Chapter Eighteen
Bells.Bells were ringing. It was like church, but not quite. Like…like…
Like adoor.
Bas recognized the warm weight partially draped over his chest and burrowed into his neck. He reached out a finger to poke at it. “Door?”
“Okay,” Drew mumbled into his neck, cuddling closer, and Bas allowed himself to drift back tosleep.
And then Drew’s cell phone beganringing.
“Seriously?” Bas demanded of no one in particular. “I thought everyone agreed we were all going to sleep in. Enjoy the day.” Or, more accurately, to gear up for the danger that awaited them at the auction that evening. “If that’s my brother…” He shrugged, unable to think of an appropriately direconsequence.
Drew draped himself further across Bas’s chest - a change in position Bas would have heartily approved of under other circumstances - and reached for his phone on the nightstand. “It’s not your brother,” Drew told him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, checked the display again, and looked up, blinking. “It’s GaryNorth.”
“Jesus. The man is seriously not endearing himself to me,” Bas complained, burrowing his head back into the pillow. The man had the shittiesttiming.
“He just texted to say he’s outside, and to get my ass down there.” Drew blinked at Bas again. “How’d he even know I washere?”
Bas shook his head. “I haven’t the foggiestidea.”
The bell rang again, repeatedly. “Fine!” Drew touched his forehead to Bas’s chin for one long moment, then threw the blankets back and rolled out ofbed.
“Hey!” Bas said as the cold air hithim.
“Hurry up!” Drew told him, already grabbing sweatpants from Bas’s drawer and pulling them on sansunderwear.
For half a second, Bas seriously considered letting Drew go meet Garyalone.
And then he realized Drew would bemeeting Gary.Alone.
“I might hit him,” Bas said. He rolled out of bed and grabbed the slacks he’d stripped off the previous afternoon, which were still handily strewn on the floor next to his side of the bed. He caught the sweatshirt Drew threw at him, took a second to pull it on, and followed Drew to thedoor.
“Alright, alright.” Bas heard Drew muttering as he unlocked the door. He reached the hallway in time to see Drew throw the door wide. “What’s the emerg… Oh! Oh,Christ.”
Gary stood on the doorstep, bundled in a thick wool overcoat and black winter hat. His cheeks were pink with cold, the morning air fogged around hisface…
And he wasn’talone.
Beside him stood an older man - barrel-chested, broad-shouldered, and a couple of inches shorter than Gary. He had improbably snow-white hair above a careworn face and he sported the impeccable tan of someone who’d spent the autumn months sitting in the sun. He probablyhad.
“Pardon me for interrupting,” Ilya Stornovich said, his dark eyes grave. “But when Garik called to tell me your troubles, I knew I needed to speak with you mosturgently.”
Drew threw Bas a look that clearly said, “I don’t want to let the Russian gangster into your home,” and Bas shrugged in a way that he hoped conveyed, “Neither do I, but what else are we gonnado?”
In the end, Drew stood back and ushered both men into the livingroom.
“I apologize for the short notice,” Gary said. He unbuttoned his jacket before taking a seat on the sofa. “I wanted to call you last night, but Ilya persuaded me that it would be better for all concerned if we had the element of surprise on ourside.”
“Well, you certainly achieved that,” Bas said. He extended his hand toward the other end of the sofa, encouraging Ilya to take a seat. Then he seated himself in the side chair Drew had occupied during their meetingyesterday.
He pulled Drew to sit on hislap.
Drew immediately popped back up again. “Coffee?” he offered. “I’m going to brew apot.”
“Please, do not trouble yourself,” Ilya said, holding out a hand. “I am afraid I cannot staylong.”
“Uh. Okay,” Drew agreed. He allowed Bas to pull him back down onto his lap, even though he sat stiffly atfirst.
