Page 46 of Fixer
The drive north went slower with a loaded truck than in my car, but I stuck to ten miles under the speed limit and tried to enjoy the sunshine.I had jugs of developer and fragile equipment in the back.Slow and steady was the way.After fifteen minutes, I guessed that the green Chevy van, the only vehicle not to pass my slow ass, was probably the Chicago wolves.If they were still behind me when I hit town, I’d lead them on a bit of a chase for fun.
But on the outskirts of Darville, the van pulled in at a turnoff and headed back south, respecting my claimed territory, at least for now.I waved and continued on my merry way.
The widening of the main artery through town was needed.Traffic slowed, becoming stop and go without any actual cause.As long as construction stayed on the correct side of the road, more power to them.I turned off into Wade’s neighborhood, taking a closer look at the buildings, businesses, streets, and alleys.This would be my new territory and I’d learn every inch of it soon.
I hadn’t been able to tell Wade exactly when I’d be arriving, just given him a ballpark, but he stood on the sidewalk out front, chatting with a young woman who was trying to corral two hyperactive boys.As I watched, Wade snagged the one trying to climb onto the slanted stair rail.The boy’s pout turned to a grin as Wade swooped him through the air before setting him on solid ground.The other boy reached up, clearly beggingme too, and Wade gave him a whirl of his own.
He'd be so good with pups.Not an option for us as two men and lone wolves, although Wade was bisexual.Would he someday want…?My musing was cut off as he spotted me and smiled like the sun coming out.
Worries for another year.Or decade.
I couldn’t park, so I stopped in the street and hit my hazard lights.Immediately, two cars began a blare of horns behind me, because we might be an hour outside Chicago but the attitudes didn’t change.
Wade jogged around to the passenger side and climbed in.“Hey, you.”
“Hey.”I didn’t kiss him, there on the public street, though I wanted to.“Did you find a place?”
“Yep.Garage and storage combo.Halfway across town, though.”
“Direct me.”I eased forward accompanied by the continued honks from the jackass behind us.
The storage facility Wade located had lockable garages for people to store their cars, boats, or other valuables.It was damned narrow and low for the truck, but I eased my way in.Tomorrow, we’d take half the day to unload, and I’d return the truck to U-Haul.Today, I’d spent hours loading and cleaning, and three days without Wade.I had no patience for that shit.
We hauled down the overhead door of the unit and applied my padlock.Once that was secured, I slung my small bag over my shoulder and looked around.“You think there’s a place nearby we can catch a cab?”
“There’s a phone at the gas station.”Wade gestured at the booth along the wall of the cashier’s hut across the street.“Or we could catch a bus.Although we’d have to change twice.”
“No way.”I bumped his shoulder, hard, in place of the hug I wanted.“I need to get back to your apartment as soon as possible.”
“Hungry?”Wade grinned, making that an intentional double entendre.
“Very.”I strode toward the phone booth, and he fell in at my side.“Any news you didn’t want to say over the phone?”We’d both been aware of sharp werewolf ears around my apartment when I’d called him.
“Mina Kawashima says the mayor’s been in a filthy mood for the last three days.The planning meeting happened yesterday.Mina said she took notes, like always, and there was no mention of switching around the road-widening project.All systems go on the version that stays the hell out of our laps.”
“Success.”
“Sounds like it.”Wade looked up at me.“Thanks to you.I wouldn’t have known what to do.”
“That’s why you need a Fixer in your life.”
“I really do.”Wade stepped back while I slipped into the booth, found a taxi company in the phone book, and called for a ride.
“Six minutes,” I told him, glad to leave those stuffy glass-walled confines.
“Anythingyoudidn’t want to say outloud?”
I wished we could talk about us, but the street corner really wasn’t the right place.I scanned to make sure the nearest possible ears were on the attendant pumping gas, and kept my voice soft.“Nothing big.We’ll keep calling Shawn and Zay from payphones.No trips to Canada for a while, sad to say.Let Chicago get bored with what good little wolves we are.Rick’s young, but he’s scary smart.I don’t want to focus his attention the wrong way.”
Wade sighed.“Damn it.I was hoping for more time with my brother, but compared to a month ago?I have no complaints.Are you sure you’ll get enough private eye business to stay afloat here?Especially if you’re paying separate rent?”
“I’ll make it work.I’ll have to cast a wider net, be willing to travel around a bit more since I can’t go into Chicago, but small towns are no less secretive than the city.”I laughed.“If I get strapped, I can always blackmail the mayor for money.”
Wade blinked.“You wouldn’t.”
“Of course not.”Not with you as my conscience, anyhow.I’d grown up breaking the law and had no scruples about doing it again in a good cause.I’d count on my honorable Wade to help me figure out how good a cause was.I couldn’t resist saying, “The mayor’s too well known and connected.I’d blackmail Rosswurn.”
In response to Wade’s stare, I gave him a nice bland face, wide eyes.
