Page 7 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“Odd jobs here and there, mostly for Casimir Madry’s many businesses,” Ezio explains, which could be the truth, but it really just seems like whenever I see him he’s off fucking around with Julian and Casimir. I honestly rarely see them do any work. I understand Casimir not doing much because he’s managed to get his hotels to run themselves, and Julian works at the university teaching evening classes, but Ezio… I really have no idea what Ezio does. I’m also afraid that if I ask, he’ll mistake me as being “interested” in him.
“You have a really nice car,” Zach says, and Ezio perks up.
“Why thank you! I had to buy a new one because my last one got totaled. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I even shed a tear, didn’t I, Cyrus?”
I’m not sure I was present to see that. “Uh… yeah.”
“Was this when Cyrus locked you up in a jail cell for the night or after that?” Zach asks.
Ezio laughs and pats my back. “Cyrus is such a kidder. I really didn’t think he’d leave me there all day! I thought it was a joke. Like who tosses their consultant into a jail cell?”
“You know why,” I say. “I was just trying to remind you why you should be on your best behavior.”
“I’m always on my best behavior!”
I’m not sure my eyebrow can lift any higher if he thinks he was on his best behavior knocking a detective unconscious and then throwing the officer’s car.
He must agree because he seems to drop the subject.
I’m really not seeing much out here, but I keep swinging my flashlight back and forth. Maybe we’ll get a better read in the morning.
Zach reaches out and squeezes my shoulder, and I’m confused until he holds out another flashlight. “Try this one. It’s significantly brighter.”
“Thanks,” I say as I take it, and Ezio grabs my other shoulder. “What?”
He freezes, hand still on my shoulder, looking like he’s prepared to leave it here for the rest of our lives. “Oh, nothing at all, ha ha. Nothing important, really. There was a lightning bug on your shoulder. Yes, that was it,” he says, and it very much sounds like it wasn’t it.
“I see.Anyway,I’m not seeing anything of interest out here,” I state. “Ezio?”
“No, nothing that I’ve noticed,” he replies, but he seems to only be able to notice Zach. I feel like Ezio could have trampled across a dead body and wouldn’t have even noticed because his eyes won’t stray from Zach.
“I guess let’s head back inside. We’ll get the sinks tested as well as their hands and go from there,” I say.
Zach stops me before I get too far. “Hey… Cyrus… could you see me for a moment before you go? I’d like a few words before you head home for the night.”
I hesitate, not quite sure what that’s about, but Zach is all smiles, telling me that I have a pretty good idea. The look of absolute horror on Ezio’s face tells me that he has the same idea.
“Yeah, sure,” I say. “I’ll catch you before I leave.”
Zach gives me a big smile and a wave like he’s going off on an adventure and not a few feet back to the house where I’ll see him in a matter of minutes.
Now that he’s gone, all I have is Ezio, who is standing there like Medusa has turned him to stone. And of course he looks like he’s become some marble Roman god. “C-Cyrus! C-Cyrus. Listen to me… I think that man just said something concerning. I really think it was like a threat and you really,reallyshouldn’t talk to him before you leave. What… what ifheis the killer? You really should avoid him.”
“Why?” I ask.
“He… he… he stared at you like you’re fresh meat, and he was starving,” Ezio declares.
“So it’s okay for you to but not him?” I ask, even though I’mpositiveZach wasn’t.
Ezio deflates. “Woe is me.”
“That ‘woe is me’ shit doesn’t work on me like it does on Julian,” I inform him. “I don’t date vampires.” Or maybe it’s better to just say I don’t date at all but before I can, Ezio’s already on to the next topic.
“Why? Is it because of our life spans? Are you afraid I’ll suffer living without you? Because I’ll merrily turn you. The moment you give the word, I will make you my undead lover.”
I grimace at how casually he mentions such a thing. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” Ezio asks.
