Chapter Eighteen
I was sleeping blissfully until tremendous bangs on the front door woke me. I opened one eye to look at the bedside clock. It was just past ten. It could have been a lot worse. It could have been earlier.
My feet were tangled up in the sheets and the rest of me was caught tightly in Cyrus’s arms. I wiggled out of his hold and slipped out of bed, shaking my feet to free them from the sheets. I grabbed my clothes from last night and quickly changed into those. Something told me I didn’t have time to look for anything else.
“Open up, Joan. I know you’re in there.” Dane’s voice was on the other side of the door.
I cursed with feeling.
Cyrus sat up in bed and leaned his back against the headboard. The sheets fell to his waist, leaving the top half bare, exposing the pure muscle that usually hid under clothes. He gathered his long golden hair to one side and tucked it behind his back, staring up at me with those dazzling blue eyes.
“You need to hide,” I managed to utter once I stopped drooling over him.
I wrapped a bandage around my hand even though the cut was gone. I didn’t want Dane to know it had healed up completely. It was better my hand looked like a mummy than him finding out I was immortal.
“Now!” I hissed.
Cyrus sat there defiantly with folded his arms. “I don’t need to. Go. I’m quite capable of disappearing without needing to move,” he reminded me. “I can hide in plain sight.”
I kept forgetting he could manipulate people’s minds with his magic, making them see what he wanted them to see. Sometimes I wondered if he did that to me.
The banging on the front door persisted.
“I’m coming!” I called out bitterly, leaving my bedroom.
I fixed my hair the best I could. It was a wasted effort. It was a mess and I needed a hairbrush. My fingers couldn’t get past the knots.
I kicked my boots from last night to the other side of the room so I didn’t trip over them on my way to the door. I answered the door and only opened it slightly.
“As per request, I have a warrant to search your apartment,” Dane said, waving a piece of paper under my nose.
I snatched the paper off him and skimmed over it. The warrant looked legitimate.
That little...
I handed the warrant back to him after I finished going over it. I was quite close to screwing it up into a ball and throwing it at his smug face. That wouldn’t accomplish anything.
“Fine, search away,” I muttered, swinging the door open.
There were five agents outside with Dane, wearing suits, no body armour, and no guns. They could have easily been mistaken as FBI. Dane gave the game away. Everyone in town knew exactly who he was.
“If you break anything, I’ll return the favour,” I warned them.
“This is the girl who wiped out the gangs in town?” one of the agents questioned sceptically, eyebrow raised.
“I’ll be quite happy to demonstrate if you doubt my capabilities,” I said with a sweet smile, clicking my fingers. “How about you come inside? The hallway is a bit too crammed for my liking.”
“That won’t be necessary. Just search the apartment and keep your mouths shut,” Dane ordered curtly, stepping aside so the agents could enter my apartment. He had been blocking the door.
The agents nodded in response and strolled into my apartment one by one. Dane stayed with me, by the door, to make sure I didn’t bolt. He knew he was the only one that would be able to stop me, should I try. I would make short work of his men.
Dane scared the hell out of me. I wouldn’t ever consider getting into a fight with him. There was a chance that even Cyrus would have trouble and resort to using magic to win. I didn’t want to put that theory to the test. As far as I knew, Cyrus had an execution order hanging over his head, kill on sight. After getting so close to him, I didn’t want to lose him.
“You know, it was a figure of speech when I mentioned the warrant,” I snapped at Dane irritably, glancing back to see agents tearing my apartment to pieces. Something told me they weren’t going to tidy up. That would be left to me. Great.
“Perhaps you should be more careful with your choice of words,” Dane replied. He still had that smug smile on his face. He was enjoying this. I guess it was better than being tortured.
“Does this amuse you?” I asked, gesturing to the mess the agents were leaving behind as they ransacked my apartment.
They had already found my weapon stash and were chucking them in the centre of the room in a small pile. Daggers, throwing knives, guns, magazines, the list went on. They wouldn’t find what they were looking for. I had a feeling they wanted the poison I used to wipe out the gangs. I didn’t have a trace of it in my apartment. Cyrus had what they wanted and they couldn’t see him. He was sitting idly by, watching, invisible to them. I couldn’t see my bedroom from where I was so I had no idea if he was still in bed.
“I’m sure all of those guns are illegal and unregistered,” Dane commented, watching the pile of weapons grow bigger. I hadn’t realised how many I had stashed in my apartment until they were all brought together. I had prepared for Armageddon.
