Page 29 of Consumed
“Once you got out of the hospital, you had to take care of yourself, huh?”
Con shrugged.
“Hey.” Isaac caught Con’s wrist. It was a soft grip and Con didn’t fight it. “I’m grateful you’re here to take care of me. I’mreallygrateful you saved my life last night. And I’m damned glad that Townsend picked you as my partner. I’d rather have you here with me than anyone else in the Bureau.” Isaac’s eyes shone, and for once his expression was entirely serious.
Gooseflesh prickled down Con’s back, which was stupid because he suddenly felt overly warm. His face was flaming, and the few inches of skin that Isaac was touching—those few inches were on fire. And God, Con wanted to burn.
“Just doing my job,” he whispered, unable to look away.
“Doing it really fucking well.”
Isaac kissed his hand again, just like last night, and then fell back against the pillow with a little huff. “And I need a nap.”
Con helped him arrange the pillows and went to close the curtains. Afterward he sat for a long time at the little desk, a Bureau form open on the laptop in front of him, his thoughts far away. He still felt Isaac’s lips on his skin.
* * *
That day and the next, Isaac slept a lot. He tried to watch TV, but it gave him a headache. When he got bored, Con ended up reading to him. First they tried one of the history volumes Con had bought, then Isaac’s guide to Vietnam, but Isaac couldn’t concentrate well enough to follow either.
So then Con made an expedition to the lobby, where there was a small stack of paperbacks abandoned by previous guests. He chose one pretty much at random. It turned out to be about a psychic waitress who falls for her neighbor, a Civil War–veteran vampire. Isaac thought it was hilarious.
By late afternoon of the second day, Isaac was apparently feeling pretty chipper apart from the ache in his shoulder. He even put on real clothing: jeans and one of the T-shirts he’d bought in Cottonwood. He grew restless, however, especially after they finished the book.
“We could go for a walk,” Isaac suggested. “Just a short one.”
“There’s nowhere we can walk that isn’t steep, and the doctor said no exertion.”
“Then drive us to somewhere that’s flat.”
Con pictured doing so, and watching helplessly as Isaac loped off into the distance like an unleashed dog. “Even if it’s flat, it’ll still be hot. And walking around is exercise.”
“Ugh.” Isaac had wandered onto the balcony, looking as if he might be considering a leap over the edge. Con thought it wise to shadow him.
“There must besomethingwe can do that won’t make my head explode.”
“I can find another book.”
Isaac shook his head. “You’ve been reading for hours and your throat’s sore. I can tell.”
That was true, but it was a very minor discomfort. “You can try the TV again.”
“Daytime TV, and all they have is basic cable. I’d rather my head explode.”
It was a little like babysitting a sulky child, which was something Con hadn’t experienced since he left home. Back when he was a kid, there were always chores to hand out to bored siblings. He didn’t have any chores for Isaac.
“We could play a game.”
Isaac tilted his head. “Cards?”
Con didn’t know any card games; his parents had forbidden them. Besides, neither he nor Isaac had a pack of cards, and even if they did, concentrating might be too much for Isaac right now. “No, but—”
“Amnesty.”
“What?”
Isaac grabbed Con’s hand and dragged him inside to the sitting area, then gently pushed him onto the couch and sat close beside him. “Amnesty. My family used to play it. I dunno whether my parents invented it or learned it from their friends.”
“How do you play?” Con asked warily.
