Jono’s eyes narrowed. “What did he want?”
“Just updated me on the case from last summer. He said it would be good if we got more help.” Patrick knew Jono would read between the lines. Judging by his frown, he didn’t like the order decorated as a suggestion any better than Patrick did. “We need reinforcements.”
“I thought the joint task force was working on that?”
“That’s not the kind of reinforcements I’m talking about.”
“Whatever you need.”
What he needed was for tonight not to have ever happened.
Grief churned beneath the veneer of calm Patrick had dragged over everything, willing it to hold until he was alone with his pack. If Reed said they could go, then he wanted to get the fuck gone.
Escape stayed out of reach just a little longer as Priya slipped between a pair of US Marshals before they could find an exit, waving down Patrick. “Collins, a word.”
Patrick shrugged off Wade’s hand and went to her. “Ma’am?”
“General Reed tells me you’re heading back to New York.”
“Those are my marching orders.”
“I’ll be meeting with the heads of the joint task force tomorrow. Expect a call from me afterward, so keep your phone on you. Setsuna—” Priya broke off before sucking in a deep breath, getting herself under control. Her eyes were dry but reddened. “The SOA is transporting her body to our morgue tonight. I’ll be requesting a writ of habeas corpus et animum and recalling our top necromancer. The president wants a record of what happened tonight from Setsuna.”
Patrick was very glad she didn’t order him to stay for Setsuna’s court-ordered resurrection, however brief it would be. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle that.
“Has her death hit the media yet?” Patrick asked.
Priya’s grim expression was answer enough. “SOA standard response to any inquiries you get is no comment.”
“Understood.”
Not like he had any desire to talk with the media. He’d had enough of feeling like prey around people with cameras over the summer.
Priya knuckled one eye before sighing heavily. “I’ll be sending a team from the Rapid Response Division to New York for protection of the nexus. I know you can’t tap a ley line any longer, but I’ll want you to stay abreast of our defensive plans.”
Patrick managed to keep a straight face about his supposed deficiencies with tapping external magic in ley lines. “I’ll keep in contact with SAIC Ng. If I’m running point on any joint task force missions, then I may not be available for in-person meetings.”
She waved off his concern. “General Reed already let me know what you are spearheading takes precedence, and Setsuna had informed me of the same before she—well. I know you had a direct line to her. Considering everything that is happening right now, I want to keep that same communication open. Here’s my work and personal cell phone numbers.”
Priya handed him a business card, those two numbers already scribbled on the back. Patrick put them into his phone right there even as he committed the numbers to memory.
“Get home safely,” Priya said before walking off.
Patrick ran his tongue over the back of his teeth as he turned around to face his pack. “Let’s find General Reed and figure out the flight.”
Jono and Wade fell into step behind Patrick, letting him take the lead when he felt less and less like he knew what the fuck he was doing. He still had Setsuna’s blood beneath his fingernails and caked into the knees of his jeans. He was afraid that in the future Ethan was hurtling them all toward, he’d only get more blood on his hands.
10
They landedin LaGuardia after midnight in the private jet terminal. Their flight on the private jet wasn’t luxurious in any way beyond the seats, though Wade decimated the snacks and food on board. Patrick had drunk his way through five tiny bottles of whiskey, and Jono hadn’t tried to stop him. His shields had loosened on the flight home, and the bitter, sharp scent of grief pouring off him made Jono keep his concerns to himself.
“We’re dropping you off at Sage’s,” Jono told Wade as he unlocked the Mustang in the short-term car park.
“I want to sleep in my own bed though,” Wade replied before scrambling into the back seat. The Mustang wasn’t the roomiest of cars, but Wade was a decent sort about the lack of space.
“You’re going to apologize to her for leaving like you did, and then you’re pairing up with her. No one goes anywhere alone.”
“I’ll text her,” Patrick said.