“Just add it on top of my mass murder charges. It won’t make a difference,” I muttered. “I told you. I have nothing to hide. You won’t find the weapon I used on the gangs. Everything is gone. I didn’t want it falling into the wrong hands.”
“My hands,” Dane corrected me, clasping my chin. “If you weren’t so valuable, I would have killed you last night for obstruction. You are worth more to me alive than dead. Killing you would be such a waste.” The hand clasping my chin fell to his side after he spoke.
Dread settled in the pit of my stomach. How the hell did I last a whole interrogation with this guy last night and not crack under pressure? I guess I inherited Cyrus’s nerves of steel. I was thankful that I did. If I didn’t, I would be very much dead.
“Even if you threatened my life in exchange for that weapon, I wouldn’t have buckled. You know my views. Criminals deserve to suffer, not innocents. What I used on the gangs would spare no one. I won’t be the one held responsible for making the world burn,” I said, folding my arms and leaning up against the wall.
“A phoenix rises from the ashes. You need destruction to create peace.”
“No. Not destruction. Sacrifices.”
“You’ll find that they are the same thing. Sacrifices destroy a person’s soul.”
What would he know about sacrifices? He was the CEO of a company that exterminated Tainted Beings like insects. He breathed fear into their very existence. Immortals were people. There were bad and good ones, just like humans. Why couldn’t he see that? Why was he so hell-bent on killing us all? There had to be more to it but I couldn’t just blatantly ask him. What did he sacrifice to be where he was now?
“Anything?” Dane asked the agents when they all grouped around my mound of weapons like some sort of campfire.
“No,” they replied in unison. They were staring at me apprehensively after extensively searching my apartment. The message had finally sunk in. They knew not to mess with me.
“Pity. That is a shame,” Dane said. “Seize her weapons. Take all of them.”
“Hell no!” I exclaimed, pressing myself off the wall.
The gun previously in Dane’s jacket pocket was already aimed at me, resting just below my collarbone. The metal felt colder against my skin than his hands.
Holy crap, he was fast!
“You will be issued a company registered gun. Those weapons on the floor are no longer yours or your concern,” Dane said, clicking off the safety when I moved to stop the agents from stuffing my weapons into duffel bags. “I don’t want to have to shoot you, Joan. Stay put.”
“There’s no point seizing them. I’ll just get more,” I said, meeting those piercing grey eyes without flinching. “But I think you knew that. You’re trying to lure out my supplier, aren’t you?”
“Cyrus is ever so elusive
. This is the first opportunity I’ve had to speak with someone who has direct contact with him. If you want to restock what you’ve lost today, you’ll have no choice but to reach out to him. It’s quite simple.”
“If he doesn’t want to be found, you won’t find him.”
Dane flicked the safety back on and lowered his gun. “A hunter always finds their prey. It will only be a matter of time until I find him and kill him,” Dane said, tucking the gun back into his jacket pocket. “For all I know, he’s here right now, hiding in plain sight. My men should use your weapon supply and open fire just to make sure we’re alone.”
Right on cue, the agents were already grabbing guns and loading them up with the appropriate ammunition.
“He’s not here,” I replied smoothly, resisting the urge to take in a sharp breath at Dane’s accurate guess. “That warrant doesn’t entitle you to destroy my home. Take my weapons. Take what you want. My apartment is not a shooting range so don’t turn it into one.”
“Quite right,” Dane said, calling off his men with a wave of his hand. “Load up the bags and move out. We’re done here.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison, unloading the guns and hiding them away.
They zipped up the duffel bags and slung them over their shoulders. They were good little soldiers. They followed every command given. I had heard rumours that Dane shot people on the spot for defiance, which was probably why the agents did as they were told. I would have to be careful if that rumour was true. The last thing I wanted was to be shot. Once was enough.
“Thank you for your cooperation,” Dane mentioned as the agents started walking out the door.
“Like I had a choice,” I countered coldly.
“I’ll stop by without present company. I’ll be giving you your contract.”
“Under what terms and conditions? You made it quite clear last night that you don’t trust me.”
“You’ll find that the number of people I trust fits in one hand.”
“How do you run a worldwide company if you trust no one?”
“Power, wealth and fear. That’s all I need.”
“Intimidation,” I corrected him. That summed up all three into one word.
