the boys’ second-favorite activity, Parlan had agreed with Judd about dealing them in for this takeover. If the impulsiveness and the touch of crazy made them difficult to handle later, then Judd would take care of them.
“You planning to set up here, Parlan?” Frank downed the whiskey and looked around. “I would have thought you’d be aiming for that fancy place in the center of town.”
“I am. But I have to appear to be looking at what is available so that nobody thinks too much about me staying around.”
“That fancy place have any girls?” Eli asked.
“Teases,” Parlan replied. “None that do more than that. And don’t go thinking you can use any sharp persuasion to get one to oblige you. Last man didn’t do more than talk that game and still ended up dead.”
“Whorehouse?” Frank asked.
Parlan shook his head. “A handful of Sanguinati and a couple of Wolves run this town, and they don’t appreciate why that’s a necessary business.”
“Ma can get one set up quick and do it right,” Eli said. “She has a knack for that sort of thing.”
“Where are you boys staying?” Parlan asked.
“Set up in a house on the south side of town,” Frank replied. “McCall said there are plenty of empty houses that still have food, and we should lay low until everyone arrives. Speaking of arrivals, Ma and Daddy should have been here by now. You hear anything?”
“No.” Parlan poured them all another whiskey. “You arranged to meet?”
“Had some business a ways south of here. Met up at a crossroads and did a car swap. They should have been a couple of hours behind us unless the car crapped out on them.”
“Shouldn’t have,” Eli said. “And they should have enough gas in the tank to get here.”
Parlan’s hands suddenly felt cold, his tell when something wasn’t right. “Let’s head over to the Bird Cage Saloon. It’s one of the best places in town to pick up gossip. If your folks had to stop at a ranch for any reason, one of the bartenders would know.”
* * *
* * *
I love doing crochet. It’s a calming activity, and you end up with something pretty and useful. I could teach you.
Scythe stared at the instructions Lila Gold had so helpfully left on her desk. If bouncy Lila was the end result of a calming activity, Scythe didn’t see the point. Besides, she was calm. Mostly. She hadn’t harvested anyone since she arrived. Sipped, yes, but she hadn’t feasted. Even the Sanguinati discreetly fed on the humans who lived in the town.
Then again, performing a human activity and discussing that activity would help her blend in. Perhaps she would accept Lila’s offer and go with her to the store where the yarn was sold. If nothing else, visiting the store would be an excuse for prowling the streets. There were strangers in town that Tolya and Virgil didn’t trust. And a human who wasn’t trusted was really nothing more than prey.
She removed a file folder from a desk drawer, opened it, and reviewed the work schedule for the rest of the week to confirm when Lila would be working. Slipping the folder back in the drawer, she left her office to talk to Yuri, who was working behind the bar. As the owner of the saloon, she felt it was important to talk to the other predators who worked there. Since she didn’t think Yuri would be interested in crochet and he’d already inquired about Yellow Bird when he came in that morning, she couldn’t think of anything else to talk about except the work schedule.
She’d gone behind the bar, and Yuri had turned toward her when Virgil walked in. They could both talk to Virgil, and then she wouldn’t appear foolish asking Yuri about schedules.
“Did you let Deputy Jana rejoin the police pack?” Yuri asked.
“She brought good meat as an apology,” Virgil growled.
Yuri grinned, showing his fangs. “And by letting her rejoin the pack, you get to play with the puppy again.”
Virgil bared his teeth and showed his fangs.
Scythe tensed.
Yuri looked at her hair and said, “This is banter, teasing. Showing fangs is not always a threat.”
Scythe looked in the mirror behind the bar. Blue hair with broad streaks of red, starting to curl. So many things she struggled to understand. But the Harvester who lived in the Lakeside Courtyard had had to learn these things too.
“Showing fangs when someone is … teasing … is not a threat?” she asked, wanting clarification.
“Not between us.” Yuri made