Page 209 of Bad Attitude
The line goes dead. A moment later, my phone vibrates. I don’t bother to store the number she’s sent me, just selecting it from the text.
It rings four times before Kurt picks up. “Hello?”
“Kurt? Raven.”
“Oh. I didn’t recognize the number. How are you doing?”
“It’s Tasha’s spare. It’s a relief to hear your voice. I wasn’t sure if you’d still be in prison somewhere.”
“I have expensive lawyers. Don’t worry about me. What news?”
“That’s why I’m calling. We’ve got a problem. I… uh…”Shit.“…may have done something very,veryfoolish.”
“I can’t imagine it’s that bad,” he says calmly. “Lay it on me.”
“So, uh… Declan is an FBI agent.” He said he’d told Kurt, but half of me still expects the same reaction I got from Tasha.
“Ah, you caught up. Good. How did that go?”
I blink three times. “Uh… yeah, it didn’t go so well, actually.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” A pause. “Is this connected to what you think you’ve done that’s foolish?”
How is he so calm? “Kurt, Declan is anFBI agent. Heknows.Everything.”
“Yes, I appreciate that. Do you mind me asking how things went between you?”
“That’s the whole point, Kurt. They didn’t gobetween us at all. I told him to go fuck himself and never come near me again.”
“Oh.” He sounds disappointed. “Well, that’s understandable. Maybe when you’ve had a chance to reflect—”
“Jesus, Kurt. Aren’t you listening?” A car drives past, and I stick a finger in my other ear, trying to focus. “He hasn’t resignedofficially.He told them he would, but he hasn’t yet. No paperwork, or some bullshit. Now I’ve told him to go jump, and…”I’m his reason for resigning.“…now that I’ve pissed him off, he’s going to…”Screw us all.
And it’s my fault again.
“Was he pissed?” Kurt asks.
“Uh…” No. He didn’t get angry, not even for a moment. I got angry enough for both of us, and he just… got hurt. “No, I suppose not.”
“Good,” Kurt says with feeling. “Smart man.”
“What?”
“So you haven’t pissed him off, then.”
“What?” I shake my head. “Kurt, do you know why he’s resigned? Or… was thinking of resigning?” Given thatofficiallyhe hasn’t.
“Sure. We had a chat.”
This feels like getting blood from a stone. “Goddammit, Kurt, do you not see what I’m saying?”
“I do, but I fail to see the problem.”
I take a breath and let it out. I’m really out of patience today. Off the back of hardly any sleep, too. “If Declan resignedbecause of me,” I say slowly, “and now I’ve told himI’m not interested, he can un-resign,can’t he?”
“I suppose he could,” Kurt replies. “He won’t, though.”
“Why the hell not?”
