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“I’ve been working with the information you’ve given me and so far nothing is coming of it. I need to know more.” He rubs his eyes with pinched fingers. “How’s it going there, any new information you can give me that might help?” he asks hopefully.
“Unfortunately not,” I tell him, looking off to the side. “Classes got overwhelming this week, and the surveillance I was able to place hasn’t given me anything new. The Kings have also been around every corner, I’m trying to not give myself away to them that I’m here for other reasons.”
“I figured. Oh well,” he says with a sigh, sounding annoyed.
“Something you want to say?”
“I just need you to be on your game. A whole week with no information is a big deal. What have you been doing with your free time anyways?” he asks, his tone accusatory. It's not often my uncle gets upset, especially with me. But I don’t take kindly to him questioning my goals here.
“Forgive me if I’m wrong,Uncle, but I do believe I’m currently in school taking classes to help betteryourorganization while also helping take down a mark we have both been after for the past ten years,” I say, straightening my spine. My eyes bore into his with the heat of the sun as I continue.
“What free time are you referring to exactly? The time when I let myself shower after spending three hours in the gym trying to work on my rank so that I’m not sitting at the bottom. Or the free time I spend in my room working on the insane amount of homework we’re given so that we can learn to torture people without killing them or poison them without getting caught? Or the free time I spend getting back behind the wheel of a car after I fucking died in one just last week?”
“Or the free time I spend listening to every minute of surveillance I’m able to gather each day? Or are you possibly referring to the four to five hours I allow myself to sleep at night?” I’m breathless, and only when I stop talking do I realize how loud my voice was. The stress of the whole situation feels like a punch to the gut.
My uncle stands up from his desk, pacing a few steps to the side before coming to sit back down. “Alright, listen. I’m sorry for the attitude. I know everything you’re doing must be taking its toll, and I want you to create healthy relationships and learn to grow there.”
He takes a breath before sitting back in his chair looking defeated. “Just be careful, I don’t like that you’re in the same suite as them.”
“You think I do?”
He shakes his head, ignoring my outburst. “If you’re really not sleeping that well, maybe you can call one of your doctors to see if they can help regulate your medications better with the added stress. I thought you had gotten past the sleeping issues.”
He leans into the screen, knowing I just gave away that I lied to him a few years back about the medication I was taking actually working. “Also, what the fuck do you mean by you died?”
“I would appreciate it, if you believed me when I told you I was doing my best here. You trained me to do this. So trust I’ll get it done,” I say with a sigh. I get what he’s saying, I do. “If they adjust my medications, then I feel too groggy all the time. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you just going to ignore the fact that you told me you died?” He folds his arms over his chest.
I really didn’t mean to share that. It came out in frustration, and the last thing I need is him pulling me from this entire thing just because my stupid heart decided to stop beating temporarily.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” I say, waving my hand like people naturally get into car accidents that jolt their hearts into a beatless rhythm. “There was a car crash, and apparently the impact jolted something causing my heart to stop. Lev was with me and did CPR. By the time the paramedics got there, I was practically walking away.”
The last part is a lie, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. He just stares at me for over a minute with his brows pinched. “I’m fine,” I say again for emphasis.
“He saved you?” he asks me.
Heat rises to my cheeks at the thought of Lev, the amount of concern he has shown for me. The way he tries to protect me even when I don’t need it. “He did,” I say, nodding.
“Why?” he questions in a whisper. I know it's rhetorical, but I meant it when I said he isn’t a threat. If anything, I’m a threat to him. That thought has knots twisting my insides. I force myself not to focus on that though and use it to my advantage.
“I think he cares about me,” I tell my uncle, causing an evil smile to cross his lips.
“Well, holy shit, Little Warrior. You figured out how to make one of the Kings care for you. Enough to save your life? Fucking remarkable.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” I tell him sarcastically, wanting this conversation to be over. I feel dirty talking poorly about Lev like a target and not a person.
He tilts his head in thought before asking, “Do you care about him too?”
The word no is on the tip of my tongue. My initial reaction to blurt it out. Except, my mouth closes, knowing the lie that’s about to seep out. So instead, I change the subject. “I don’t think I’m capable of caring for anyone. I can hardly bring myself to care about you,” I say, forcing a fake smile on my lips.
His head tilts up before he takes the bait, chuckling. “You love me and you know it. Now go get some rest. If this information you gave me pans out, you need to make sure to stay busy Thursday. Always be with one of the Kings to maintain an alibi.”
“Keep your friends close,” I say nodding and ending the call. I seem to feel mentally drained after these talks. I decide that a hot shower and a large glass of water is exactly what I need. Once I’ve safely hidden the encrypted phone and the notes I’ve taken, a notification pops up on my regular phone.
Damien: What are you doing?
I walk out of the closet, shut the door softly, and sit on the edge of my bed for a moment before I decide to reply.
