In the Blood [ON HOLD]

"This Changes Things"

The shrill sound of a phone ringing made Remi's eyes snap open. Wrapped in a fog of sleep, he levered himself up onto his elbows, starting slightly when a low groan met his ears. He looked down and watched as Charlie draped an arm over her eyes. Late afternoon sun edged in around the curtains.

He didn't remember falling asleep.

The phone rang again and he looked around the room to find the source. He sat up, rubbing at his eyes, trying to clear the sleep from them. A third ring sounded, plucking at his nerves.

"Please answer that," Charlie murmured, rolling over and burrowing into the blankets. "Or throw it out the window."

Remi debated just that as he stumbled across the room to the dresser, where he had left his phone last night. He squinted at the brilliant display searing his retinas, trying to make out who was calling through the blur obscuring his vision. When he finally realized who it was, he considered hitting 'Ignore'.

Until he remembered why Leon might be calling.

"What?" he rasped, swiping a hand across his eyes in a final attempt to clear the sleep from them. When it didn't work, he made his way back to the bed, falling onto the mattress. Charlie grumbled as he jostled her.

"Are you asleep?" Leon asked, a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"I was," Remi snapped. "This better be something I want to hear."

He turned his head in time to watch Charlie roll over, one curious eye peeking above the blankets. Not thinking, he reached toward her and swept a few wayward strands of hair out of her face.

"Sorta," Leon said. There was a brief pause, then: "Marcus is out."

Remi sat up straight. "What?"

"Dalen's taking over management downtown." Leon let out a sound that Remi thought might have been a laugh. "After Gabriel's little accident, you asked me to look into what Marcus' people might—"

"Yeah, I remember," Remi cut him off, turning his head slightly when he felt Charlie sit up beside him. He tensed when she rested her chin on his shoulder, but relaxed as her arm slid around his waist. If she wanted to listen to what Leon had to say, he wasn't going to stop her. They were far past that.

"Well, it seems that in the days after Moira spoke with Marcus' associate, Dalen made a move. When I asked him why, he said that the time seemed right." There was the blare of a car horn in the distance, making Remi wonder where his lieutenant was. "He said they figured you wouldn't be too mad after they ran into Marcus' associate."

What was left of him.

Remi smiled briefly at Leon's always-careful words. He hadn't anticipated that by killing the pimp, he would also be getting rid of Marcus. Not that he'd had a real problem with Marcus, he just didn't particularly care for how the man had run things. 

"I always liked Dalen," he offered, switching the phone to his other ear when Charlie began to kiss his neck.

"So did I." Leon sighed with satisfaction. "This changes things."

"Yes it does." Remi turned his head, pleased when Charlie took the hint and began to kiss his jaw, then his mouth.

"Should I call Gabriel?"

Remi pulled away from Charlie, ignoring her hiss of irritation as he considered that. He knew Leon had been right when he said Gabriel might be the neatest solution to a messy situation. A handful of dead Russian, and a warning to not just Dimitri and his brat, but to the entire city.

A shadow war.

Slowly, he turned to look at Charlie, who met his gaze with a raised eyebrow. The elimination of a threat. Protecting what was his with jealous zeal. Expanding his territory.