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Magnus stalks past me but I grab his arm and hold him from leaving.
“I had to,” I tell him.
“Whatever.”
Great, now I have to deal with the consequences of hurtinghisfeelings, too.
“If they think I’m weak, they get the idea that they can join this usurper or take the position themselves. People were defecting to Beckett until I started smashing heads in public. You and Hayes were the ones that suggested it. Hayes already showed his ass in the meeting earlier, I can’t have you both defying me every chance you get.”
“No, I get it, loud and clear.” Bryant crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m still not okay with you doing this mission on your own. And no amount of showingyourass is going to make me change my mind. What would June think if she found out? Or is this just another secret you’re going to keep from her?”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it? Neither is making me lie to her.” Bryant brings up a solid point, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m not okay with telling her any of this.
Not that I’m potentially putting my life in danger. Not that I put Bryant in a chokehold to assert my dominance. Not that the throne she helped me win is being threatened with each passing second. And surely not the biggest secret of them all.
That the man who ordered the hit to have her kidnapped and tortured, eventually to be killed—the man who we thought we eliminated…he’s very much alive and well.
7
JUNE
"Don't you get sick of sitting in the corner of a diner three days a week?" I wipe up spilled orange juice off the table and put the salt and pepper shakers into their home with the various packets of sugar, making a mental note that the blue one needs to be refilled. "Doesn't your back hurt? That can't be good for you, standing all day."
Simon smirks at me. “It’s almost like you care.”
“You’re right, I don’t. Forget I said anything.” I move around him and service the table to his left. “Wouldn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
“You can admit it, you know.” Simon looks away, out the door, scanning the group of people that walk by the front of Bram’s diner.
He might fuck around a lot, but he's actually pretty damn good at his job. Or, there just aren't any threats that need neutralizing. The fact that the guys still insist on having him around is enough to make me think that there are, though. Because why else would they allow someone they hate to spend every fucking day with me.
Unless, they’re using Simon to distract me from the fact that they don’t want to be around me. Maybe the newness has worn off and the feelings they felt in the beginning are no longer. Maybe they see me as nothing but a liability they have to protect out of guilt.
“What’s for lunch?” Simon asks me.
I glance over at the clock—almost quitting time. “What were you thinking?”
“Pizza?”
“I had pizza with Co last night.”
“Oh right, how was yourdate?”
A pack of loud college kids bursts into the diner, and without hesitating, Simon throws himself in front of me, one of his hands pining me behind him and the other gripping the gun in his waistband.
The guys walk over to the register and place an order with the other waitress on duty. They settle onto stools at the counter and wait for their order.
Slowly, Simon releases his weapon and turns around, his grip settling on my shoulders. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” His stare scans my face as he reaches up and moves my hair off my cheek.
“Scare me? I thought you were going to have a heart attack.” I plant my hand on his shoulder and give it a few taps. “Down boy.”
“One of these days you’ll be glad I’m here to protect you.”
"And until then, I'll be annoyed about having a babysitter." I tug the apron over my head and stroll to the counter, putting it on the hook with the others, and punch my timecard. I wave a quick goodbye to Carlos, the cook, grab a few of those blue packets of fake sugar, and pop them into the holder before it completely evades my train of thought. "How about tacos?" I weave my arm around Simon's and pull him toward the front door.
Simon tenses under my grasp. “I know a place.”
