Page 44 of Rarely Pure and Never Simple
They were safe, he had to remind himself. Shudder was a jackass, but he was an honest jackass. Although he was worried about his hideout being compromised, and even honest men did desperate things to protect their greatest passions.
"Shit."
Blaze yanked on the clothes Damien had obviously left in such a neat pile for him, checked his messages in case his client and sometimes bed partner had left him a fucking clue, and stormed out of the cave, ready for the worst, when he didn't even find a 'good morning' waiting for him.
The Raptor sat where they'd left it, occupying a bit of scrub grass like some huge herd animal content to graze in isolation. Everything was locked down neat and tight, so Damien had been there to do his morning packing. So far, nothing sinister except the glaring lack of Damien. He half-jogged toward the longhouse, since someone always seemed to be there, and he could begin interrogations.
What greeted him when he pushed through the door were cooking smells, sleepy murmurs of early conversation from several groups scattered about the main room, and, sensibly tucked in the far corner, Damien.
Not a Damien under duress or even one in social crisis. Oh, no. He sat without twitches at the table, happily stuffing pancakes down his gullet at a speed that would choke any normal man. Shudder sat across from him, leaning close and speaking earnestly, reminding Blaze far too much of mealtimes at school when Shudder had leaned across towardhimin exactly the same way. Bad enough, but the proximity, the too-obvious verification that Shudder was a really fuckinggoodground for Damien…
A surge of steam heat filled Blaze's head. He clenched his fists, wondering whom he should strangle first.
He wanted to go on a colorful tirade but managed to confine himself to, "What the fuck?"
Damien arched an eyebrow at him but otherwise didn't react. Fine, maybe the temporary cease-fire on his pancake campaign counted as a reaction.
"Good morning, Blazey!" Shudder sang out, all innocent smiles. He patted the bench next to him. "Come sit. They'll bring you breakfast. You look so much better this morning."
Blaze glared at him and made a point to walk the long way around the table to sit next to Damien.
"I thought I should let you sleep."
"Don't really give a flying fuck what you thought. You go somewhere and I don't know about it, you leave me a damn message."
The apology was on Damien's tongue. He could practically see the words. Blaze held up a warning finger.
For a moment, Damien stared at him, laser eyes boring into his face. His expression never changed, but he managed to change verbal direction. "Fuck you, Blaze."
"Attaboy. But I'm serious. Remember I'm not getting paid to keep you company."
Shudder blinked at them in confusion, which was damn funny, but he recovered his stupid grin way too fast. "Such a pleasant hunk first thing in the morning, isn't he? We were just talking about the future of my little colony."
He stopped, looking at Damien expectantly, but he had gone back to plowing through breakfast. Blaze nudged him under the table.
"Oh. Yes." They had to wait through a few more bucket-loaders' worth of food to go down before Damien offered any real answer. "I'm not putting it in my reports."
"You're falsifying reports to the Guild. Do this often?" Blaze took a grateful pull at the cup of black tea a kid set in front of him.
Damien shook his head. "I don't falsify. But I don't always say everything I've found."
"Isn't that what they're paying you to do?"
"No. I'm paid to find people."
"Right… Sounds like one of those engine-greased moral slopes to me."
"To some. Probably." Damien scraped his plate clean and looked like he was contemplating licking the jelly residue off before he went on. "If I'm not tracking a criminal, I'm under no obligation to reveal the whereabouts of people who don't want to be found. It's part of the agreement."
"Won't they ask? When you don't mention these six kids?"
"They'll go in the report as 'located, secure.'"
Blaze wasn't sure if he was more pissed that Damien had never discussed contract particulars with him or that they were having this conversation in front of Shudder. "And they let you get away with that. Sledge, Asbesta, all those hard-nosed Guild clones."
"My reports go to Dr. Parma. What she tells them is her business."
"How is the old bat?" Shudder asked with gleeful disrespect.
