Page 116 of Fish in a Barrel

Burton laughed and ushered them all into a spacious home with a large living room and glass bricks separating the hallway from the three bedrooms and two baths. Jackson and Ellery had one case between them, and even Taylor had packed light. While Burton showed Jackson and Ellery their guest room, Ernie showed Amal where he could shower and fetched him clothes before bringing Taylor to their den, which had a twin bed against the back wall.

“Where will Amal sleep?” Jackson heard her ask.

“The couch issupercomfortable,” Ernie said.

Jackson blinked. There’d been something wrong with the couch, he vaguely remembered. Something that might make it difficult for Amal to sleep there. Something that—

Taylor’s voice came drifting through the hallway.

“But where are you going to put all the cats?”

Part 4

ERNIE HADthe feeling that Amal Dara had never thought of himself as an activist or a rule breaker or a firebrand but that those things might change after the events of the past day or two.

Not now, though. Now, as Ernie and Burton’s house filled with friends, Ernie felt relief from the young nurse, and amusement. The ember of anger had been lit, but Amal was going to see how hot it made him before he decided what to do with that fire.

Right now he was going to enjoy Ernie and Burton’s home, which even Ernie had to admit was pretty damned awesome, and he was going to relish meeting the “secret” friends George had been hiding for more than a year.

And apparently he was going to enjoy petting as many cats as he could, which Ernie appreciated about him, because Ernie felt the same way. The landscaping around their ranch house consisted of the pool in the back and a great lawn in the front. But that was only because Burton and Ernie were there to do upkeep. Everything around them was a desert cat box, although Ernie had sprinkled catnip in one of the vacant lots about a block away that hadn’t had ground broken yet, just to keep everybody doing their business in the same place. He figured that if someone came in to finish this development, well, they’d have equipment. Otherwise, the feral cats would be going out in the desert anyway, right?

And the indoor cats were good about using the cat door to the garage.

Which meant that everyone—even Sonny—got the tranquility of petting a people-friendly feline without the politely wrinkled nose that usually went with having quite so many.

Ernie wasn’t really thinking about that right now, though.

Someone was… lonely.

He’d wanted this gathering as sort of an experiment. His psychic abilities had been overwhelming in the city, but he hadn’t been equipped to deal with being completely alone either. This past year, as he and Burton had become closer, as he’d expanded his base of friends to first Ace and Sonny, then Jai and Alba, then Jackson, Ellery, and Taylor Cramer, and now George and Amal, he’d become… safer. More confident. More secure in the ties that bound him and Burton’s people together. He missed Jason Constant—a lot, in fact. He had a stomach-rumbling suspicion that something big was going on in Jason’s life, and Ernie knew it was only a matter of time before he and Lee and maybe everybody else got called in on that matter. But in the meantime, he’d wanted to see if he couldfunctionin a situation with more than three people at a time. He wanted to see if he could have a houseful of people who liked him—some of whomlovedhim—and be okay.

And he could! All these people had eaten the dinner he and Lee had cooked—well, Lee had barbecued by the pool—and then, after dark, they’d moved inside into the air-conditioning and eaten the desserts Ernie had prepared. They’d drunk sodas and waters and a couple of beers, and everybody had asked Alba how Lara Martinez and her tiny daughter were doing.

Alba told them… well, the truth. That Lara was traumatized and frightened. She’d had a good job in the city as a receptionist for a pediatrician; being bilingual had been a plus, but she was also competent and kind. But now whenever any of Alba’s relatives asked her if she wanted to go home, she simply cried.

But Alba’s mommy said that was fine. They could go in the city and get her things and find a place for her to live here, where she was surrounded by people who would take care of her until she felt strong again.

Ernie’s heart ached for her in so many ways, but he knew this was not his wound to heal unless she befriended him. And even then he might not have been the voice she needed to hear.

But in spite of what had brought them all together, looking around the room, seeing Ellery’s mother be worshipped as the queen she was, seeing George and Jai standing close together and smiling shy and secret smiles, seeing Sonny engaged in dynamic conversation with Amal about the differences between a twelve-pound cat and an eight-pound dog, it all seemed… perfect.

But someone was lonely.

Lee’s heat slid along his back, and Lee circled his waist with those strong arms. “Whatcha thinkin’, Club Boy?” he murmured, and Ernie smiled at the nickname. He used to use the clubs to turn all those painful thoughts into white noise, to deaden his pain. He didn’t need to do that anymore.

“Somebody’s lonely,” Ernie said, looking through the crowd. Ellery was sitting in the corner of the L-shaped conversation pit, a large calico cat on his lap, stroking her thoughtfully. He was watching his mother talk animatedly to Ace about God knew what, but he was smiling in bemusement. He didn’t seem lonely, even though he was….

Oh.

“Where’s Jackson?” he asked, scanning the living room again. And it hit him. “He doesn’t like parties, does he?”

“No,” Burton admitted softly. “He was looking pretty drained, so I asked him if he wanted to sit in the garage and see the kittens.”

Ernie turned his head to beam at this amazing man—assassin, badass, loyal friend, beautiful, beautiful lover. “Well done, Crullers,” he praised, and Burton looked a little sheepish.

“I learned from a prodigy, Club Boy.”

Ernie turned his head just a little farther and kissed his cheek, purring when he got a warm response back. Not an urgent one, but not the kiss of a man afraid of people knowing he was in love either. Sadly, it was Ernie who had to pull back.