Page 39 of Gambler's Conceit
Havoc’s eyes pop open and he peers at me intensely, but he doesn’t say anything.
“I am usually awake until two a.m.,” Caleb says. “I’m sure you can manage to find your way back here by then.”
I grumble but settle back down, sighing.
“Shouldn’t you go back to work?” I ask Vortex. “Isn’t that what you were doing before?”
“Boss said I could nap,” Vortex says smugly. “That means I’m gonna take a nap, right here, even if it does mean I have to deal with this asshole too.”
“Out within the hour,” Caleb repeats as he leaves the room. The door shuts behind him.
“Is he always such an overbearing prick?” Havoc asks.
“In my general experience?” I reply. “Yeah, pretty much. He gets off on the power struggles or whatever.”
Which makes him no different from any of the other rich assholes who took what they wanted out of my ass.
“He’s not an overbearing prick,” Vortex says. “He’s just the boss, that’s all. Now shut up. I want a nap.”
Havoc grumbles and drapes an arm over me, careful to avoid Vortex’s hand.
I should feel trapped between them.
But actually, it’s kind of nice.
I yawn and close my eyes, finally giving my sore body the rest it needs.
TEN
CALEB
When I get homefrom work, Nacho and Miss K immediately approach me and meow plaintively. Nacho even tries to climb up my leg.
Judging from the hour, it’s high past their dinner time.
“Did you feed the cats?” I call out into the living room, but there’s no response. Maybe Seven is still in the casino.
I scoop up Nacho and walk to the kitchen, where I can see the clean food bowls still sitting in the dish drying rack. I have to set Nacho down again so I can get food out for both of them.
“Here you go, Miss K,” I say, setting the bowl down in front of her. Nacho meows, but he’s learned not to steal her food.
That hasn’t stopped him from trying to steal human food, of course. It’s been hard teaching him that our meals aren’t for him.
After both cats have been fed, I head to my bedroom to get changed. I stop when I realize that Seven is lying on the couch, staring straight ahead. His eyes are open, but he doesn’t move.
That does not bode well.
I continue to the bedroom, changing out of the suit and into a plain t-shirt and track pants. I send a quick text to Vortex and Havoc, then go back out to see what’s bothering Seven.
I stop directly in front of him, blocking his view of the turned-off TV.
Seven doesn’t even seem to notice for a moment, but then he slowly blinks at me. His eyes take several seconds too long to focus on me, but he finally seems to acknowledge my presence. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I answer, making a shooing gesture. “Sit up so I have space too.”
His motions are sluggish, but he struggles into a seated position.
As soon as I’m on the couch next to him, he rests heavily against me, closing his eyes again. “You were gone forever,” he mumbles.