the corner of the atrium.
By nine, the tiny restaurant was full, with a line at the door. We were on our third cup of coffee, breakfast long since done, which earned us plenty of glares from those waiting at the hostess station, but not so much as an impatient glance from our server, probably owing to the size of the tip Lucas had tacked onto the bill.
"Nasha?" Lucas said when I told him the name Dana's attacker had invoked. "It doesn't sound familiar."
"I passed it on through Adam to Robert, to get his opinion. I'd called him yesterday to ask--uh, about some council stuff."
"And a list of alternate necromancers, I presume?"
"I--uh--" I inhaled. "I'm sorry. I know you said to trust you, and I really tried..."
A smile tickled his lips. "But gave up somewhere between Sid Vicious and the private strip show. Either of which, understandably, would strain the bounds of the deepest trust."
"Actually, it was after the striptease."
His smile broadened. "Ah, well, in that case, you outlasted any reasonable expectation of faith. I'm flattered. Thank you."
"Still, I should have listened to you. You were right. Jaime did just fine."
"She is very good, though sometimes I think she'd prefer otherwise. Have you ever heard of Molly O'Casey?"
"Of course. Top-notch necro. Died a few years back, didn't she?"
