Page 24 of Brush with Death
“This isn’t how I imagined I’d do this,” John muttered.
Vale moved closer to him again, and John plastered his back against the wall.A lock of blond hair had fallen over his forehead, making him look even younger.
“All right,” John quickly said.“I need a Yoda.”
Vale stared at him.He couldn’t have heard that right, could he?
John grimaced.“Sorry.I guess I have to explain who Yoda is.”
“I’ve seen that movie.I know who Yoda is.I don’t know whatyoumean with that, though.”And Vale wasn’t sure he wanted to find out.
John shuffled his feet.“I need a teacher.It’s been hard to get anyone to hire me, and even though I close my jobs the way the clients want, I’m struggling.I admire you and Brutus, and I’d like for you to be my teachers.”
“No.”It was all Vale needed to say.He turned around and grabbed Cyril’s hand, ready to drag him to the car.Unfortunately for him, John wasn’t done.
He darted in front of Vale.Vale didn’t stop walking, so John walked backward, keeping his body in front of Vale and Cyril.He stumbled a few times, but unfortunately, he didn’t fall on his face.It would’ve been funny.
“Just hear me out, okay?”John said.“I know you’re retired.It’s probably boring as hell, right?”
“It won’t be boring if I kill you,” Vale growled.
“I just need a little help.Please.”
Vale stared in disbelief as John’s lower lip slid out.Was the manpouting?Did he really think it would work?
“He’s cute,” Cyril murmured.
Right.It might not work on Vale, but it looked like it would on Cyril.“He’s not cute.He’s a pest, and I don’t want anything to do with him.”
“But you do have plenty of time on your hands.Even if you don’t want to become his Yoda, you could give him pointers.”
“Absolutely not.”If Russell wanted to do it, Vale wouldn’t try to stop him, but he had no patience, especially not for someone who’d tried to kill him.
“You’d be a great teacher.”
Vale was sure that Cyril was joking.There was no way he believed that.“I can barely stand talking to Brutus.Why would you think I’d want to teach this guy anything?”
“Well, he needs help.”
“Your job is to help the dead, not to the living.”Vale smiled.“Although I suppose I can rectify that in John’s case.”
John raised his hands and quickly took a step back.“Why don’t you think about it?”
“I have.My answer is no.I want nothing to do with you.”John was a little shit, and Vale could tell just by looking at him that he’d mess up his life.He didn’t want a messed-up life.He wanted to settle down with Cyril and make his boyfriend happy.Was that too much to ask?
“You and Russell could hire John for your PI agency,” Cyril said with a smile.“Oh, sorry.You andBrutuscould hire John.”
He was a little shit, too.The problem with him was that, unlike John, he wasn’t intimidated when Vale glared at him, and Vale loved him too much to want to kill him.
“You’re opening a PI agency?”John said as he bounced on his feet.“I’ve always wanted to be a PI.”
It was something Vale and Russell had been talking about, but Russell wasn’t sure he was ready to retire, and Vale didn’t think he could open an agency on his own.They hadn’t made any decisions yet, but Vale refused to hire John.“Yet you ended up a hired assassin instead.”
“But I can be a PI.”
Vale was never going to get rid of him, was he?“Look, I’ll talk to Brutus and see if he wants to teach you anything, butIwant nothing to do with you.”
“You’ll change your mind,” John said with a smile.“I can be very convincing.”