“A word to the wise,” Dane spoke in that smooth sinister voice, closing the gap between us. He suddenly seemed taller. “Remember who I am. You’ll find the agents in my company don’t talk to me in the same manner as you, simply because they learned the hard way of how unforgiving I can be. I have tolerated your attitude thus far but there may come a time where that tolerance slips. Mind your tongue.”
Don’t say something stupid. Don’t say something stupid. Don’t do it.
“I’ll keep that in mind. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you,” I replied, tone soft and sincere. I wanted to say many other things but those insults would only dig myself a grave. I had to be on my best behaviour. He was terrifying.
I think I forgot how to breathe.
“I’m certain you’ll never fall in line like the rest of my agents. You’re the wolf among the sheep but I will always be your alpha,” Dane said, making his way to the door. “I’ll be back.”
I nodded once, not sure what to say or trusting what would come out of my mouth. I had a feeling it would be a squeak of a response.
I watched him leave. I waited a few seconds before closing and locking the door.
Oh. My. God.
I walked past the mess left behind to get to my bedroom. My room was just as bad. Clothes covered the floor in scattered piles. They had turned out everything. I was positive that they found every weapon I had in my possession. I wasn’t happy that they seized everything but I couldn’t have stopped them. Dane had me at gunpoint and the majority of my weapons were unregistered, not to mention illegal.
Cyrus was exactly where I left him, sitting quite comfortably on my bed. I was surprised the agents didn’t toss or turn the mattress. He raised a finger to his lips before I had the chance to speak and pointed to several areas in my room. Why did I get the horrible feeling that my bedroom had been bugged?
Sure enough, the areas Cyrus pointed to had small metal discs hidden from view, but were easily found if you knew where to look. There were no lenses inside the discs. At least Dane had the decency not to plant cameras in my room.
I used my bedside clock to smash the electronic bugs into unrecognisable pieces, metal scraps.
Try spying on me now, jerks.
“You handled that rather well,” Cyrus said; a charming smile formed on his face.
I almost threw the clock at him. “Bite me. You’re lucky you weren’t found or killed. You’re welcome.”
“I can handle myself.”
“Some gratitude would be nice. I made sure my bedroom didn’t get turned into a shooting range,” I mentioned curtly, slamming my clock down onto the bedside table. “How the hell do you expect me to not crack around that man? He is absolutely terrifying.”
“When I trained you, I was hard on you for a reason, Joan. It made you stronger. Treating you with kindness would have gotten you killed the moment you set foot inside Dane’s radius. You wouldn’t have been prepared for his ruthlessness. I made sure you were prepared by treating you the way I did. Your survival depended on it.”
“I don’t know if I can do this, Cyrus. I knew what I was signing up for but I didn’t expect Dane to be this scary.”
“There’s no turning back now. You have spent years training for this. I have put a lot of time and effort into moulding you. You will be the agency’s downfall. You will gain their trust. They won’t know what hit them when everything falls. We are the superior species. It’s time to start acting like it.”
“Can you please put some clothes on. I can’t focus properly,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks flush. “You know what? I’m just gonna go have a shower. You need to be gone by the time I’m finished. You can’t be around me. Dane wants your head on a pike. It’s too risky. You can’t be with me. I don’t care if you can hide in plain sight. I’m not comfortable with–” my sentence was interrupted because Cyrus suddenly yanked me onto the bed and kissed me, forcing me to stop talking.
Cyrus had me pinned, resting some of his weight against me. He intertwined his fingers with mine and laid my arms above my head.
“You’re wearing too many clothes,” he murmured against my lips.
“We can’t,” I protested, moving my face to the side.
I wanted him to stop interrupting me by kissing me. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair because I melted instantly when his lips met mine. He made me weak with nothing but a kiss.
“This isn’t safe.”
“I like to live dangerously,” Cyrus spoke softly, kissing down the side of my neck. “I can feel your heart race. I know you want me.”
“You know as well as I do that if Dane catches us together, we will both be dead.”
“Just me. He’s fond of you.”
“How can you be so at ease with such a threat hanging over your head?”
“Spending time by your side is better than being apart from you.”
I felt my heart flutter even more. “Why?”
One of Cyrus’s hands slipped from mine. He gently clasped my chin and moved my face, making our noses touch. His eyes looked so amazing close up. Desire melted away the ice, leaving behind a pale blue darkened by lust. Honey tingled my nose, as did the peppermint scent of his breath across my skin.
“Because I love you,” he said.
