Chapter 21. #2
Philip isn’t a bad-looking guy. On the contrary, his beard is always cut sharp, his black hair is styled backwards and he hides his brown eyes behind a pair of chunky glasses.
These days he’s always wearing warm clothing—long coats, long-sleeved shirts, fleece-lined pants and boots.
But we like to think it’s because he knows he’s a cold-blooded son-of-a-bitch, and not because Christmas is one week away.
God knows I’ve been agonizing over how to spend it with Christian.
It’ll be his first Christmas without the Adler Squad… and his first Christmas with me.
I don’t want to take away from what he’s lost… but I’m hoping to show him what he has too.
He has me.
And the guys, yes…
But mostly me.
Philip pushes his recently finished book on the counter, and Evie’s face lights up with joy as she addresses him, “I have just the thing.” She touches the girl beside her—the other female volunteer—and gestures for her to take over as she steps away from the cashier's desk.
We have hidden cameras covering every corner of the library, to make sure neither of them can step out of our sight. So our eyes are able to follow as Evie leads Philip deeper into the store, towards the books under the sci-fi genre.
“Something new came in recently,” Evie chitters excitedly, “I read it on a whim, but it was better than I thought. When I finished it, I knew exactly who I should recommend it to.”
Philip’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes, “You’re good at remembering people.”
“My memory is the best.” She winks at him before returning her attention to the shelf. “It’s how I made it through high school.” She reaches for a book that’s just out of her reach, standing on her tiptoes and Philip frowns.
“Not university?”
Evie visibly falters, before giving him a shy smile, “I’m… saving for university.”
Her acting is superb and when she reaches onto her tiptoes again I’m clenching my teeth and muttering a curse under my breath.
There’s a bright purple bruise forming a ring around her wrist.
My gaze snaps to Xavier, subtle and piercing, but the bastard ignores me as he continues watching the monitor.
Philip has noticed it too, and when he does, he pulls Evie’s book down from the shelf.
Evie looks alarmed for a single moment before shrugging her sleeves lower and tucking one of her braids behind her ear with a forced smile.
“That’s the one. ‘Heartship’. It’s an odyssey about a doctor who travels to different stars and his discoveries along the way. It’s meaningful.” She hesitates, scratching her head sheepishly, “Though maybe I got carried away by my preference. Were you looking for anything specific?”
Philip’s eyes have changed.
These past few weeks they’ve been indifferent to Evie. Cold. Professional.
But now there’s curiosity.
A curiosity that has the potential to become very deadly.
“No.” His smile this time has a glimmer of warmth to his eyes that makes my blood run cold. “I’m sure there’s a reason you thought of me when you read it. I’ll try it.”
Evie’s smile is masterfully happy, and a small blush touches her cheeks that I know doesn’t go unnoticed. From the start, her golden eyes and dark freckles made her beautiful, but it feels as though Philip is looking at her now for the first time.
As though a kind girl with a bruised wrist may just need him to save her.
Sick bastard.
Christian’s going to be even more on edge now in the coming weeks. God, now I really have to find a way to get him to relax for Christmas.
Evie checks the book out for him and the whole time Philip’s eyes are on her. They part ways without much more conversation and the moment he’s out of sight she releases a sigh before returning to her work as normal.
“Great job, Evie.” Xavier’s voice in her ear is full of praise and the proud smile that slips onto her face is so genuine, I can’t help but feel guilty for using such a good kid.
“Keep it up until you get home.”
I’m sure Christian is barely holding himself back. But now that I think we’ve gotten results, I don’t know if to punch Xavier in the face or if to just go to where Christian is and try to comfort him.
If it were my call, I’d do both.
But if it were my call, I think I would’ve shot Philip Warren between the eyes already.
This long-haul thing isn’t exactly my style.
Plus, it’s cutting into my first Christmas with Christian. It’s the first time ever I’ve been upset with work for getting in the way of my personal life.
When night falls, Xavier and Gabriel are the ones keeping their eyes on Philip, while Tobias, Christian and I are the ones tasked with watching Evie in the apartment close by, two houses away from hers.
Christian hasn’t said a word since Evie showcased the bruise on her wrist. Even now, his professional mask is on, in all its inexpressive, poker glory…
but I know he’s worried. Anyone would think she was his sister with how attached he is to her, but having brought her all this way, it’s only natural, I suppose. That he feels responsible for her.
Every day, I itch to kill Philip Warren, if only to end this mission faster and erase his worries.
