Chapter 50 Sydney
Sydney
Sydney wasn’t sure which was more jarring, having her front door open as she approached or seeing a stranger sitting on her couch. Today was full of surprises and not the good kind. Fink had a guest.
Who knew he had acquaintances.
At least she hoped he was friendly. There was a definite possibility he wasn’t.
Cautiously, she entered her own apartment. Sydney glanced between the two men. The vibes were clear. This wasn’t a sociable visit. The tension between them was high. The air between them was negatively charged.
The stranger jumped to his feet and approached her with his hand out.
“I’m AJ,” he announced. “You must be Sydney.”
Her gaze flicked to Fink.
He gave a curt nod.
Shifting her focus back to the man in her apartment, she reluctantly took his offered hand and gave it a shake.
“Callum has said absolutely nothing about you,” he jested with a wink.
“That’s not true,” Fink refuted.
She was shocked this guy knew his real name and used it so freely.
The moniker she’d only learned a few days ago came off this stranger’s tongue like nothing. She narrowed her eyes at him as though that would somehow give her more insight into who he was.
“You’re the voice on the phone,” she speculated aloud.
AJ chuckled.
“The source of my referrals,” Fink clarified. “My handler, to be more specific.”
“You ran a background check on me and gave it to him. Didn’t you?” Fink knew far too much about her without her telling him.
Considering this guy sent a box of stuff for the Burke contract, he had to have sourced information on her.
Holding up his palms, AJ hung his head. “Guilty,” he admitted. “I had to make sure Callum wasn’t stomping in shit.”
A flare of anger flashed in her chest. Her fingers curled into her fist. This stranger dug up her deepest secrets, and she knew next to nothing about him.
“I did the lookup to protect my investment,” AJ said as he approached Fink and clapped him on the back.
Fink shrugged off the friendly gesture.
Apparently, he was unhappy about this visit.
Well, she wasn’t thrilled either.
“Why are you here?” she asked, scooting closer to Fink.
They were a team now. At least, that was what she believed. They were supposed to be living with each other. Working together. They should present as a united front.
AJ backed away. “My good friend has been behaving quite out of character lately. I had to check in on him.”
While Sydney wasn’t all that familiar with how Fink handled himself before she met him, she’d be a fool to think he brought women to his cabin often. He’d already explained he worked alone. So, she couldn’t argue with AJ’s point.
“How did you find him?” she challenged.
AJ smirked. “I always know where he is.”
She glanced toward Fink.
He nodded. “His job is to keep tabs on me.”
All of this was far too new for her. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m his handler, sweetie,” AJ offered. “I don’t just source contracts for him. My job is to keep him safe. We’re a team.”
“I thought you worked alone.”
“I kill by myself,” Fink said. “Until now.”
“But he wouldn’t get paid if it wasn’t for me,” AJ boasted.
Sydney chewed on the information. Obviously, she’d heard the voice on the phone. He’d taken a few calls in her presence. She wasn’t stupid. She’d put two and two together when the box came. Though she’d expected someone older. Maybe a mentor or something.
A short man, possibly in his thirties, wearing an expensive suit and with a smug expression wasn’t what she’d envisioned. Who was he to Fink other than the source of his contracts?
From Fink’s posture, she got the impression AJ’s visit wasn’t expected or appreciated. Would Fink get fired? Or AJ? Did people in his business receive severance packages? They couldn’t collect unemployment. How did this work?
A pang of fear pulsed through her, and her heart skipped.
In the movies, they didn’t hand out pink slips when people were let go. They eliminated them.
Her attention locked on the man in her living room. Was he there to kill them?
“Now what?” she asked the two of them.
Still smirking, AJ flicked his gaze toward Fink. He lifted a brow as though defaulting to him for the answer.
Fink’s arm slid around her shoulders as he tugged her against him. “We’re a team.”
AJ’s expression faltered. The smile didn’t quite fade, but it sure as shit wasn’t as bright and glaring as before. He didn’t like that answer.
“We work better, more efficiently, together,” Fink continued.
“So, this partnership was her idea?”
“No,” Fink quickly answered. “I did that alone.”
What the hell were they talking about? Sydney didn’t dare interrupt to ask. She didn’t want to derail this conversation. Their future was at stake. Would they live or die at the end of this negotiation?
“So, not much of a team, then.”
Fink twitched. “It had to be done.”
AJ sighed heavily. “Agree to disagree. We can’t do anything about it now.”
“No more freelance,” Fink said.
What the hell did that mean?
Whatever it was got AJ’s attention. The corners of his mouth curved upward again. “Exclusive?”
Fink nodded.
“You’re going to sever ties with Connor?” AJ asked.
Who the hell was Connor? A question for another time.
“Done,” Fink declared.
What was going on? She’d never felt more lost in a conversation that involved her in her life. All she knew was that it was serious, and she had to keep her mouth shut if they were going to make it out of this alive.
AJ pursed his lips. “Interesting.”
During the break in conversation, she reviewed the discussion in her head. Maybe if she slowed it down, it would make sense.
Sydney understood this wasn’t a routine offer. She assumed AJ wasn’t Fink’s only source for contracts. Connor was another person who made referrals, but not anymore.
This was heavy shit.
“What do you say?” Fink asked. “I’m sure Connor would take the offer. He was pretty pissed when I had to turn down his last contract in favor of yours.”
AJ ran his hand over his chin. His gaze flicked between the two of them. “This goes for both of you?”
Fink nodded.
“You too?” AJ asked her. “You’re going to be exclusive?”
“Yep,” she agreed without a moment’s hesitation.
She may not be following along well, but she wasn’t about to screw this up.
Sydney trusted Fink. He was her guide in this. If she went against him, she didn’t want to think about what would happen to her. Besides, she didn’t know Connor. So, the likelihood she’d be able to take a contract from him was slim to none.
Also, she got the sense they were bargaining for their lives, so she should go along with it. She was a big fan of breathing.
AJ brought his hands together in a loud clap. “Alright, then. It’s settled.”
He jutted his hand forward.
Fink took it, and they shook before AJ offered it to Sydney. Cautiously, she did the same.
“Pleasure doing business with you.” He winked. “For what it’s worth, if you hurt him, I’ll fucking gut you.”