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“So I’m the lucky one who he likes to insult?”
Hayden ran his fingers through my hair, brushing it from my face. “You don’t get it, do you? You’re the first person he’s let close enough to see that part of him, the part he hides, the part he doesn’t think others will approve of.”
“That sounds like bullshit that people tell young girls, how a boy is only mean to the ones he likes. I’m supposed to put up with it because it’s just how he shows his affection?” I huffed softly, annoyed that I was supposed to not only understand but somehow be thankful for his bad behavior.
Hayden wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tighter against him. It reminded me just how close we were, how intimate our position. I’d been so distracted by our talk of Char that I’d somehow failed to notice before.
Now, it was hard to ignore.
“I’m not saying that at all. I’m just saying that it’s worth realizing that he doesn’t have the greatest way with people, that he’s used to hiding his real personality, and that instead of judging him by what he isn’t, you should maybe take a little time and judge him by what heis.”
I hated that he wasn’t entirely wrong. The points he made were fair, after all.
It had me letting out a sigh and crossing my arms in a pout. Getting scolded wasneverfun, but when I deserved it?
It was even worse.
* * * *
Hayden
It felt like it had been a while since I’d worn a suit, and somehow, it chafed more than before. I didn’t think I’d gained any weight, yet I seemed very aware of where the tie sat at the front of my throat.
My mind went back to when I’d left the house, to how Kenz had reached up and straightened the black tie.Maybe that’s why.I didn’t think I’d ever had that happen before, and something about her sweet face as she’d looked up at me had me ready to blow off the meeting entirely for a little more time with her.
Except, this meeting was far too important to ignore, so instead of what I wanted, I’d behaved like a responsible adult and headed out with Vance. Tor had already left, scoping the place out ahead of time.
Char and Kenz remained at the house, out of the way and safe. Vance had managed the meeting, Lorien’s mother evidently a fan of Vance’s work. His connections to the rich and famous proved themselves useful, and this time had been no exception.
We planned to meet at a restaurant, a safety precaution for all involved. We hadn’t told her why we wanted to meet, instead using the cover of Vance wanting to discuss a piece of his that she owned. Figuring out that she’d bought it a few years back had been easy once we’d started looking into her.
The rest of the information we needed was on the tablet in the bag that hung across Vance’s chest, our proof of everything Lorien was up to, of all the things he’d done.
Any smart leader would recognize his instability, that he would drag them all down with him if she let him. I had to hope that was enough for her to cut ties.
The smell of spices inside the restaurant was far more subtle than I would have expected. It was delicate, like a caress rather than a slap. The place was upscale, and it didn’t have a single large room like most places I attended. Instead, every room was its own space, which was likely why it was so often booked for private meetings.
Vance gave his name, and the hostess escorted us back with a professional smile. She didn’t seem startled by my appearance, though I’d suspect anyone who could work long at a place like this saw enough for little to faze them.
We went through the long hallway, and I had no doubts that Tor was nearby. Even I would struggle to pick him out of whatever spot he hid in, but he’d watched the meeting location enough to know the entire layout. While he made me uneasy at times—our jobs being stark opposites—I trusted him to do what he did well. There was no one else I’d rather have watching my back.
The hostess opened the door to the room, gesturing for us to enter. Inside, the woman seated at the large table, a cup of tea in her hand, was hardly what I’d expected. I’d learned a lot about Nem since finding out who Kenz really was, so I’d somehow thought all female mob bosses would be like her.
The sort of person who could give a person nightmares with a single look.
Pauline, however, didn’t fit that mold. She wasn’t some frail old woman, but neither did she seem capable of the things a woman in her position had to do.
She looked up at Vance, first, and smiled. Her gaze moved to me, studying me carefully, before dismissing me. Then again, acting like a bodyguard wasn’t hard for me—I actually was one.
“You didn’t really need security, did you?” she asked, a playful teasing to her tone.
“People in my position can never be too careful,” Vance said, using that playboy charm that he turned on with ease. “Thank you for meeting me.”
“How could I refuse? I’ve followed your career for years—hearing you wanted to talk to me was a bit of a dream come true. What was it my daughters said? That I was fan-girling?” She laughed, the sound unworried.
Vance took a seat, and I sat to his left, both of us across the table from Pauline. The room was quiet, and the lack of noise from adjoining rooms said the soundproofing was good.
It made me wonder why they needed soundproofingthatgood. A person should always worry if a room was made so screams couldn’t get out.