Not surprisingly, Xavier went behind my back to set up that scene in the bookstore between Evie and Philip, and I’m grateful at least, that he’d prepared Evie for it beforehand.
If he’d scared her, or made the actor do that to her without any notice, I would’ve definitely hit him and maybe even benched him from this operation to handle it my way.
I’m almost wishing now that he had, because then Philip would be dead and I would be lying in bed with Christian.
He’s started clinging to me in his sleep, on the days that we get to retire to the hotel.
Turns out, he gets cold easily, so he’s always plastered onto me because of how warm I am. His hands are always in my shirt and—just recently—he was actually in my shirt—his head was flush against my chest when I woke up and his grip was a force of nature.
So on those mornings—on all counts—it’s his fault that he wakes up with dick inside him.
He’s just so vulnerable and soft and though he’s still sensitive, his ass has gotten used to taking me in.
He does this little whimper when I slide into him, this sleepy moan that always sounds so sexy in my ears.
I love rocking back and forth inside him, like that, with my teeth in his skin and my fingers stroking his firm dick when his eyes are barely open—
“Reuben!” Tobias’ voice snaps me out of my reverie forcefully.
“What?!” I snarl.
“I’m fucking starving.” Tobias slinks down into one of the couches with a bored look on his face and so help me—
“I’m starving too.” Christian’s indifferent voice breaks my irritation, drawing my attention to his seat by the desk.
He’s bathed in the dim glow of the camera monitors, slouched in the chair, absentmindedly swivelling from side to side, with his cheek resting against his fist. His eyes are distant, unfocused. Lost somewhere far from here.
As much as I hate his obvious displeasure, his quiet pouting is absolutely darling.
“There’s a grocery close by,” I offer.
“Too expensive.” Tobias shoots it down immediately. “Their markup isn’t steep, it’s astronomical.”
“You’re not seriously griping about markups, are you?”
“I’m saving.”
“And an extra ten dollars at the grocery is going to fuck up your goals?”
“It just might,” he retorts snippily.
It’s been two and a half weeks. The constant watching is getting to everyone, and today’s contact with Philip put everyone on edge.
Not to mention, the nights we are assigned to Evie, we don’t get the courtesy of using the bedrooms, because we take turns watching her in earnest, barely able to fall asleep on the couches of the living room.
It’s too small for three grown men.
“What are you saving for?” Christian’s swivelling hasn’t ceased, and his expression is still distant, but there is a light curiosity in his energy.
“A big house with lots of land.”
More curiosity, “Why?”
“… Just a dream of mine. What about you?”
“Me?”
“Are you saving for anything?”
“… Not particularly.” His swivelling has stopped.
“There isn’t anything you want?”
His eyes darken, “… Haven’t thought about it.”
“Then what do you spend your money on right now?” I don’t miss the softening of Tobias’ expression.
“I don’t.” A frown touches Christian’s lips, “Well, except the early Christmas gifts.”
“You’re kidding.” Tobias smiles, “So what do you eat?”
“Whatever’s in the fridge.”
Tobias blinks and there is a shift in the atmosphere that makes me rise from the couch and head towards the kitchen.
I dislike where this is going.
“You’re eating other people’s food?” Tobias asks.
“What? No. It’s for me. It has my name on it.”
“The fuck?”
I reach for a glass by the sink and open the fridge to pour myself a drink.
“So you don’t buy your own food?” Tobias’ mystification is something I don’t see often.
“I’ve never had to.” Christian’s irritation rises.
“What about basic amenities? Toothpaste? Toilet paper?”
“Everything in my bathroom gets restocked every week. I thought that was a normal thing.” I can already see Christian’s confusion in my mind’s eye, and when I turn around to lean against the counter, it is the exact colour I picture.
Silence settles into the space as I sip my drink, and Tobias turns to pin me with a stare, a stunned scoff escaping his lips, “You’re joking.”
Sorry, Tobias.
I’m not buying your toilet paper.
“You’re the one restocking my bathroom?” Christian exhales sharply through his nose, barely concealing his irritation.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
I can tell from their faces that neither of them believes me, but to be honest if they did, I'd be disappointed.
‘Of course you did.’ I can almost hear Christian’s thoughts as he watches me with a familiar sigh in his eyes. I don’t think he’s noticed yet. That he’s watching me with both defeat and affection.
“Why didn’t you just tell me I needed to buy my own things?”