I closed my eyes and let out a steady breath through my nose to focus. “You told me that love is a weakness, that love makes you put others needs before your own, getting you killed. Love makes you hesitate. Why would you say something like this now when you know the kind of pressure I’m under? I can’t worry about you when I need to be worried about myself,” I spoke sternly, opening my eyes.
Cyrus released my hand and chin. He leaned backwards, kneeling with his back straight but still straddling me, both hands on my waist. “I
taught you. You know what I am capable of. You don’t need to be concerned with Dane’s threats. He has been hunting me for a long time and still hasn’t caught me.”
“He will use me to get to you.”
“He knows how valuable you are. He would never hold you hostage to lure me out. He’s not that kind of person. He knows that you would come to me for guidance and weapons, which is why we need to be careful. I won’t stay for much longer. I just wanted to tell you how I felt about you in case I don’t get the chance to tell you later.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m leaving, Joan. You’re right, we can’t be together. The council has given me an overseas assassination assignment. I’ll be gone for some time and I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”
“Then what was all that crap you spouted about rather spending time with me than being apart if you were just going to leave anyway? You shouldn’t have come back after weeks of not seeing me. You should have just left me alone. Now it’s going to be that much harder watching you leave after what happened between us last night. Just get out, Cyrus. You are such an inconsiderate ass.”
“It was never my intention to hurt you.”
“It was selfish. It was incredibly selfish. Get off me, get dressed, and get out before I start screaming at you.”
Cyrus eased himself off me and the bed. He retrieved his clothes from the floor with his back to me. I was already missing his warmth. I was already missing everything and he wasn’t gone yet.
I curled up into a ball and hugged myself. I closed my eyes so I didn’t have to look at him. I could still smell the sweet alluring scent of honey on my skin. I could still feel his lips on mine and on my neck. I could still feel his weight on me when he had me pinned. I didn’t want him to go. I wanted him to come back. I wanted him to finish what he started. He was right. I did want him. How could I want him and want him to go at the same time? My heart was telling me to make him stay. My brain was telling me he was an ass and to let him go. Why couldn’t I just agree on one thing? Why did it have to be so damn complicated?
Cyrus kissed the top of my head. “Take care of yourself, Joan.”
“I hate you,” I muttered, keeping my eyes tightly shut.
“Hate is a different form of love. Hate me all you want. At the end of the day, I know how you truly feel about me. I know because I feel the same way about you.”
“If you did, you’d stay. But you’re leaving because you’re selfish. You’ve always been selfish. Just get out Cyrus.”
“As you wish,” he murmured.
I heard his footsteps move further and further away. They echoed on the wooden floor, sounding like stones skimming across the surface. The door slammed shut behind him. I was finally alone. I felt more alone than ever.
I pried myself out of my ball before I started crying. I was empty but heavy at the same time. I didn’t want to feel like this. The last time I felt like this was when I had killed all those people. It took me a long time to get over that depression. I didn’t want to go through it again.
I climbed out of bed and went to my wardrobe. It was bare. All of my clothes were in a scattered pile on the floor, thanks to the agents that tore my room apart, trying to find weapons. I wasn’t in the mood to tidy up. I needed to have a long shower, to wash away the scent of Cyrus. It was as if he was still here.
I grabbed clothes from the floor. I couldn’t believe that the agents even went through my underwear drawer. No sense of privacy. None at all.
I retrieved my cell phone from the bedside table and dialled Lorenzo’s number. I didn’t want to be alone right now and was hoping he wasn’t busy. I couldn’t call Renée for company because Dane would be showing up soon. She was one of his targets and I had told him I didn’t recognise the photo. We would both be dead.
“Hey, sweetheart, what’s up?” Lorenzo answered.
I cleared my throat to get rid of the emotional choke. “Can you come over? It’s been a rough day and I need someone to be here.”
“Sure thing. I’m actually in town at the moment and not far away. I also have your spare apartment card in my wallet.”
“You’re not on Dane’s hit list are you?”
“No, why?”
“He’ll be showing up soon as well. I thought I’d warn you.”
There was a touch of silence.
“That’s fine. Give me ten minutes. Need anything else?”
I was relieved. “I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“I’ll grab you something. Just relax and hang tight. I’ll be there soon,” Lorenzo said, hanging up afterwards.
I was glad he didn’t scare too easily. If it had been anyone else, at the sound of Dane’s name, they would have run in the opposite direction. Lorenzo may be a flirtatious fool but at least he was reliable.
