Page 69 of Black Reign

GHOST: Fifty-nine.

I laugh.

VESPER: Russian.

GHOST: Obviously.

VESPER: Gold teeth.

GHOST: Only two. Lost the others in a knife fight.

I almost choke on coffee.

That is suspiciously close to what his friends were joking about.

I type:

VESPER: Your friends have poisoned you.

GHOST: Sergei is growing on me.

VESPER: Maybe Sergei is better looking.

GHOST: Impossible.

My pulse skips.

Cocky bastard.

VESPER: There he is.

GHOST: Who?

VESPER: The ego.

GHOST: You like the ego.

I bite my lip.

Maybe.

The ridiculous thing is that I probably would.

I want somebody confident enough not to shrink when I beat him at something.

A man who doesn't need me to pretend he's smarter.

Someone who can lose a round and immediately start planning the next.

Ghost.

Always Ghost.

I look toward the couple at the other table.

The woman is stealing bites from the man's croissant.

He pretends to object.