Sage looked across the table at them, mouth twisting. “I’ll take him home.”
Patrick pulled away from Jono, getting to his feet. “I’ll cast a look-away ward so you don’t get hassled by reporters.”
It took a couple of minutes for Sage to gather their things and then carefully lead Marek out of the apartment. Jono didn’t want them to walk to their car alone, not with the media still on the street and risk of an attack by Estelle’s people, but Sage had only shaken her head at him and promised to ring him when they made it home.
Wade didn’t leave the table, still happily eating his way through the food. He stuck his fork into another steak and dropped it on his plate. “I’ll clean up when I’m done eating.”
“Cheers,” Jono said, before steering Patrick into their bedroom.
Patrick sprawled on the bed while Jono got undressed, stripping down to skin. Then he crawled onto the bed and lay down on top of Patrick, pressing him down into the mattress. Jono tucked his face against the warm skin of Patrick’s throat, breathing in the clean scent of pack.
“I don’t want to lose you,” Jono murmured.
Patrick’s arms wrapped around his torso, holding him tight. “I wish I could say you won’t.”
But they both knew how the gods liked to play with their lives. This latest mess was further proof of that.
Jono sighed heavily and rolled them onto their sides, tucking his head beneath Patrick’s chin. Lying in bed with him, listening to his heartbeat, should’ve been comforting, but the stress of an unknown future was starting to become impossible to ignore.
“How do we fight this?” Jono asked.
“We take the hits and keep going.”
The weariness in Patrick’s voice made Jono hold him tighter, unable to stop wondering if their time together was coming to an end none of them could see.
12
“This is quitea mess you’re in,” Setsuna said.
Patrick eyed where she sat across the conference room table from him in Danai’s law firm. Setsuna looked tired, and he wondered how many political attacks she’d taken since his arrest. He’d read through a handful of news stories painting him in a negative light before Jono had taken away his temporary phone so he’d actually eat breakfast.
The food Jono had made him sat like a rock in his stomach. As nice as the gesture was, and as much as Patrick missed eating food that wasn’t made in a jail kitchen, his appetite was nosediving. Stress made everything taste sour.
“You can’t be surprised this happened,” Patrick said.
Setsuna pursed her lips, glancing at where Jono sat next to Patrick on his side of the table. “I’m not. I warned you of the risks, but it wasn’t my place to stop you.”
Jono’s grip on Patrick’s thigh tightened, his words coming out sharp. “Not like you could.”
This wasn’t how Patrick had thought Jono and Setsuna would ever meet. His preference would’ve been they never met in person at all, but that was no longer an option. They were both too stubborn and hardheaded, neither willing to give an inch when it came to what they thought was best for him. Sighing, Patrick settled his hand over Jono’s and shot Sage and Wade a pleading look where they sat farther down the table.
Sage frowned but didn’t give voice to her opinion while Wade very loudly chewed on the chip he shoved into his mouth.
“Coming here won’t put you in a good light with everyone back in DC,” Patrick said.
“Despite the calls for my resignation from political talking heads, I have the support of the president. We know what’s at stake even if the agencies coming after you don’t,” Setsuna replied.
Jono scowled. “That does fuck all for Patrick’s standing with the public. And who’s to say the FBI won’t be coming after you?”
“Let’s wait for Danai to get back so we can figure out a way to fight this,” Patrick said tiredly. He knew today wasn’t going to be easy, and he already had a headache. The more he could put off making it worse, the better.
They settled into an uncomfortable silence that was only broken when Danai returned to the conference room, a file cradled in one arm. She gave them all a polite smile before focusing on Setsuna.
“It’s nice to meet you, Director,” Danai said as she sat down.
“I wish it was under better circumstances, or not at all,” Setsuna said.
“Don’t we all? I understand you have some documentation that you think might help with Patrick’s defense. Before we get into that, I’d like to go over Patrick’s whereabouts during the time Youssef was killed.”
