“Sorry, but it's not.” I walked back to the kitchen area where I'd left my food.” My problem, that is.”
Lars stood and walked past Fate, who was still leaning in the same spot. It shouldn't have bugged me so much but it did. Then I realized; it wasn't so much the leaning, it was that he seemed to always own the space. This was my apartment, not his. Who was he to nonverbally own it?
Lars stepped closer, blocking my view of Fate and his leaning compulsion. “You knew the deal. And if you had a problem, maybe you should’ve voiced it before you took out our best lead.”
I went and grabbed the iced tea from the fridge and finally poured myself the glass I meant to earlier, before I answered. “I figured that subject was dead and buried by now. Seriously, didn't you throw him in a ditch somewhere? I don't know, maybe in the field out back?” Sometimes, I really cracked myself up. A giggle welled up as I unwrapped my food and took out a fork. They were uninvited guests. Why should I not eat in front of them when I was starving?
“This isn't a joke.” Lars leaned over the counter between us. Lars was a nice male specimen, but I could handle him. He didn't make me nervous like some others.
My fork pierced through a particularly nice piece of grilled chicken and grabbed a piece of romaine to go with it and then paused halfway to my mouth. “I'm sorry, I'd offer you some but there's only enough for me.” I bit into the crunchy lettuce and hummed in satisfaction. It was a good thing my mother thought I was dead, or she'd kill me for how bad my manners had become. The speed of the decline was shocking. “Really sorry, because this is a great dressing.” I took another bite and made an exaggerated moan.
“Lars.” Fate stood and motioned to the door.
Lars straightened up and then looked at him. “All yours.”
“Antonio's Pizzeria on Ocean Drive,” I yelled as Lars walked toward the front door. “You know you want it!”
And then there were two. The chicken didn't go down as easily now, as I watched Fate close the distance between us.
“You know, they all think we should just off you. Eliminate any possible future problem. If it weren't for me, you'd have to watch your every step.”
He walked around the counter and just as I was preparing to take another bite. He stopped right beside me and wrapped his hand around mine, directing the bite into his mouth instead. I didn’t even try and stop him. There was something incredibly intimate about the act and I was too frozen in my spot to think of stopping him.
“Seriously? This is what you think is fantastic dressing?” He made a face. “It's okay at best.”
I didn't argue with him over the salad. I knew I'd oversold it.
“For all your intimidation, Lars didn't look too worse for wear. Am I supposed to be prostrate in gratitude for you telling them not to try and kill me? For people who are supposed to be on the right side of this situation, it's a bit questionable that this is even a problem.”
He took a sip of the iced tea I'd poured myself.
“I'm glad you switched brands. I hated that other stuff,” he said as he placed my now empty glass back down and walked into the living area. He dropped onto the couch where Lars had been and kicked up his feet onto my couch, shoes and all.
He looked around, scanning the room and the exits. I'd noticed recently that he did that everywhere he went. For as much as he always looked relaxed, I was starting to doubt that he ever really was. “I think it would be better for you if you came into the fold.”
“I don't need to be in the fold. I’d prefer to stay wrinkled.” The salad in front of me didn't look so good anymore. The last piece went down about as tastily as a piece of cardboard.
Leaving the kitchen, I walked over and perched myself on the dining room table. I only had one couch and I wasn't sharing it with him.
My feet planted on the seat of the chair in front of me, I rested my forearms on my knees. I tilted my head forward and my hair fell in front of my face. I was tired of the cat and mouse game of the last couple weeks. He wasn't going to leave easily, so I resigned myself to hashing this out; to a point, anyway.
“You know I won't say a word about your guys and how they aren’t really retired, or that you know how to cheat the system, so to speak. I would've done it already. And I’ve got zero interest in the invisible boogeyman you are secretly hunting. I've had plenty of opportunity to spill the beans and haven’t, so why don't you tell me what this is really about?”
“I'm trying to do this the nice way.” His jaw tensed. He was still reclined on my couch, but not one part of him appeared relaxed.
“Can’t you just forget that night and leave me out of this?”
He sat up but wasn’t looking at me as he started to speak. “You're strong and you aren't even finished transitioning completely. The mortal that a lot of us sense is still there. And yet...” His eyes finally landed on me across the dark room. “They want you. No one in that room the night you killed Suit believed anything but that. You let him out of that cage.”
It was the first time he’d asked about why I’d killed Suit since it had happened. I felt myself looking at the wall instead of meeting his eyes and then forced myself to look at him.
All those years I’d wondered why some of my clients couldn’t stop themselves from showing their guilt. Being adept at lying wasn’t as simple as I’d imagined it to be. And just like with them, I would still lie. I wasn’t ever going to admit Suit had been after me. Not to him or anyone else.
“I was trying to be nice to him, so I could get information for you, since you believe he’s part of some big conspiracy theory. You’re so intent on finding this disruption you believe exists that I felt compelled to help.”
“Stop lying. I don’t want to hear it anymore. I'd rather you joined us willingly, but if it comes to it…”
There was a threat left unsaid but instead of scaring me, it drove me to anger. “You don’t even know who they are.”
He stood, and as he did, every last shred of his relaxed demeanor fell from him. For the first time ever, I realized I was seeing the real Fate. He wasn’t holding anything back and the energy he put out rippled off him so strongly that I knew he wasn’t someone I wanted as an enemy. This was why he commanded a room and everyone in it. This was that thing everyone sensed. I still couldn’t put a name to it, but it was scary as hell. I had no doubt that if he chose, he could indeed force me to be whatever he wanted.
“What are you?”
He didn’t answer but crossed the room and I felt myself leaning backward. He didn’t stop until I was resting my hands on the table behind me and he was leaning over me.
“I know you’re hiding things. Keep your secrets. I don't care. But this is going to happen.”
I had to consciously force myself to breathe, as I could feel the heat from his chest. My lips parted and his eyes shifted to them and paused there a minute before he abruptly straightened up and put some distance between us.
Once I could think clearly again, I knew he was right. Whatever they were after did want me. And joining with him and his men would put me in closer proximity to something that could jeopardize my situation. I didn’t say that to him, though. I said nothing.
He walked out of the condo without saying anything else. It was the second bad departure from my condo in less than fifteen minutes. I really knew how to make friends, I thought to myself sarcastically.
My head dropped a little lower until it was finally resting in my palms. It didn't matter who I pissed off, my gut instinct was screaming that I needed to steer clear of what they were after.
Chapter Seven
Employment Opportunities
A glass of red wine was placed in front of me and I turned to the bartender.
“I didn't order this.”
“It was sent by the gentleman over there.” He pointed to a man sitting at the other end of the bar.