I would have to make my shower quick. The last thing I wanted was to answer the door wrapped up in a towel, still dripping wet. Lorenzo would have a field day. That wasn’t going to happen.
I placed my clean clothes on the bathroom vanity. I got changed out of the Cyrus tainted clothes and threw them into the washing basket. I flicked the fan on and ran the shower water, making sure it was toasty hot before stepping inside.
I closed my eyes, letting the water wash away every trace of Cyrus. I didn’t want to be covered in that honey scent. I wanted it gone. I wanted the intimate memory of him gone. I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. He had been my first. I would never forget, no matter how hard I tried.
I used soap twice just to make sure that I was squeaky clean.
I shut off the water and reached for a towel, drying off inside the shower. Although I was clean, I still felt dirty. Desire and temptation made me cross a line with him. He said he loved me. I didn’t say it back. I couldn’t say it back because I wasn’t sure how I felt about him. My feelings towards him were conflicted. They became even more complicated after what happened between us.
I had bigger things to worry about. Dane. I needed to get my head out of the clouds.
I got dressed, blow-dried my hair, and brushed all the knots. I changed into a pair of blue denim shorts and a white tank top. I didn’t bother with makeup. I wasn’t in the mood. I was too busy trying not to fall apart. Makeup wouldn’t cover that up. It would only make it worse. If I broke down and cried, rivers of makeup would roll down my face.
There was a knock at my door.
Please be Lorenzo. Please be Lorenzo.
I unlocked the door and answered it. Thank goodness. It was the person I wanted to see.
Lorenzo still looked the same. His golden eyes were as bright as ever. His black hair with blonde highlights had been spiked with hair product. His facial features were clear and defined, handsome and attractive. He always knew how to take a girl’s breath away. He was wearing black jeans and a red shirt that had a collar. It was a deep red, the colour of blood.
“I come bearing gifts,” Lorenzo said.
He handed me a bag filled with delicious breakfast goodness.
“And chocolate,” he added, waving a caramel chocolate bar under my nose. “Did the agency raid your apartment?”
“Yup. They took all my weapons. All I have left are the knives in my kitchen drawers,” I muttered, opening the bag to see what he got me. It was a bacon and egg bagel with a couple of hash browns. “I love you so much right now. This was exactly what I wanted for breakfast.”
Lorenzo flashed me a heart melting smile. “I always aim to please. Sit down and eat, I’ll tidy up.”
“No, no. It’s fine. You don’t have to do that.”
“I insist,” he said with a wave of his hand. The golden rings on his fingers glowed.
I watched in amazement as everything littering the floor simultaneously floated back to where they belonged. I had seen this magic once before when Damian fixed the hole I made in Cyrus’s punching bag. It was as if the mess didn’t exist.
I glanced into my bedroom and saw the floor was completely cl
ear of my clothes. Lorenzo outdid himself.
“I should invite you over more often. You bring me food and clean up. I’m impressed,” I said, laughing.
I sat down on the kitchen stool and made a start on my breakfast.
“Cyrus was here as well,” Lorenzo stated, sitting on the stool next to me. It didn’t sound like a question. He helped himself to the extra hash brown. I nearly stopped him but then decided not to. He did get me breakfast. It wouldn’t be fair to deprive him.
“What makes you say that?” I replied, trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible.
“I’m a mage. I can feel magic in the air left behind from him. I take it he had to hide from the agents that raided your apartment?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled with my mouth full of food. I swallowed so my next sentence would come out coherently. “He was here. Should have let them shoot him.”
“Probably,” Lorenzo agreed, wiping hash brown crumbs off his chin. “He’s an ass.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” I muttered, scrunching up the rubbish and tossing it into the bin. My breakfast went down without touching the sides. I tore open the bar of chocolate and went halves with Lorenzo.
“It’s not my place to ask but I’m familiar with that heartbreak in your voice. He’s not worth your tears, Joan. There are better people out there.”
“Who would fall in love with a killer? I’m the darkness everyone is afraid of.”
Lorenzo placed his hand over mine and gently squeezed it. “You need darkness to see the light. You are not a bad person. You are the bravest and strongest girl I know. You’ll get through this. You’re not alone. Even though you can’t see it, you’re surrounded by people who love you and care about you. I’m one of those people.” His hand fell from mine when there was a knock at the door. “Dane?”
