Black And Blue (Quentin Black Mystery #5) (6 page)

But they hadn’t listened. And now it was Brick they called to help clean it up.

He gazed out over the smog-dusted landscape down to the ocean as he thought all of this, inclining his head once more, almost in a nervous tic. His voice held a hint of indifference when he spoke, likely another semi-conscious effort to needle the old man.

“I take my job here very seriously, Konstantin,” he said. “If you are concerned about the seer’s ability to perform while wearing the collar... don’t be. He is trained in an impressive number of human skill sets as well as seer ones, many of which will benefit our cause greatly. If he can manage not to get himself killed while he adjusts to life inside, I have no doubt he will be able to accomplish the task we’ve set for him.”

“And if Charles discovers we’ve planted him in this little menagerie?”

“He won’t.” Brick’s voice was certain. “Charles has no assets at the facility. Truthfully, I have my doubts Charles even knows of it... or is aware of our exposure problems at all.”

Again, Konstantin frowned, shaking his head without looking from the window. “And just how do you plan to capture him in the first place?”

Brick smiled. Now the old man was just grasping at straws.

“That part needn’t concern you at all,
Patrón
. It is already in motion.”

“Already in motion?” Konstantin turned, glaring at him openly that time. “You have put this plan in motion? I and the Council expressly
forbade
you to take this course. You are arrogant enough to move forward with it, anyway?”

“I was under the impression there was a rather urgent timeframe involved.”

“When?” the other said, his voice pointed. “
When
will this take place?”

“Would you like the full game plan, sir?” Brick said, his voice polite. “Usually such details seem beneath you, which is why I did not burden you with them today. But I am, of course, happy to oblige you in expounding upon the minutiae of our every move. You are welcome to attend our next run-through meeting, as well. I had asked them to meet me downtown in an hour, so if you would like to accompany me...”

The old man waved him off, giving him a hard look.

“You assume my approval still,” he said coldly.

Brick fought not to smile again.

“I assume no such thing,
Patrón
.” He made his voice reassuring. “I wished only to have the mechanisms at the ready in the event I was able to persuade you.” Pausing, he gave his voice an extra thread of meaning.

“...Of course, I can be so sloppy about keeping people informed, as you know. I may have forgotten to conduct this meeting with you altogether... or perhaps I didn’t inform you of the full extent of my plans.”

Brick paused, giving him another meaningful stare.

“...Unless of course, you wish to forbid me outright, even now, when I’ve explained this is the only possible way forward that is likely to work. Then, of course, I will cancel the operation entirely and spend my evening doing far more pleasant things...”

Konstantin gave him a shrewder look that time.

Brick smiled, keeping his eyes blank.

He knew Konstantin heard him. He was giving the old man a way out. He was offering to take full accountability for the operation, while giving the Council plausible deniability.

The old ones were nothing but a bunch of cowards. They didn’t care how Brick did what he did, as long as they didn’t have to pay for it.

When Konstantin said nothing, Brick went on politely.

“...My person in the Los Angeles Police Department arranged everything for me weeks ago, but I can just as easily un-arrange it. Or we can pull the plug on the operation later, assuming something goes wrong. Capture is the easy part. We have much more control over the different variables out here than we will once he is inside. And he’ll have no way of knowing who put him there initially... not until I tell him.”

Konstantin let out a faint sniff. “Your ‘person’ in law enforcement? Do you trust them?”

“The ambitious ones are
always
cooperative, sir.”

The old man didn’t smile. “Enough to fool one of these psychic scum?”

Brick again fought not to roll his eyes. This fossil really didn’t understand how things worked at all anymore, did he? Brick didn’t need anyone’s cooperation for that end of things. Not anymore. They’d found their own ways of blinding the psychics.

“It is all taken care of,
Patrón
. I promise.”

The elder’s frown deepened, but he did not speak.

Brick went on just as pleasantly. “Shall I call it off, sir? Or shall we assume I was less than forthcoming in this conversation, and you simply had
no idea
of the extreme and shocking measures I’d set in motion on behalf of the security of our race?”

Watching as the old man turned back towards the tinted window, that frown still etched into his features, Brick hid another smile.

He already knew what the answer would be, even before the old man turned.

Konstantin gave him another of those shrewd looks.

“I don’t remember you bringing up anything at all about a psychic in our discussion,” he said, his voice cold. “In fact, when I asked you about it, you specifically told me that you had discarded that plan, Brick... after I reminded you that to obtain a psychic for this purpose would directly violate the Council’s wishes.”

Brick nodded. “That is how I recall things as well, sir.”

Konstantin’s red-tinted eyes sharpened.

