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“It’s a good spot. The Wilson estate is neutral territory for both of us, and it’s in limbo right now. At least half of the Wilson militia has walked off the job since the chairwoman and her son were taken into custody this morning, and Bullstow can’t touch the place until they formally char
ge her.”
“And Chief Shaw isn’t going to do that because he doesn’t want to spook Zephyr any further. An arrest means they’ll go after him next.”
“Exactly.”
“It’s not the worst plan you’ve ever had.”
Tristan bowed dramatically. “If you’re not going back to sleep, then come and eat. It will help.”
Lila nodded. After he closed the door, she changed back into her own clothes and padded into the makeshift kitchen. Several Styrofoam containers filled with takeout had been lined up in a neat little row on the counter, along with a bag from Plum Luck Dragon. Her stomach growled at the smell of grilled meat.
“Where’s Dixon?”
“He’s making a few last-minute preparations. There’s a lot to do.”
“Bullshit. If there were any last-minute preparations to make, you’d be handling them.”
Tristan took out the last container from the bag and added it the row, lining it up perfectly with the rest of the food. “Pick whatever you—”
“Tristan…”
“He’s not hungry. I’m not even sure he could eat anything right now, so I haven’t pressed it.”
“I’ve never seen him like this before. It’s because you’re dealing with Natalie, isn’t it?” She eyed Tristan carefully. “What exactly happened to him on the Holguín estate all those years ago? His tongue? The scars? His voice? You’ve hinted, but you—”
“That’s his story, not mine. I won’t tell you what he won’t.”
Lila sat down in one of the barstools at the counter. “Fine. Tell me who else isn’t eating,” she said, pointing to all the food.
“I didn’t know what you’d want. I’ll take whatever’s left down to Doc and the others. Someone will eat it.”
Lila popped open the containers from the Plum Luck Dragon one by one. The first held pork lo mein, her favorite. She usually requested it whenever they ate at the restaurant, but sometimes she’d ordered the other dishes instead.
Lila tugged the pork lo mein nearer. “I guess you’ve been paying attention.”
Tristan didn’t answer. He opened the Plum Luck Dragon bag, dug out a plastic fork, and slid it across the counter. Then he began closing up the other meals and packing them back into the bag. “I’ll be back later. I should—”
“Tristan, wait. About yesterday—”
He turned toward her all at once, abandoning the food. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I didn’t think about any of it, and I know I can’t take it back. You don’t trust me anymore. I see it every time you look at me. It cuts me up.”
She hadn’t been expecting an apology, and she wasn’t sure that she wanted one yet. “Tristan—”
“Let’s just forget it, okay?” He gathered the food, working much faster. “I fucked up. I’m sorry. Let’s just pretend I didn’t say anything at all. That I didn’t do anything. We’ll just go back to—”
“No. We’re not going to just ignore it, Tristan. I can’t do that.”
He closed the bag and lifted it off the counter, unwilling to meet her eyes.
“This is the part where you tell me not to order you around.”
“I don’t feel like fighting anymore, and I don’t know how to fix this.”
“Maybe I don’t want to fight anymore either. Have you eaten yet?”
He shook his head.
