“Flip, you’re wrong.” I was going to have to give her the nitty-gritty before she’d see sense. “Before I came back here, he almost killed me in an alleyway.”
She waved her hand. “Yeah, I heard all about that from Butch.”
And she waves it away like it’s nothing? “Almost. Killed. Me.”
“No one but you actually believes that.”
“That he almost killed me? He said as much, or at least didn’t deny it.”
“He wouldn’t have killed you. He would’ve done it already. Plus, he likes you.” She was smiling in that cattish way again. “You’ll see.”
Chapter 16
I’d been waiting in Kane’s office, looking through the window onto the Underground for hours. It was near ten o’clock at night and Kane still hadn’t come back. What was he doing all day?
Jerry went to open the door. I knew who it was before I could see Kane because everyone in the Underground looked, and pretended not to at the same time.
I was on my feet, double-timing it down the stairs and across the Underground main floor, as Kane walked through the door. There wasn’t really a need to rush, as he was still standing beside Jerry when I reached him.
He turned slightly toward me and raised an eyebrow as he continued to discuss some schedule with Jerry.
Please, as if he had no idea why I was there waiting. I had my arms crossed and was tapping a foot, waiting for Jerry to finish with his questions. Kane might’ve looked ready for a nap, but Jerry grew more restless with the increasing pace of my tapping foot.
“I’ll catch you later with this stuff,” Jerry said, and backed away.
Kane started walking forward, and I fell into step with him immediately. This was going down now. “You do realize I’ve been waiting all day for you to get back.”
“I was delayed.”
I angled in front of him when we neared the stairs to his office and then narrowed my eyes, giving him my best Don’t even think about it.
He paused, as if he was doing just that.
I grabbed his arm and started tugging him toward the hallway and the elevators. Luckily, he cooperated and came with me, instead of me getting dragged up the stairs.
We’d only made it halfway to the hall when I noticed all the sidelong stares in our direction. “Mind your own business,” I yelled over the music. Their heads swiveled back to what they were doing. I knew this crew well enough to know it wasn’t that they were embarrassed to stare. They were embarrassed to be caught caring about what a Shadow Walker might be up to.
“You can’t blame them for being interested. You do put on a good show from time to time.”
Why was he in such a good mood lately? I wasn’t, that was for sure, and all because of him. It made me want to stomp all over his Oreos. “This is not funny.”
I continued to pull him toward the elevator, not letting go in case he came up with some last-minute detour.
I hit the button and the door slid open. “Get in.” I pointed as if he needed the additional instruction.
He walked into the elevator and leaned against the back wall as he waited for me to follow, and said, “You do realize I was going upstairs anyway, right?”
Try to steal my thunder. “Even if you weren’t, you would be now.” I gave him my back as the elevator rose.
“You seem very upset.”
I turned on him, and he remained casually relaxed, his hands resting on the bar behind his hips. The more relaxed he appeared, the better his humor, the harder my blood pounded. It was as if I was being pumped full of gasoline and he was waving a match with his calm demeanor.
“What do you mean I seem upset? I’ve been waiting all day because you gave orders I couldn’t talk to Asher alone. That’s what. I had to threaten the guard I’d make it rain on him for weeks before I could even find out if he was getting food delivered.” Not to mention I’d cornered the dwarves this afternoon and confirmed Kane had paid off my debts. Plus, he was still being nice, even as my personality tanked. What was wrong with him? Of course I was going to be irritable if he was going to keep changing the rules of engagement.
I kept my back to him. I was better off not looking at him in all his relaxed smugness. I couldn’t believe I’d missed this man. Showed how mentally unstable I was.
“I don’t see why you need to be with me.”
“Exactly,” he said, as if we were in complete agreement.
“What’s that mean?” I turned.
He was still relaxed against the back of the elevator. “That’s why I have to be with you. You have no idea the threat he might pose.”
“That makes no sense. I know everything about him. The only threat he poses is to someone’s checkbook. I should know, having lived with him for months.”
The doors opened and he stepped in front of me. “I know,” he said, with no lack of bite to the words.
Well, I was glad I wasn’t the only one taking this seriously now. What happened? Asher order lobster on Kane’s bill?
I stepped out of the elevator and moved toward my old rooms where, hopefully, Asher was okay.
Kane must’ve nodded or something, because the new guard, who thankfully wasn’t so soft looking, stepped aside.
I couldn’t help myself from pausing, hand on the door, and saying, “I’d keep an umbrella handy if I were you.”
I walked into my old apartment and scanned the living room, all too aware of Kane following behind me.
The apartment door clicked shut.
“Was that bit about the umbrella really necessary?” Kane asked.
“Yes.” I heard movement from the bedroom right before Asher poked his head out.
“Ollie!” He met me halfway and was hugging me until my feet left the floor.
“No touching.”
Asher looked over my shoulder to where Kane was standing. He put me down slowly, but not slowly enough to merit retaliation.
“Are you okay?” I asked, stepping back and putting some space between us. I moved over to the couch. If he was sitting, maybe he’d be less likely to grab again.
