Page 82 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“Of course not. Ooh, once you learn how to shift, I’ll let Casimir groom you,” Julian says.
“I’m not quite sure how anyone feels about any of that,” I announce.
“Are you freaking out?” Julian asks.
“I’m… just… numb to it at the moment, I guess?” I realize. “I’ve been caught up in everything else. When we get home, I do want to see if we can get a meeting with that Witt vampire.Phil, right? There’s something going on there. One of the patrons at the club pulled me aside and told me that he was up to something that was bad enough it got him removed.”
“You’re going to like… hobble into the office after being mauled?” Ezio asks, not sounding thrilled about any part of this.
“I was planning on walking in, but yes,” I say.
“Absolutely not. You’re resting. I’ll have Maeve call the guy in for questioning and go myself,” he decides.
“So I’m allowed to sit in a chair at Casimir’s?” I ask.
“Correct.”
“But not allowed to sit in a chair at work?”
“Correct.”
“I’ll be your chair,” Yorick unhelpfully adds. He’s obviously still back there trying to make Atticus jealous.
“I’ll have Phil come in for a meeting and I’ll record it, will that make you happy?” Ezio asks.
“No.” Why the hell does he think that I can’t even do my job now? Especially if he’s there beside me. Hell, I bet Casimir and Julian would follow us around as well. And Yorick would tag along just because he doesn’t want to be left out.
“Why do you want to go out?” Ezio asks, looking legitimately concerned by this.
“I feel fine. This werewolf shit must really work because I feel significantly better than I should, I assure you.”
Ezio is the furthest thing from reassured.
“What if… Ezio puts you on a live call so you can still interact but sit nice and safe at our place?” Julian asks.
“That’s such a good idea, Julian. Cyrus, you should go with that,” Yorick says.
“Sounds horrible,” I grumble, displeased, but realizing that I’m probably not going to get anything more.
“What is even more horrible is you wandering around after you nearly died!” Ezio says, and there’s a catch in his voice thatmakes me realize that maybe I should listen to him, at least for now.
I sigh. “Okay. As long as you set up something so I can be included, I’ll go along with it.”
Ezio looks relieved. “Good, good. Let’s call Maeve and see if she can get him to come in for questioning.”
I send Maeve a text, since at least that’s something I’m allowed to do, and she assures me she’ll let Ezio know when she has a time set up with Phil Witt.
The moment we arrive home, Ezio is at my door. It’s so fast I don’t even know if I’ve registered that he’s left the other side of the car.
“Do you want me to carry you? Do you need help? What do you want me to do?”
“Ooh, he could get down on his hands and knees like a horse,” Julian says. “I bet that would offer Cyrus the most relief on his wounds.”
I nod just for the hell of it. “That one. I like that one.”
“I will do it,” Ezio says. “I’m doing it.” He slowly lowers to the ground, like he thinks if he lowers himself slowly enough, I will call this off. “I am still doing it.”
“I want it like a pyramid. Like you and Yorick side by side and Julian on top, and then I’ll sit on Julian’s lap,” I direct.
