Please talk to me.
In hindsight, JJ doesn’t know why he waited so long to tell Cass about his time in the prison. Part of it was because Cass never asked so directly—he’s always been careful not to pressure JJ into talking about anything he wasn’t ready for—but?—
But part of it was also because JJ didn’twantCass to know those details. He didn’t want Cass to see that rougher side of him, that harder side of him.
The side of him that looked at Cass three months ago at DJ Ice Cream and only saw a demon to be dealt with, not a person capable of loyalty and compassion.
But Cass accepted JJ’s darkness without blinking. In fact, JJ thinks that Cass mightlikeseeing those flawed pieces of JJ, like they help him understand JJ better.
And the fact that Cass apparently wants to know every part of JJ is something that’s been keeping him up at night lately.
But that’s a preoccupation for another time. Right now, Desi is skipping down the hallway hand in hand with Cass, her glamour’s pale skin and brown ponytail a startling contrast to her usual appearance. “JJ, JJ! How do I look?”
“You look great,” JJ assures her, and he meets Cass’s eyes. “Ready for action?”
“Ready,” Cass confirms, and he waits for Desi to claim her rightful place on JJ’s shoulders before pulling open the door. “Let’s head out.”
The ten-minute walk to the Courtyard is as familiar as ever, but JJ just can’t convince his body to relax. All of his long-honed hunting instincts are waking up at the same time, keeping his eyes darting around and his ears straining for any unusual sounds and his fingers ready to grab a weapon at the slightest provocation?—
After nearly a month without that constant vigilance, he almost forgot how exhausting it is. He’d be more self-conscious about it if Cass weren’t doing the exact same thing next to him, staying unusually close to JJ and checking behind them every few minutes.
Eventually, Cass’s eyes catch on JJ’s. A small smile tugs on his lips. “We’re a mess, huh?”
JJ almost laughs as the Courtyard rises into view ahead of them. “I’d say we’re justifiably paranoid, thanks.”
“Hopefully, we’ll feel better once we can disappear into the crowd. And—” Without warning, Cass slips his hand into JJ’s, squeezing lightly. “And we’re still fake-dating and have an adopted daughter, right?”
JJ’s brain short-circuits. It’s not that they’ve never held hands in the course of their fake-dating exploits, of course. In fact, Cass has invaded JJ’s personal space more times than he can count, hugging his arm or resting a hand on his lower back or wrapping an arm around his shoulders with reckless abandon. Holding hands in public isn’t necessarily new for them.
But thisisthe first time they’ve done it since the Sanctum captured JJ. The first time since JJ’s enchantments were stripped away from him.
The first time JJ has been able to touch Cass’s warm, smooth skin instead of a thick glove. When Cass rescued JJ from the Sanctum, JJ didn’t have the presence of mind to enjoy the sensation, but now, he can already tell that it’s going to be living rent-free in his head for days to come. “Right,” he says faintly, his pulse jumping in his throat. “I work from home and you come from money.”
Cass grins. “Excellent,” he says, and he purposefully leads JJ and Desi across the Courtyard to Tacos Near Me, waving over the counter at Esteban. “Hi, there. We heard you have the best tacos in Redwater?”
“Indeed we do, my new friends!” Esteban booms, as jovial as ever. “What can I get for you today?”
Cass smiles back. “We’ll take three taco meals to go, please—one with black beans, one with beef, and…” He looks up at Desi. “And what would you like, sweetie?”
“Steak tacos!” Desi cheers, throwing up her arms. “Ilovesteak tacos!”
Esteban stops dead. For a few seconds, he squints at Desi like he’s trying to remember something important.
And then he gasps, jabbing a finger at her. “You! You are little Desi!”
All the blood rushes from JJ’s head at once. Cass goes rigid next to him, teeth bared and eyes flashing like he’s braced for a fight, and Desi?—
Desi, bless her heart, just waves happily back. “Hi! Yes, I’m Desi!”
“Hello!” Esteban says, looking just as excited to see her as she is to see him. “We have been very worried about you! And about—” He beams at JJ and Cass. “And about your fathers, too! Julian and Cassius! Howareyou, caballeros?”
“Worse than ever,” Cass complains, crossing his arms over his chest. “How did you recognize us?”
“There are very few small children who like steak tacos,” Esteban says seriously. “Little Desi is a notable exception. Also, her enthusiasm is iconic.”
Cass’s shoulders are still stiff. JJ resists the urge to reach out and grab his hand again. “She is iconic,” he agrees reluctantly. “But you can’t let anyone else know we’re here, okay, Esteban? We need to keep this just between us.”
Esteban nods solemnly. “Between us and Lucia.”
