“The guys and I all had jobs there before we quit. Now, there’s a difference between quitting and retiring. Retiring is above board, everyone in the agency knows you’re leaving. The higher ups make all the arrangements and you go on to another life and become a normal human afterward.” Cutty made air quotes when he said normal. “Quitting is on the down low, not agency approved. We didn’t know it was possible until Lars made the discovery. The thing none of us knew when we quit was whatever your job was before, you get to keep the perks.”
“Did Malokin quit?” she asked, still having no real idea who he was.
“No. He’s seems to have formed somewhat organically. We don’t know where he came from, but just as everyone else seems to have inclinations towards certain positions, his gig seems to be straight up anger and hatred.”
Faith flipped a cutlet as she let the knowledge of what that meant soak in. “You’re saying that I was kidnapped by someone whose calling in life is getting people angry?”
“Yeah, pretty much.” Cutty shrugged. “Everybody’s got their thing.”
“It’s no wonder everyone is suspicious of me.”
“It doesn't help that Malokin wanted you but I know you’re cool because I used to be Sixth Sense.”
“Really?” Faith dropped a couple of cutlets in the pan and turned to wait for more details.
Cutty continued, “When you’d get those strong gut feelings in your human life? Some of them were from me.”
“Wow, that’s pretty cool.”
“I know.” Cutty buffed his nails on his shirt.
“So you know, like on some other level then, that I’m not a bad person?”
He stopped eating his pretzels as if he had to impart some disappointing knowledge. “Well, no, not exactly. I didn’t really get any feeling or knowledge about you. Like I try and explain to everyone, I’m not a hundred sense. I’m Sixth Sense, it’s more of a fleeting type deal.”
“Then you don’t feel confident?”
“Oh, I do. I might not be getting an outright yes or no but I feel it in my gut and I’m never that wrong on anything.”
“Yeah, I gotcha.”
“Good. Because a lot of people want that hundred percent thing and it’s just not practical all the time.” His hands started waving around as if the pressure was too much.
“It’s completely understandable.” She grabbed the bag of pretzels he’d discarded on the counter in his state of agitation and put them back in his hand.
“Oh, thanks,” he said, popped another pretzel and seemed to calm down as he chewed.
“So what was Lars?” she asked, trying to move the conversation away from anything upsetting for him.
“You’ll have to ask him. Some positions are kind of personal.” He waved a finger, circling her face. “We should take a picture of you.”
“A picture?” Of all the things she was concerned with, pictures weren’t on the top of her to do list.
“You’re going to need ID. I know a guy. Actually, I know a lot of people. It’s what happens when you’re around for a long time.”
“What’s cookin?” Bic asked as he walked in the kitchen with Angus and interrupting them.
“These are fantastic!” Angus said.
Faith turned to see he’d already lifted a cutlet and taken a bite.
Cutty jumped down off the counter and immediately took a defensive position in front of the food, grabbing the fork lying beside the plate and wielding it in front of him. “Back off the chicken.”
“I can have chicken,” Angus said and then looked at Faith. “Tell him.”
She didn’t have a chance to say anything.
“You’ll get your allowed portion, no more!” Cutty said and then started to count up the cutlets.
She was flipping the last of the chicken in the pan when she realized they were all looking at her. She ran a hand over her shirt, wondering if she’d flicked some raw egg on herself.
“She made them,” Cutty said to the other two guys.
“But she’s so little,” Angus said. “She can’t possible eat that much.”
“Angus, just be happy Fate and Lars aren’t coming and you don’t have to share with them,” Cutty said.
“They couldn’t come?” she asked, a little relieved that Fate was missing dinner but strangely confused over how she felt about Lars not coming.
“Not sure what Fate is up to but Lars said he had to go help him out over at his place,” Angus explained, still trying to reach around Cutty for more chicken.
Lars had barely spoken to her over the last two days, so why did she feel like someone had just finished off the last slice of cheesecake when she hadn’t had any yet? She couldn’t possibly be feeling disappointed. She shouldn’t even want this cheesecake. He was definitely the type that would make her sick for sure; way too rich and creamy. She grabbed a stack of plates and walked over to the table, telling herself life was much better without him around. Everybody knew cheesecake was bad for you.
Chapter Nine
Faith closed the door to the bedroom, took a step inside and immediately jumped back, slamming her spine against the door. Right outside her window was Keith, Malokin’s man, the one person she’d never wanted to see again. His tawny hair curled slightly over is forehead and his pale blue eyes stared at her. No one that bad should look so much like an angel. He stood barely a foot or two away from the window, only glass separating them.
“I wouldn’t scream,” he said. “Or did you already tell them about us?” he asked in the smuggest way possible, guessing she hadn’t.
He was right. She hadn’t said a word. Who would, with the way they’d acted, especially that guy, Fate. He’d looked like he’d wanted an excuse to kill her. What was she supposed to do? Hand him one?
Her hand gripped the doorknob at her back as if it were a lifeline between Keith and the guys downstairs. But he was outside. He couldn’t get in. If he could’ve, she wouldn’t be standing in her room alone. She was still safe here. She could let this scene play out without raising the alarm and bringing more doubt crashing onto her.
“What do you want from me?” She knew some of the desperation she was feeling leaked out into her voice. He heard it. She saw the glint in his eye.
“Why did you leave?” He said it as if she’d committed a crime against him, and not the other way around.
“Because I don’t belong with you. I was killed so that you could have me. Why would I possibly want to stay with you?” He really was crazy. Inhuman and insane added up to a very bad combination. Why was she was trying to speak rationally with someone she knew wasn’t sane? It was pointless, and yet she couldn’t help herself from trying to handle this situation like they were two normal people with an everyday difference.
“You were going to die that night, either way. I had nothing to do with the man who stabbed you. You were his third victim that night.” His chin went up and his lips pursed. He paused, as if waiting for some sort of reaction from her. Did it matter that her death had been inevitable? No, not to her. He still stole her life. She should’ve moved on from this world. Even if she refused to mourn the loss, he’d still been the culprit. There was also the problem of who he was. She’d rather cease to exist at all then be with him in any way.
She walked closer to the window, feeling more and more confident that he couldn’t get in or he would’ve already.
“Will you come with me now?” he asked, obviously getting the wrong impression.
She dragged both of her hands through her hair in exasperation. “Never. I would willingly slit my own throat before I went with you.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re making a mistake, and I’m not a patient man. You’ve already put me to a lot of trouble. You were promised to me and you will be mine, however long it takes or whatever the cost.”
Growing braver with each minute that he didn’t breach the room or try to come inside, she walked up to the window and grabbed the Roman shade’s cord. “Bye, bye,” she said, smiled wide and dropped it down in front of him.
She walked away and into the bathroom, telling herself she wanted to take a shower and she wasn’t doing it to hide. And when she stayed in there longer than normal, she told herself it was because the water felt that good on her skin.
By time she dried off and got dressed, she’d worked up the nerve to go back over to the window. Refusing to be a coward, she pulled the shade up. He was gone.