章 69: Chapter 69

“You’re not on

strong painkillers, are you? Mixed with the booze tonight—”

“For God’s sake,

Patrick. You sound like my parents!”

Do I really?Patrick winced. “Sorry.

I’ll get going.” He yawned, puffing white breath into the cool night. “I need

time to check things before I can get to bed.”

“What things?”

Lee’s mulishness had settled as a firm glint in his eyes.

“I like to go

through the shop each night. Double check everything. It’s paranoid, I know.”

“No, you’re just

being careful.” Lee’s manner eased. “I’ll come and help you. I can always get a

cab home from there.”

“You don’t need

to—”

“I’m coming.

That’s it.”

Patrick blinked

at Lee’s insistence, but he didn’t feel he could argue any further. Instead, he

nodded, and they both left the waiting queue, choosing instead a comfortable

trudge through the streets to With A Kick

As they ambled

around the final corner into the street of shops, Patrick thought how much like