“Yeah,” I murmured, wiping my eyes before the tears had the chance to fall down my cheeks. “I hope you have nerves of steel.”
“I invented them,” Lorenzo said, hopping down from the stool to answer the door when I didn’t move.
I was trying my best to not break into infinite pieces. I was scared that if I did move, it would be all over. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t sure I ever would be. At least Lorenzo was here for moral support. I just hoped that Dane didn’t try to kill him. I wasn’t ready to lose another person I cared about. With the way I left things with Cyrus, I wasn’t sure I would ever see him again. Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Who was I kidding? I already missed him and hated myself for it.
“I didn’t expect you to have company, Joan,” Dane said when he entered the room, no agents trailing behind him. The only thing he had with him was a folder that probably held my contract. “With a mage nonetheless.” He definitely meant it when he said he knew every mage in town.
“You took everything I had and left me with nothing. It seemed appropriate to bring backup. He’s not here to cause trouble. He’s just here because I asked him to. I wasn’t happy with the stunt you pulled earlier. I understand the reasoning behind it but it wasn’t necessary. I had nothing to hide.”
“Then why did you destroy the bugs?”
“Because I’m entitled to my privacy and you have no right to spy on me in my own home. You can do whatever you like outside these walls but that’s it. My apartment is off limits. This is where I feel safe. I won’t let you compromise that safety again.”
Dane had paid no attention to my spiel. He was too busy eyeing up Lorenzo with a hostile glare. If he was anyone else, I would have slapped him for not listening to me. The disappointment and disapproval was visible on Dane’s face. He wasn’t happy that there was someone else here, someone that possessed magic.
“These are confidential documents, for Joan’s eyes only,” Dane said, holding up the folder.
“I’m not going to read them. I’ll sit over there. You won’t even know I’m here,” Lorenzo said, making his way to my room, away from the two of us.
My apartment was open. All the rooms, except for the bathroom, were open spaces, not divided by walls.
“If there are verbal discussions involved, I won’t hear anything if you speak lowly. I’m just here to observe and offer advice,” Lorenzo told us.
“Very well,” Dane said, lying the folder down on the bench, right where I was sitting. “If I sense any foul play from you, I’ll shoot you.”
“Likewise. I’m glad we are on the same page,” Lorenzo said, blowing the golden electric spark off his finger. He didn’t need a gun to shoot. He had magic. “There will be no trouble from me if there’s no trouble from you.”
“Let’s make a start on this contract,” I hinted, my attempt to release some of the tension in the room.
“Yes, let’s,” Dane agreed, sitting down on the stool next to me. “It’s a binding contract so read it carefully.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, staring at the closed folder.
“Why do you think that information is never leaked out about the agency? The contracts Dane makes agents sign are bound by magic that keeps them silent,” Lorenzo mentioned softly. “It keeps order within the company. Just read it very carefully.”
“You seem to know an awful lot about the way I run my company,” Dane observed, speaking in that dangerously smooth voice of his.
“I’ve been around for a long time. You’re not the first authoritative figure who has used those contracts to maintain a strict silence, nor will you be the last. It’s not common knowledge that your company uses them, I can guarantee you. I simply sensed the familiar power faintly radiating from the contract, which is why I picked up on it, and put two and two together. You have my word that I won’t tell a soul. I’d like to continue breathing.”
“A wise decision but I’m not one to leave behind loose ends,” Dane said. I could see his hand slowly edging towards his jacket.
“There is to be no bloodshed in my apartment. If you want to fight, take it outside. I already spent enough time cleaning up after your agents. I don’t want to add blood scrubbing to that list. Lorenzo is not one to gossip. He will keep his mouth shut. You do not need to threaten him. He knows how important this is to me and won’t jeopardise that,” I spoke sternly.
“Precisely. Like I said, I’m here to observe and give advice. What happens in this room, stays in this room,” Lorenzo said with raised hands. “I’m not an idiot. You’d know it was me if the information got out. I’m not going to say a word.”
Dane’s hand fell to his side, no longer creeping towards his gun. “Let’s hope for your sake you don’t.”
I held my breath and flicked open the folder. The folder had kept the magic contained. I felt the subtle power pulse against my fingertips when I touched the contract. It was only a couple of pages. It wouldn’t take long to read, which was good because Dane and Lorenzo kept coming close to exchanging blows. That was the last thing I needed. I just hoped they behaved themselves while I read over the contract.
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