The Favor

I groaned as I stood up. I wasn’t looking forward to asking Sage for a favor. Jack could do it, but he was incommunicado at the moment and Tony’s bright idea to ask Sage would only backfire. But that was why Ant was here. To offer up a favor from Cari in return. I didn’t have to play whatever games we had in the past. But all I could see was it backfiring. Sage being all okay then Dee talking him into using the favor to get me in their bed – something I hadn’t done ever.

Dee thought there was this thing between Sage and I. The whole he can touch me being some clue to how Sage really feels. When all it was was our friendship and us dealing with our perspective problems together on a level no one else understood.

But I sighed and knocked on Sage’s front door. I’d deal, but I wasn’t sleeping with any of them. I only wanted one person. And he was worth the whole deprivation of a sex life if he’d have me. And I was more than willing to be all his all the time. I could feel the depression seeping in again – all we did was fight.

I heard footsteps on the other side of the door and plastered on a fake smile. Sage would see through it but Dee didn’t know me well enough and I knew she was answering the door.

A short brunette stood in front of me with a wide grin on her face. “So what did you make?”

I held up the bag of groceries I’d brought with me and her grin faded. “I have to wait. I’m hungry.” She patted her belly and I grinned at the slight bulge.

“Holy fuck, why didn’t you call me.”

“Language.” I heard Sage call out behind his wife. “We’ve a bun in the oven.”

“I see that why didn’t you tell me?”

Sage shrugged then wrapped his arms around me in a hug. “Never came up.”

“More like we never see you.” Dee said as she dragged me through the door. She looked past me at Ant who was standing in the doorway, when I looked back he had a shit eating grin on his face.

“Get the fuck in here, don’t play oh you must invite me!”

Dee looked at me then back at Ant, then back to me. “He’s fucking with me?”

I nodded. “Yeah. That’s a myth.”

Ant laughed, “Well not a myth exactly. A cursed vampire is bound by most of the rules you think. Though they can see their reflection in mirrors, and garlic is not really a thing. They can’t cross running water so we don’t have a whole lot of cursed vampires here in New York.”

Dee looked at him with astonishment. “I’m still wrapping my head around vampires and werewolves are real. Why haven’t you guys told Jace, he’s like clueless?”

“He’ll stay that way. He’s married to a human, he’s human.”

“Mia’s mom works with you guys though I mean, shouldn’t he know?”

Ant laughed, “Mia only knows because she fell in with these too numbnuts and they can’t keep secrets.”

I grinned. “It’s kinda hard to explain the random fires and the floating objects without magic.”

Sage added, “And the whole blowing up lights when I get pissed off.”

Both Sage and I laughed heartily at the memory of that happening one night at a club. It was a bad day for both of us and we got angry, and Sage’s anger blew out the sound system and the lights. Thankfully no one knew it was him and we could escape the damages just like everyone else. Fluke electrical surge. Or something like that.

Dee rolled her eyes, “I hate when they do that. How do you stand it?” She looked at Ant.

He shrugged. But I knew he had seen the thoughts sifting through my head and wasn’t really left in the cold like Dee. Unlike most people Dee was a blank slate. She had neither pattern nor aura. I didn’t understand it. And I had never asked about her past. It wasn’t my place.

Ant looked over at Sage. “Before Nox cooks, let’s get the business out of the way. Sage. Nox has a job he needs a techie to look at. Chevalier is incommunicado in Italy with my mother, and you are the next best thing. Il Cane offers you a single favor for assisting Nox. And Nox will cook you dinner, probably every meal that you have while working on it.”

Sage and Dee both beamed. “How long can we string this out?”

I groaned. “Come on. You know I’ll cook for you anytime. I need this done asap.”

Ant laughed, “He has a new place. He’s not seen it yet. We are moving him after we get this done. I’m sure he’ll invite everyone over once he gets settled.”

Sage sighed, “That’ll take months!” But he nodded, “I’ll do Nox this solid for Il Cane. It’ll be good to have that kind of favor.” Dee looked slightly disappointed but Sage was looking at me, “So what do you need?”

“We can do that after food. I’m hungry. And little Mrs.Morgan here probably shouldn’t be kept waiting either.”

I rubbed to top of Dee’s head and she purred at me.

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