“I will protect our truce, Betial,” he added, his voice a touch colder. “Which means, should the psychics contact me in this matter, I will express condolences to them, and offer to help them if I can. If I must, I will even admit there is some chance a rogue among ours has acted past his mandate. If they believe this to be true as well, I will offer to help them track and kill that rogue.” His eyes held more of that colder meaning. “So do not leave your fingerprints on this operation of yours, Mr. Brick. Your life very well may depend on it.”

Brick smiled, adjusting his tie. “Of course, sir. And all of your, well...
diplomatic
machinations certainly make sense, given your very rational terror of the psychics.”

Konstantin’s eyes grew even colder.

Brick only smiled at him, his face purposefully blank, and eventually Konstantin looked away. When he did, Brick’s smile faded, leaving his face as still as glass.

Game over, fucker. I win.

These old geezers might be shaking in their boots over the idea of fighting the psychics, but Brick certainly wasn’t.

They feared a war.

Brick found the idea positively delicious.

Three

WINED AND DINED

“REMIND ME AGAIN why we came here, instead of staying at the hotel,” he murmured. Tugging me closer, he put more light into his tongue and lips, pulling me deeper into his lap without taking his mouth off my bare skin.

I was having a really hard time thinking about anything at that particular moment, much less the question he’d asked. After a few long-feeling seconds while he continued to work his way down my throat, I remembered enough, however.

While I couldn’t recall the
exact
rationale he’d used, I knew our leaving the hotel was definitely his fault.

“Are you sure?” he said, softer. “That doesn’t sound like me.”

“I’m positive, Quentin.”

His hands tightened when I said his name, right before they yanked me deeper into his lap. He softened the moment I curled up against him, brushing the hair out of my face with both hands. I felt another flush of heat off him as he looked me over in the dress.

“I think you must be remembering wrong,” he said.

“You wanted to come here. To this specific restaurant. You made a big deal about coming here, as I recall... said you were going to order for me and everything.”

He shook his head again. “Doesn’t sound like me.”

I fought a laugh, mostly because it sounded
exactly
like him––but stopped when his hands slid under the edges of the gauzy dress I wore, wrapping around my hips. Despite the urgency I felt vibrating off him now, his mouth and light remained slow, deliberate... maddeningly so. My hands had already found their way inside his shirt, too. Within a few seconds more he was breathing harder, his chest moving under my fingers as I explored his skin.

The restaurant was definitely your idea...
I repeated in his mind.

His teeth closed briefly on my shoulder. I could feel him holding back with that, too.

Then you must have drugged me,
he sent.
Or pushed me while I was watching you shower...

But I remembered the conversation now.

Given that we were staying at probably the nicest hotel in which I’d ever stepped foot, including with him, I would have been perfectly happy to stay there and try out the poolside restaurant. With its outdoor fire pits, plant-covered trellises and lit waterfalls overlooking a stunning view of a pristine and private corner of Santa Monica beach, it evoked a remote island paradise, even for Los Angeles.

Supposedly a lot of celebrities stayed there. Black mentioned that fact to me casually, while we waited for the desk clerk to finish making us keys.

I’m not much of a star-stalker type, but I admit I was curious.

Black wanted to come
here
, though, which was apparently the most high-end Mexican restaurant in existence. We hadn’t eaten anything yet, but the smells coming from the kitchen were dizzying, even with the curtain in place around our private booth and the insanely expensive wine he’d ordered, which I could still taste on both of our tongues.

Even with the jaw-dropping card the waiter provided with all of the wines the restaurant offered, Black still managed to order off-list. After a few pointed questions about the contents of their cellar, he settled on something I’d never heard of before.

It’s good though, right?

Amazing,
I admitted.
I don’t even want to know how much it cost.

I’m spoiled,
he sent, massaging my thigh.
I like spoiling you.

I laughed, shaking my head.
Spoiled is one word for it.

Do I want to know another word for it?

Leaning my forehead against his, I shook my head.
Probably not.

Sliding my hands deeper into his shirt, I continued touching him. I felt his light starting to open for real, right before his body softened all at once.

Gaos, Miri... what are you trying to do to me?

You started this.

We might need to stop... or leave. I’m not kidding, doc.

You’re the one who wanted to wait before,
I reminded him.
I wanted to have sex in the room, but you wanted to eat first...

He didn’t answer, but I saw his jaw harden.

I tried to remember if leaving would be complicated, if we’d even ordered food.

Knowing Black, he’d worked out some private deal with the waiter before we’d made it to the booth. I definitely got the impression they knew him when we walked in. I hadn’t asked, especially after the leggy blond in the sheer, white, micro-dress working the front desk gave him a suggestive smile and squeezed his bicep before leading us to our table.