“You scared him away with all your…” I gesture at his whole body.
“Charm? Raw sexual magnetism?”
“Thirstiness,” I finish.
His jaw drops. “That’s how you flirt when you’re on a mission. Have you ever seen a Bond movie?”
“What’s badly flirting with the son of a serial killer going to accomplish?”
Sam smiles. “Elliot, you have your ways to get information. I have mine.”
I stare at him. “Your way was sitting in a room with athousand screens and playing with keyboards and mouse or whatever you did with them. Notthis.” I gesture toward the door Adrian just disappeared through.
“Hey, that was good flirting. Very apparent flirting. Don’t call it ‘this,’” He says, with air quotes and everything. “And now we have a way to make him talk about his personal life. You know he wasn’t going to do that in these work meetings.”
“But I don’t know what his intentions are yet,” I splutter.
Sam looks at me like I have grown another head. “While those cheekbones and the canvas of muscles can keep me entertained for a very long time, I’m not planning a marriage here. What are you talking about?”
I take a breath. “I mean, I don’t know if he’s dangerous yet. Don’t you find it weird how simple all of it was? You found him right when we were ready to put this whole thing to rest, and Raymond was the last piece of the puzzle. We didn’t have to work at all to reach him. Isn’t it all too convenient?”
Sam tilts his head, looking at me with pity. “El, I know you think that man is invincible. Monsters from our childhood tend to appear that way. We grow up, but when it comes to them, we’re still those little kids, and they’re still those big scary ghosts refusing to leave. But things arenotthe same anymore. I did notstumbleupon himcoincidentally. I have a thousand alerts set up on the man. I did very advanced coding—”
“I know you’re smart and shit—”
“No, Elliot. I’m not just ‘smart’. I’m one of the smartest men in the country, and I’m on your side. Always. We’re going to get him this time, okay?”
I blow out a breath, some of the tension dissipating. “You can’t meet him without telling me and wearing a hidden tracker.”
He shrugs. “I don’t mind that. I can even wear a microphone if you want to be more protective.”
I scrunch my nose. “I can't survive another second of whatever you guys think counts as flirting.”
Sam laughs. “I have no idea how you bagged a hottie likeDetective Lover Boy.”
“I don’t either,” I say in a rare display of honesty.
Sam doesn’t question me on that, but I almost wish he had when he opens his mouth again. “Why is Nick not here, though?”
I open my laptop to have something to do. “He doesn’t know about him.”
Sam’s eyebrows go up. “I thought things were good between you guys? You were being gross in the living room and kitchen just the other day.”
“It is.” I finally meet his gaze. “I have to see this through, okay. I justhave to. And I don’t think he’s going to like that.”
Sam frowns. “He knows what you’re capable of. Sure, he might worry, but will he really stop you?”
“I don’t want to find out.”
Sam stares at me. “I think you’re underestimating the guy. He loves you and wants to help you every way possible. Didn’t he go against all his friends and his entire secret society to protect you?”
Way to kick me when I’m down, Sam. “He gets this expression. A mix of worry, doubt, and disappointment every time the topic of my past comes up. It’s hard to explain. But he hasn’t come to terms with it yet. And with the copycat killer, I’m worried…” Okay, that’s enough honesty for today.
“He’ll leave you?” Sam asks mockingly.
When I don’t say anything, his eyes go wide. “Elliot?C’mon. You can’t be serious. That man isnotleaving you. If we have to fly to Indonesia, that man is going to pack his entire life and move across the world for you.”
I let his words wash over me, calm some of my worries. Just for a second. Then the logical part butts in, packing it all away in a trash bag and throwing it out.
