AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her cheeks turn red. “All right, fine, moving on.”
I like it when she gets anxious. It makes me want to bend her over, spank her ass, and make her come. Like a little stress reliever. “Next rule is, you stay here in this apartment unless I give you the OK to leave.”
“Let me guess. Burian’s tracking me?”
“So long as you’re here, he’s not. Right now, he thinks you’re back with your Grandpop, safe and sound. Don’t fuck that up by appearing in two places at once.”
“Fine.” She tilts her head back, looking like she wants to scream. “Last rule?”
“Have fun!” I grin at her look of pure outrage. “I’m just saying, it’s not every day you get to help take down a vicious killer. Enjoy it.”
“You’re a maniac,” she says softly. “An absolute maniac. Who wouldenjoythis?”
“Fair point,” I admit, setting the thermostat lower. “I’ll get some food delivered. Write a list of whatever you need. Toiletries, clothes, whatever. Price no object.”
“I need a shotgun and a hand grenade.”
“Doable, believe it or not.”
She studies me for a second, considering. “You’re in a good mood. You’re happy because you saw your friend, aren’t you?”
I pause with my back to her. Sometimes she’s much more perceptive than I give her credit for, and it knocks me off-balance. She’s right though—I am in a good mood after seeing Carmine. It’s been too long since I last spent time with my Atlas friends to the point that I was beginning to forget what it felt like to be normal. To have regular friends. To live in one place, building a family, being happy.
It felt good.
“It’s been longer than I like,” I admit, sitting down on the couch near her.
She perches on the edge at the far end like she’s afraid of being too close to me. “Are you that close?”
“As close as I can be with anyone. Him and all my other Atlas friends.”
“Atlas? What’s that?”
“Our student organization back in college. Now it’s more like our social club. The five of us are Atlas, and Atlas will take over the world.” I sigh, feeling wistful for those old days. Now we’re all too busy for world domination, but there was a time when I believed we could do it, if only we tried.
Instead, I ran off to fight wars, and the rest of them got married. I guess they’re fighting wars too.
“Okay, that’s not toe-curlingly creepy or anything.” She sinks back, still stiff, but relaxing. “It’s good to know you can be somewhat normal though. Yesterday, I would’ve guessed you have no friends and you’re a pure sociopath. Today, I just think you’re weird.”
“I wouldn’t assume I’mnota sociopath.” When her eyebrows shoot up, I laugh at her. “Kidding. Probably. Look, Carmine’s important. He’s got connections all over the country. Evander, Gareth, they’re the same way. These guys can help, and I trust them with my life.”
“Which means I have to trust them with mine.” She groans, squeezing her eyes shut. “Are you going to get me killed? Seriously, just tell me if you are.”
“No, I’m not. I promise.” I lean closer to her. “My turn to ask a question. Do you have friends?”
Her eyes snap open. She looks angry, not that I can blame her. Nobody wants to feel like a loner. Like I’ve felt for a very long time. “Of course I have friends,” she says.
“Who are they?”
“If you’re asking just to piss me off—”
I shake my head. “No, I need to know who to protect in case things go sour. Anyone important in your life will be a target for Burian if he realizes you’re working with me.”
Her face pales. “You didn’t say anything about that.”
“Don’t worry, Carmine will help protect them. He’s a mobster, remember? Well, reformed mobster anyway, but he still has muscle. Names, please.”
She closes her eyes, groaning. “My cousin, Amy. Fran, a girl I went to high school with. Penny, I met her waiting tables.” She glances at me. “Can I call one of them? My cousin, maybe?”
