"I thought you said she was your friend," I joked in return. "I mean, unless you're into that sort of thing. I'm not particularly. If I'm in a relationship, and at this point I think that's what we are, right?"
"Is that what this is? A real relationship?" Sophie asked quietly, setting her plate aside. It was one of her traits that still sometimes threw me off guard. I'd never had a girlfriend before who I couldn't keep totally enthralled with my body and my intellect. Sophie, on the hand, for all of her surface level shyness and uncertainty, had a deep reservoir of self composure and strength that she could call upon. Maybe that was why, after a whole month, I was still seeing her. It was the longest relationship of my life so far. "Am I really important to you?"
I thought about how best to frame this answer. I could tell it was important, and I had to make sure I said things in exactly the right way. "Sophie, I've let you further into my life than I have any other woman," I began, sitting down on the bed next to her. "I think about you every day, and when you call me, it makes me smile, no matter what else is going on. My condo feels empty when you're not around, and I wake up every morning wanting to hear your soft breathing next to me. So yes, to me this is real. If it was just a fling or a booty call, I'd have ended it a long time ago. What about for you?"
Before Sophie could answer, my front doorbell rang, startling me. My building had one of those systems where you had to buzz someone in, and any of the few neighbors who came around to my place would normally either call first or knock. Almost nobody used the doorbell. "Maybe a delivery?" I said, as the bell rang again. "Let me go check, hold that thought."
I made my way down the hallway, stopping only before I got to the door to pull on my leather jacket over my bare chest. On the inside of the sleeves I could feel the comforting weight of my two home defense knives tucked into the hidden sheaths sewn into the upper halves. I had tried on the inside of the arm, but the weight just didn't work. If I needed to have something on the inside of my arms, I preferred a strap on sheath.
I made a simple mistake at that point, opening the door without checking my peephole. I don't know why, that was very unlike me. Sophie had me off my game, perhaps I was distracted by the sound of her getting out of bed, and I knew she'd be pulling on some pajama bottoms. Instead, I opened the door. I was halfway to my left sleeve to pull my knife when the two men held up their hands, showing they were currently unarmed. "How are you doing, Snowman?"
Louis The Frog wasn't French, as best I could tell. And at five nine and barely breaking a hundred and fifty pounds, with dusky skin, brown hair and blue eyes, he didn't look like a frog either. Still, he was the top lieutenant to Salvatore Giordano, my main employer. With him was a man I didn't know, but I could be assured was reasonably well trained. "I was doing a lot better about thirty seconds ago, Louis. How'd you find this address?"
"It's amazing what you can find over the Internet, Snowman. Like, how that stealth electric car of yours, while it's not registered to this address, well, it just happens to keep getting quick charges done at stations that have credit card receipts that do match this address. May we come in?"
I really couldn't say no. If I had, Louis would have accepted it with grace, but I know I would be getting a call from Sal Giordano himself later. "Okay, but keep it short, if you don't mind. I have company over."
"Ah, the beautiful Miss White. I must say, you have excellent taste in young women." Louis came in, ignoring the fact that my blood was running cold. They'd obviously been keeping tabs on me, I should've known. Still, I barely had a chance to detect the automatic slung underneath Louis' companion's coat. From the impression I could see, I was thinking a Colt 1911, most likely in .45 caliber. Definitely a lot of gun for a friendly visit. "Does she know what you do for a living?"
"He's a freelance troubleshooter," Sophie said, coming into the living room. She had pulled her hair back, and while she was still wearing the t-shirt she had pulled on in bed, she had also put on a loose pair of sweatpants that I had gotten for her when I noticed she found my air conditioning a bit cold for her liking. "Why?"
"Oh, nothing at all," Louis replied, giving her a predatory smile. Then again, every look that Louis had was predatory. I'm pretty sure he even gave his mother a predatory goodnight kiss when he was a child. "And you're right, Mr. Snow is a freelance troubleshooter for the group I work for. In fact, I was coming by to see if he was available for another job, but seeing as he has such lovely company, I think it'll keep until Monday. I'm sorry to have disturbed your Saturday morning Miss.....?"