Laurell Hamilton - 16 Blood Noir

I think this is your issue, Jean-Claude, not mine. Im not actually looking forward to traveling down memory lane with Jason and his abusive dad.

I feel that you mean that, but I find myself strangely envious. I had not missed my family in a very long time.

You sound homesick.

I suppose that is as good a word as any. He sounded sad.

Do you need us to come there tonight?

To what purpose? You would arrive not long before dawn, and you would leave before I awoke for the day.

I feel like you need a good-bye kiss, I guess.

Thank you for the sentiment, ma petite, but I will work on, how do you say, my issues. You, I think, will have your hands full working on Jasons.

What could I say to that? Yeah, I said.

Je taime, ma petite.

I love you, too, I said.

I guess in the end, what else is there to say?

I HAD ONE other phone call to make before I flew off into the sunset with Jason. I dialed Micahs cell phone, because when he did the out-of-town trips it was the best way to get him.

Hey, he said, and that one word was full of affection, happiness, contentment.

Hey, yourself, I said, and my voice had the same tone. Id felt that way about Micah almost from the moment I met him. Weird, especially for me, the poster child for panic when I was attracted to a man. Wed learned only in the last few months that it had been the ardeur, my very own version of vampire powers, that had taken away my reluctance. In a way, Id rolled Micah and myself. But neither of us regretted it; maybe that was vampire powers, too.

I asked him how the trip was going. He told me he liked the new leopard, and so did his bodyguards, Mel and Noah. Good to know.

But you didnt call to ask about the new wereleopard, he said.

Couldnt I call just to chat?

He laughed, and I could picture his face. He was back to having his summer tan, which made him dark enough to pass for something other than Caucasian. But his features were entirely too Northern European, to really pass for anything else. His face was delicate, and so was he, at my height exactly. His eyes were chartreuse leopard eyes, from where a truly evil man had forced him into animal form long enough so his eyes never changed back. Id killed the evil man, and Micah had moved in. Wed been a couple ever since.

I told him the Readers Digest version of what was happening with Jason. Im sorry to hear about his father.

Me, too.

How did you get volunteered for this trip?

You dont think Id come up with it myself?

No, he said, and there was no doubt in his voice.

Nathaniel.

Hmm, he said.

You sound upset.

That youre going off with another man to meet his family? Hmm, let me think, why would that upset me?

Are you telling me not to go?

I would never do that.

But, I said.

But nothing, telling you what to do isnt the kind of relationship we have. But Im allowed to be a little jealous that youre getting to go home with Jason.

Jean-Claude said the same thing, sort of, but his family is centuries dead. Its not possible for him. You never talk about your family.

When Chimera was alive, he used peoples families against them. He tortured them, or made them into wereanimals so he could control them. To keep my family safe, I had to pretend I hated them. I did a good job of it, Anita. I doubt theyd want to see me again.

I heard such regret in his voice. You never know until you try, Micah.

Well see.

If it works out, Id love to meet your family.

Really, you dont seem much interested in your own.

Im allowed issues with my own family; that doesnt make me hate everyones family.

Okay, but he sounded cautious.

Really, Micah, Chimeras dead, he cant hurt you or your family anymore.

I know that, you killed him for me.

You wanted me to kill him.

Yes, I did. And there was that note in his voice, that tone, that said he was all right with the violence that I did. Hed watched me kill Chimera, and hed been just peachy with it. There were so many reasons that Micah and I worked as a couple. One of those reasons was a certain ruthless practicality in both of us.

I would go home to see your folks, Micah.

Would we bring Nathaniel, too?

That stopped me. We all three lived together, butI dont know. I guess that would be your call.

Ill think about it, all of it, the family, and whether I have the guts to show up after all these years with you and Nathaniel. Put that way, I could sort of see his problem. It was sort of similar to Jasons problem, actually. Perception is all.

Im sorry if my going off with Jason bothers you.

Im sorry it bothers me, too. I need to work on that.

Micah, I love you.

I know, and I love you, too. Give my love to Nathaniel. You better start packing.

Micah, I

No, its all right, Anita, really. Do what you need to do for Jason. But I guess I really would like to introduce you to my mom and dad, my brother and sister. I just never thought it was possible.

A lot of things are possible, Micah.

I guess. Ive got to go. I love you, Anita.

I love you, too.

Give my love to Nathaniel.

I will.

He hung up, and left me not sure how to feel. Guilty that it bothered him, yes, but more puzzled. Hed almost never mentioned his family. How was I supposed to know that he even wanted to see them? Sometimes the hardest part of dating this many men was juggling everyones emotions. People talked about the sex, because sex was easy; hearts were hard.

J ASON HAD SAID he lived in a small city. I hadnt understood what that might mean for the flight. What it meant was that we would have been on a freaking prop plane. The only thing that will get me on shit like that is life or death, as in a police investigation, where if I dont go more people will die.

Maybe the panic showed on my face, because Jason made a second call to Jean-Claude. I keep forgetting that he owns a private jet. I dont know why I keep forgetting, but I do. I think Im just a little uncomfortable that Im dating someone who owns one. It just seems a little too idle rich for me. Of course, Jean-Claude is about as idle as I am, which means hes always working. He manages his little growing empire of preternatural businesses, and is good at it. I raise the dead and slay bad vampires. Busy, busy, busy.

But it meant that I didnt have to brave a puddle jumper to do the favor for Jason. If Id had to get on a tiny prop plane, well, I couldnt think of a sexual act deviant enough to make up for the phobia abuse. Luckily for both of us, the private jet, though small by commercial standards, wasnt horrible. If I hadnt been both claustrophobic and afraid to fly, it might even have been comfortable.

The last time wed been on the plane Jason had been jumping all over the place, teasing me about my phobia. This time he stayed in the swivel seat beside me, staring out the window. Of course, last time hed been wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Now he was wearing one of the Italian-cut designer suits that Jean-Claude had had made for him. The suit showed the broadness of his shoulders, the narrowness of waist, the sheer athleticism of him.

He was wearing the navy blue pinstripe. Other than the cut it was a conservative suit. A blue shirt made his eyes even bluer than they actually were, with a darker blue tie, complete with gold tie bar. I knew the tie was silk. I knew that the shoes that gleamed on his feet cost a hell of a lot more than my high heels. I refused to pay hundreds of dollars for yet another pair of uncomfortable high heels. They were good shoes, but not as good as what Jason was wearing.

Hed dressed carefully. He might hate coming home, but he wanted to impress them. He and Nathaniel had chosen my clothes, too. I didnt care. If it was in my closet I was usually okay with it, or it wouldnt be there. There was a section of stuff that Jean-Claude had bought me that was more club or fetish wear, but other than that my closet was fine.