“I’m fine.” He shot a nasty look in Kane’s direction before settling in next to me. “I missed you.”
I could feel the eyes on us from Kane. This was not going to work the way I’d hoped. Kane was supposed to see how simple Asher could be and relax his guard. I hadn’t anticipated the passive-aggressiveness coming from Asher, though. He certainly wasn’t helping matters. The sooner I could build a bridge between the two of them, the better it would be for him. “Did you eat?”
“They brought me food after they questioned me,” Asher said, throwing a dirty look toward Kane.
If Kane was throwing his own glares, I didn’t know. I was afraid to look.
“They think I took things. Ollie, I didn’t take anything.” Asher was speaking to me, but the way he was saying everything was closer to poking at Kane.
“I know you didn’t. Don’t worry; Kane is getting things worked out, but everything is going to be okay. He’s being cautious, is all.”
Asher was staring at Kane. I made the mistake of turning around to look at him too. When I did, I was surprised Asher still had a head to speak with.
I seemed to be the only one in the room with a hammer and nails trying to erect the bridge. The way the two of them were glaring at each other, they both had sledgehammers. Except Kane’s imaginary sledgehammer was big, thick, and heavy, and Asher didn’t realize he had the Barbie Dreamhouse edition.
I smiled reassuringly at Asher and held a finger up to him, gesturing for him to give me a minute as I walked over to Kane.
“Can you leave us? You’re scaring him,” I whispered.
He glanced over at Asher, as if maybe, just maybe, he was seeing him for what he was: a little boy stuck in a man’s body.
He turned back to me. “No.”
“That’s it? No?” I was about a heartbeat away from piling up my hammer and nails and letting them resolve this on their own.
“Yes.”
I put my hands on my hips. “These single-syllable answers have to stop.”
He crossed his arms, and I could see he wasn’t going to give an inch, even before he said, “Okay, how about this? He might be hiding some of the most valuable items ever created. No one who does that is innocent, and if you think I’m leaving him alone with the most valuable Shadow Walker in a few decades, you’re delusional.”
Of course he wouldn’t. He had his Shadow Walker back and doing exactly as he wanted. Why would he jeopardize something he needed just because I asked? This was exactly why I got annoyed with the fake nice business.
We had a stare-off for a couple of minutes while I racked my brain, trying to think of something that would force him to leave. I didn’t come up with a thing.
“I’m asking for five minutes. That’s it. He’s tense with you staring at him like this. I might be able to get him to open up if you go.”
He stood silently for a moment, long enough to make me wonder if I had a shot. Then he leaned closer, like he was going to bend, only to whisper, “No.”
I smiled at Kane, as if he hadn’t made me want to beat him over the head.
I walked back to Asher. “Don’t worry about anything, okay? We’re going to get this situation worked out.”
“I missed you a lot last night. I can’t wait until we can go back home and can be together again.”
I was used to the way Asher spoke, but I wasn’t so used to it that I didn’t know what it would seem like to Kane. I’d told him we didn’t have that kind of relationship, and Asher was definitely making me look like a liar.
“Visiting time is over,” Kane said from the corner, sounding like I’d guessed correctly.
I could hear the violence in his voice that wanted to leak out into action. Asher certainly wouldn’t be his first dead body.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back tomorrow and we’re going to get this all worked out.” I went to pat him Asher the arm but caught myself before I made contact.
Kane waited for me to precede him to the door. I walked out first. I stopped right outside the door and kept watch, making sure Kane was following me and hadn’t changed his mind about leaving Asher in one piece.
We walked out of my old apartment and into Kane’s. I made my way into the center of the living room, as did he, as if we’d agreed upon having it out without either of us having said it.
“What is your problem with him? He hasn’t done anything.”
“You say you didn’t sleep with him, but he seems to think differently of your relationship.”
“I didn’t. He’s got a crush on me.”
“I’m not sure I’d call it a crush.”
“He’s barely hanging on right now. There’s no reason to be mean to him about it.”
He shrugged, which went completely against the tension in his frame or the cord about to burst out of his neck. “Hell, why don’t you just sleep with him, then? That should make him feel better. He’s your friend, right? Isn’t that what you do? Take care of your friends?”
“Yeah, you know, that’s a good idea. I’ll sleep with him and you can go sleep with Isabella so she stops skulking about.”
“You’ve seen her skulking?” He lifted an eyebrow as if calling me a liar.
Of course I had. All she did was skulk.
Actually, I hadn’t seen her skulking the last couple of times I’d been there. I hadn’t seen her at all. I was going to have to go track her down tomorrow. I needed to keep closer tabs on that one.
He was still there gloating about something or other, but I had another bone to pick. “Did you settle up all my debts?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Stop answering me with questions. They were my debts. How much were they? I’m paying you back.” I might’ve mismanaged my money and had to get saved from the basement, but I was drawing the line somewhere. I wasn’t going to be a charity case that needed everything taken care of because he was pretending to be nice to me for some weird reason.
“Really? You are?” He dropped his head as his eyebrows rose.
