“And just so you know,” he says, and this time, he doesn’t sound so angry. He sounds defeated. “I’ll be making your lifejustas miserable as you’ve tried to make mine. That’s a promise.”
Then, he’s slipping out of the room, leaving the door to shut behind him with a soft click.
Well, I most certainly failed my mission.
But more importantly, as he threatened me just now, I swear I saw a hint of an overwhelming sadness in the depths of those green eyes. In the way his lips tilted downward.
But then it was gone. Fleeting and teasing.
I understand Landon Presley a little less now.
Nathaniel
7
THE FLIGHT BACK HOMEtruly wasn’t that long, but it felt like an eternity as I sat there, trying to come up with what excuse I’ll give the organization.
And as I land, making my way to where my bike is parked at the airport parking garage, I get a call from Calum, leaving me no more room to scheme.
“Hey,” I answer, pressing the phone to my ear as I pass the cars lined up at the arrivals gate.
“Nate, man, how’d it go?” Calum asks.
“You can’t wait for the report? I’ll have it in by tonight.”
“I’m curious, man. This is the first time you’ve asked to personally take care of a target, other than when you first started with us, and you took care of your—”
“I get it,” I interrupt, taking the stairs to the top level of the garage. “Basically, I didn’t finish the job.”
Calum is silent for a moment, clearly shocked, before he huffs out a disbelieving laugh. “Sorry, what?”
“Yeah.” I sigh, holding the phone with my shoulder as I come up to my bike, making sure the straps of my backpack are secureand unlocking my helmet. “I tried to give him the B109, and he destroyed both drinks.”
“Thisis why I say we should find a different way to administer the sedative. A target can easily avoid taking it,” Calum complains, and I roll my eyes, switching the call to my Bluetooth as I get on my bike.
“What’s done is done,” I tell him.
“Should I send someone else out? It’ll soften the blow when the council finds out. They’ll probably come to see you tonight on their fancy little jet when they hear the news.”
He’s not wrong. Falling like this isnota part of the normal routine, and the council is very involved with the repressors they employ.
But the idea of someone else touching Landon? Of knocking him down a peg and teaching him the much-needed lesson he needs to experience? Fuck. No.
“No, don’t,” I say. “I’ll handle the council. Tell them I’ll have the report in tonight, and if they insist on meeting with me, I’ll be home.”
Calum sighs, taking a long moment before he says, “Is everything okay, Nate?”
Pulling out onto the main road, I debate how to answer his question. Everything isnotalright, and I’m not sure why.
“Everything’s fine. I just need to go back and gather more information; that’s all. Listen, I’m driving. Talk later.” My tone is dismissive, but Calum doesn’t mind, only saying his departing words and ending the call.
The probability that the council shows up tonight is high, and I need to figure out how to explain myself.
But every time I try to focus, my mind returns to Landon. To how his glares make my heart beat faster, and how hot his mouth felt locked around my cock. And mostly, it returns to that brief flash of misery I saw in those green eyes.
It’s odd to me because whenever he speaks about Julian, the man who broke his heart, there is only anger. I can sense his rage, his discontentment. But there is never a trace of sadness in those eyes when he hears me mention the attendee. Why is that?
I want to dig inside Landon Presley and learn all of his secrets. I want to understand him.
