Page 74 of Leo, My Partner

“Leo.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Leo. That’s my name. I haven’t gone by Brad in almost twenty years.”

Dipping his head, Clinton picks up the conversation. “Leo, I didn’t think I’d see you again. Henry said you were gone with Papa, but that’s it. We tried to look for you—for both of you—but we hit a dead end. Searching for someone wasn’t as easy as it is now.”

Ivan places a shaky hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Leo was good kid. Never had problem from him.” Leo smiles at Ivan, like they’re a normal family, not an older generation of psychopath who trained a younger one. “We stay off grid. Not easy to find. Not your fault.”

In a low, sad voice, Barbara tells Ivan, “I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis. If there is anything we can do …”

“It is okay,” Ivan mutters, pulling his handkerchief from his pocket and coughing into it. “Seeing Dimitri is all I want before I die.”

Barbara reaches out and pats Clinton’s hand.

For the rest of our time there, we talk about unimportant things, just content to have a conversation. We stay for another hour before Blu says, “We need to get home, Dad, Mom. We still have an hour’s drive, and I don’t want to be on the road too late. Besides, Ivan needs his rest.”

“Of course,” Barbara says, getting up from the table. “Let me make you all some leftovers.” She shoos us away when we try to help and busies herself cleaning up the table and packing us some food.

When we have bowls stacked high in our hands, we bid them farewell. Clinton hugs Ivan for many long minutes.

Once outside, June gives me a pointed look, and I nod. I hook my arm through Ivan’s and ask, “How are you feeling?”

He peers at me with tired eyes. “I am okay, kolibri.”

“You up for a surprise?”

Ivan nods, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. “I like surprise.”

Leo raises an eyebrow. “Surprise?”

“Yeah, me and June have something for the three of you. We need to hurry though. To make sure we have enough time.”

Though Leo and Blu try to pull information out of us, we don’t tell. I don’t think Ivan cares one way or another, just along for the ride.

We all pile into Blu’s SUV, June driving so he won’t have to give Blu directions.

It takes us about an hour and a half to get where we need to go, since our surprise is outside the city. I’m hoping our surprise is still where we left it earlier today. June assured me he gave the right dosage for them not to wake for about eight hours, and we’ve only been gone for a little over six.

“Where are we going, little fox?” Blu asks, looking out of the window. “Wait. I know this place.”

June smiles. “It’s where we killed the priest.”

He parks right outside of the building, and we file out of the car, entering the building. June leads us deeper inside until we get to the kitchen, where a man is hanging from a hook, gagged and drugged.

The man we surprised the guys with tonight, Spencer Gordon, is a serial rapist, out on bail for some unknown reason. We caught him as he was ready to skip town. June and I were afraid we wouldn’t be able to do it on our own, since we only saw Leo and Blu drug people, but we made it work. It was actually easier than we thought—sneaking into his home and jabbing the needle in his throat while he was looking at something on his phone. The real bitch was getting the guy down the stairs of his third floor apartment. That took a lot of lifting, reminding me that I haven’t been back to the gym in weeks.

Now Spencer is here, tied up, and waiting for Blu, Ivan, and Leo to do whatever they want. June and I decided to take a backseat and watch the three of them work.

“Surprise,” I say, inclining my head to Spencer. “Ivan, you didn’t get to have your retirement kill, so I figured you three would like to do it together.”

Leo chuckles, kissing the top of my head. “You’re perfect, kotenok.”

Ivan says, “Thank you, kolibri. This is thoughtful.”

Leo and Blu work together to pull the man off the hook and lay him on the stainless-steel table. Ivan takes some rope and ties the man down. These knots are different than what Leo taught me with Ian. They remind me of the knots I saw holding the man down when I walked in on Leo. It’s funny how small things like that stick out in my mind.

When that’s done, Leo and Blu step back as Ivan circles the table, looking at Spencer. “Blu,” Ivan says, without looking up. “Have you ever peel off fingernail?”

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