closed her front door. Then Carson sighed and pulled Tally back inside and shut the door on the sun and the heat. “Thank you,” he said heartily and kissed her.
Even though it was the morning after, she still tasted ambrosial and he let the kiss lengthen, taking his time, his body warming as she melted against him.
Then his head throbbed once, a hard spike of pain. “Damn,” he murmured against Tally’s lips. “I need food or something.”
“Try a sip of something,” Jimmy said from the sofa. He held up a fresh bottle of Jim Beam and wriggled it. His hair was tousled and spiky, his moustache in disarray and his eyes sleepy, but his smile was as warm as ever.
Tally laughed. “That’s not a cure. It’s just putting off the pain.”
“Anything is better than having my head split in two,” Carson told her. He made his way over to the sofa, carefully stepping over Donna again. She was still asleep. Then he flopped onto the cushions and took the bottle from Jimmy. “Cheers.” He drank.
“I’m going to see about breakfast,” Tally murmured, heading for the swing door that divided the kitchen area from the front room.
The door swung open before she reached it and Damian stepped through. He was carrying a big tray and steam lifted from it, along with delicious smells. “Beat you to it,” Damian told Tally. “There’s plenty for everyone. It sounds like they’ll need it.” He stood by the table. “Can you clear some space?”
Tally quickly cleared off half the table, pushing most of the empty bottles to the other end and stacking empty glasses. “I didn’t know you were here,” she told Damian. “Did you stay all night, or come back?”
“Stayed the night,” Damian said. “Nick thought it best that at least one alert person hang around.” He glanced at Carson and Jimmy where they sat on the sofa. “Nick went back to the lair to watch and make sure none of the clan circled back. He’ll be here shortly.”
Jimmy blew out a heavy sigh. “They’d be stupid to go back there. We know where the nest is now.”
Donna stretched hard and sat up, blinking and looking around.
“Good morning,” Tally told her and held out a plate loaded with piping hot scrambled eggs, crumbled tacos and salsa. Donna’s face lit up and she took the plate eagerly.
From past experience, Carson knew the salsa would be spicy hot. His mouth started watering and he handed the bottle back to Jimmy. “On second thoughts,” he said, “breakfast looks really good.”
“Piker,” Jimmy replied complacently and swigged from the bottle.
Tally looked at Damian. “Did Nick figure that Lirgon might head back just because we thought he wouldn’t dare?”
Damian nodded, a small furrow between his brows, marring his olive features. “Safe nesting locations wouldn’t be easy to come by these days. The eastern seaboard is heavily populated. They could either spend all night hunting for food, or all night hunting for a safe nest for the next day.”
“It’s been at least three days since they’ve eaten,” Tally murmured, frowning, and handed Carson a plate of the eggs and salsa.
“Hey, no shop talk while we’re eating,” Carson complained.
Damian grinned.
“I would kill for coffee,” Donna said, in her husky, too-many-cigarettes voice. “I don’t suppose…?” She looked hopefully at Damian.
He shook his head. “Not yet.” He held another loaded plate out to Jimmy, who shook his head and held up the bottle instead.
A slender hand tapped on Damian’s ankle and he bent over and held the plate out. The hand took it and drew the plate back under the table.
Tally held out a second plate down by her shin and another, bigger, hand took it and drew it back under the table.
Knocking on the door made everyone turn their heads. They looked at each other.
“Nick would use the back door,” Damian pointed out softly.
“It’s Oscar!” came the call faintly through the door. “I have coffee!”
“My hero!”
Even though it was the morning after, she still tasted ambrosial and he let the kiss lengthen, taking his time, his body warming as she melted against him.
Then his head throbbed once, a hard spike of pain. “Damn,” he murmured against Tally’s lips. “I need food or something.”
“Try a sip of something,” Jimmy said from the sofa. He held up a fresh bottle of Jim Beam and wriggled it. His hair was tousled and spiky, his moustache in disarray and his eyes sleepy, but his smile was as warm as ever.
Tally laughed. “That’s not a cure. It’s just putting off the pain.”
“Anything is better than having my head split in two,” Carson told her. He made his way over to the sofa, carefully stepping over Donna again. She was still asleep. Then he flopped onto the cushions and took the bottle from Jimmy. “Cheers.” He drank.
“I’m going to see about breakfast,” Tally murmured, heading for the swing door that divided the kitchen area from the front room.
The door swung open before she reached it and Damian stepped through. He was carrying a big tray and steam lifted from it, along with delicious smells. “Beat you to it,” Damian told Tally. “There’s plenty for everyone. It sounds like they’ll need it.” He stood by the table. “Can you clear some space?”
Tally quickly cleared off half the table, pushing most of the empty bottles to the other end and stacking empty glasses. “I didn’t know you were here,” she told Damian. “Did you stay all night, or come back?”
“Stayed the night,” Damian said. “Nick thought it best that at least one alert person hang around.” He glanced at Carson and Jimmy where they sat on the sofa. “Nick went back to the lair to watch and make sure none of the clan circled back. He’ll be here shortly.”
Jimmy blew out a heavy sigh. “They’d be stupid to go back there. We know where the nest is now.”
Donna stretched hard and sat up, blinking and looking around.
“Good morning,” Tally told her and held out a plate loaded with piping hot scrambled eggs, crumbled tacos and salsa. Donna’s face lit up and she took the plate eagerly.
From past experience, Carson knew the salsa would be spicy hot. His mouth started watering and he handed the bottle back to Jimmy. “On second thoughts,” he said, “breakfast looks really good.”
“Piker,” Jimmy replied complacently and swigged from the bottle.
Tally looked at Damian. “Did Nick figure that Lirgon might head back just because we thought he wouldn’t dare?”
Damian nodded, a small furrow between his brows, marring his olive features. “Safe nesting locations wouldn’t be easy to come by these days. The eastern seaboard is heavily populated. They could either spend all night hunting for food, or all night hunting for a safe nest for the next day.”
“It’s been at least three days since they’ve eaten,” Tally murmured, frowning, and handed Carson a plate of the eggs and salsa.
“Hey, no shop talk while we’re eating,” Carson complained.
Damian grinned.
“I would kill for coffee,” Donna said, in her husky, too-many-cigarettes voice. “I don’t suppose…?” She looked hopefully at Damian.
He shook his head. “Not yet.” He held another loaded plate out to Jimmy, who shook his head and held up the bottle instead.
A slender hand tapped on Damian’s ankle and he bent over and held the plate out. The hand took it and drew the plate back under the table.
Tally held out a second plate down by her shin and another, bigger, hand took it and drew it back under the table.
Knocking on the door made everyone turn their heads. They looked at each other.
“Nick would use the back door,” Damian pointed out softly.
“It’s Oscar!” came the call faintly through the door. “I have coffee!”
“My hero!”
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