He wasn’t being very nice right now, that was for sure. It was beyond frustrating that he thought he knew my finances—even if he actually did know my finances. He’d probably committed all my bills to memory as he flipped through them. “Stop doing that question thing, and yes, I am.” I straightened, acting like he didn’t know anything. “How much?”
“You sure you want to know?” he asked, as if daring me to make this an issue.
“I wouldn’t have asked,” I said, taking up the challenge.
“Fine. You want to handle everything on your own? You don’t need anyone? It’s four million, six hundred thousand, five dollars, and twenty-eight cents.”
“What? There’s no way I owe that much. And twenty-eight cents? You’re making this up.” And what was so wrong about wanting to handle my own problems for once in my life? He acted like I was insulting him. I didn’t know where Kane’s head had gone, but he was acting crazier than I used to.
“The leprechauns charge interest and keep it down to the penny.”
“Did you even try and negotiate?”
“No. I didn’t care enough.”
Of course he didn’t.
“I’m paying you back every cent.” Eventually. It was going to be a long time, though, even with spells to sell.
“Good.” He walked out, not so gloating anymore. I flopped onto the couch, my hole another mile deeper.
Chapter 17
I stormed into Kane’s office, gasping for air the next morning. I’d been woken four minutes ago by Butch telling me Kane needed me and it was urgent.
“What happened?” I bent forward, trying to suck more air in than could reasonably fit in my lungs. I’d run the whole way here after Butch had walked in and said there was a dire emergency. I’d been afraid to even wait for the elevator.
Kane was sitting with his head down, reading a paper lying in front of him. No blood, no screaming or crying—not that that would’ve come from Kane, but no one else was screaming or crying in the vicinity. Which meant there was something bad on that sheet of paper.
He tilted his head to me. “Good. You’re here. I’m having the damnedest time.”
Damnedest time? “What’s the emergency? Butch said it was an emergency.”
He stood and pointed to his vacated chair. “Sit.”
Oh geez, it was so bad he didn’t want me standing when I heard. My stomach felt like I’d had a breakfast of stones.
I did as he asked, afraid of what I’d find on the desk. He handed me the paper he’d been reading, and my fingers were trembling as I took it. What was so bad that Kane couldn’t say it? He didn’t flinch from anything.
I squinted, reading the small text. Estimated closing cost? Lien search? Yearly taxes? What?
I lifted the sheet toward him and realized he’d already made his way across the office to my couch. He didn’t just sit but reclined and kicked his feet up, digging out a ball from the side of the cushion.
I lifted the paper in the air and waved it to get his attention. “You gave me some real estate papers. What’s the emergency?”
“That’s the emergency.” He bounced his tennis ball against the wall, punctuating his sentence.
“This?” I waved my hand with the sheet still in it, making it flap this time. “This is the emergency? Closing papers for some building across town that doesn’t even close until next week?”
“It’s worse than that.” He glanced over, still managing to catch the ball on the return with one hand while he pointed to the pile on his desk. “It’s those, too. They’re piling up faster than I can go through them. It’s bad. Really bad.”
Faster than he could go through them? I wanted to call him out on the fact that I hadn’t seen him sit down at his desk and look through papers since I’d been here.
I would’ve called him out on it, but I didn’t want him to get any funny ide
as of why I’d noticed. He was so arrogant he’d probably assume I was interested in him and what he was doing. I wasn’t. Not anymore. He was too high-handed by far. His arrogance could choke out an elephant, and now he kept doing this fake nice act on and off. Who could trust that?
Wait, why was I being called in here for these anyway? This might be someone’s emergency, but it wasn’t my emergency. “Why would you call me for this?” I dropped the sheet back onto the pile before it somehow contaminated me.
“Because I need help.”
Wait, wasn’t there some irritating creature who got paid to do this? She had to be good for something. “Where’s Isabella?” I never thought I’d be looking for her. I was example number one of why you never said never.
“Not here.” The ball thudded against the wall again.
I looked at the stack again. Great, she was on vacation and he was trying to dump her work on me? Was there no end to the insults I’d endure at the hands of this woman? Well, it could sit and wait until she got back from wherever she was. “When is she getting back?”
“Never.” Thud.
Funny. “What? Is she moving to this tropical island? She must’ve given you a date.”
Thud. “She’s not coming back.” Thud.
“She left?”
When had that happened? I leaned back, trying to think of when I’d seen her. I always noticed her when she was around. She was like having a piece of sand in your eye. Even if I didn’t see her, I knew she was there. When had I last seen her? I couldn’t remember beyond the office display. She was really gone. I’d been so aggravated and then stressed and just an emotional basket case that I’d missed the fact that she’d stopped stalking me, stopped laying her hands all over Kane like a desperado clinging to the last man on earth.
I hitched a foot up on the edge of the seat and rested an elbow on it for solid purchase as the world tried to right itself. She was in love with Kane. I’d seen the way she’d gaze at him. She wouldn’t have quit. She never would’ve left him. There was a better chance of the sun leaving the sky. Something funny had gone down here.
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