Chapter 3 Teddy #3
“I’ll catch up,” Teddy said with a smile, giving Saint an encouraging nudge.
Saint pursed his lips but nodded and walked away, only he did so slowly, still watching them.
Teddy was reminded of Saint’s words in the car.
He was always watching.
How much did he actually see?
“What do you want?” Teddy asked once Saint was out of earshot.
“Now, now,” Kellan said, one hand in his pocket, “be nice. Did I teach you nothing at Nexus?”
“You taught me a lot. I don’t think being nice was on the list,” Teddy muttered.
Kellan laughed into the distance, smiling to himself and shaking his head as he stepped closer. The crunch of gravel made Teddy’s heart shake but he raised his chin and squared his shoulders, acutely aware of Saint in the background.
When Kellan moved his gaze back to Teddy’s again there was barely a mask of civility left. “I don’t think your time in Slatehollow recently was good for you. It seems like you’re getting ideas again.”
Teddy felt his blood run cold.
“I consulted on a case. That’s all,” he said, making sure to keep his voice neutral.
“And you didn’t see anyone interesting while there, did you?” Kellan asked, matching his tone like he always seemed to. Teddy didn’t know if it was to simply mock him.
Teddy swallowed down the bile. “I saw a cursed cursebreaker and helped free him, if that’s what you mean.”
“It isn’t.” Kellan took a few steps closer.
“What, then?” Teddy asked, lifting his head up to meet Kellan’s eyes now that he was close enough to tower over him. Teddy wasn’t short by any means, but Kellan was unnaturally tall, almost offputtingly so.
“I remember every team we dispatched, Damir,” Kellan said, looking between his eyes. “I know all about Slatehollow’s band of misfits…and their animal specialist.”
“Leave him alone!” Teddy spat, unable to keep up the act whenever that button was pushed.
Kellan chuckled lightly, patting him on the shoulder and brushing imaginary lint off. “Calm down, Damir. People are watching and you’re making a scene.”
Teddy’s chest was heaving, his skin crawling where Kellan’s hand rested as Kellan leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I have no intention of clipping the bird’s wings. But you have to keep your end of the deal, my boy.”
“I am,” Teddy said quietly.
“I don’t like to be ignored. Do we understand one another?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” Kellan said, leaning back and adjusting Teddy’s collar. It took everything in him not to flinch. “That’s very good.”
“Damir!” Saint called from the front door. “Are you done? I could really use your help.”
“I have work to do.” Teddy stepped back.
Kellan let him. “Always diligent. That’s what I like about you. I’ll see you soon.”
Teddy closed his eyes at the words because he knew they were true. Like it or not, he would be seeing Kellan again. In the most unexpected places. When he least needed it. He was omnipresent. He knew everything, and Teddy wished there was a place to hide from him.
He opened his eyes again only to find himself standing alone, with Saint calling his name over and over again.
He walked over, forcing a polite, neutral smile onto his face.
“Everything good?” Saint asked, a small frown between his brows. “What did he want?”
“Nothing. Everything is fine.”
Saint looked past him to where Kellan had disappeared. “He’s always bugging you.”
“I’m the face of the team, that’s all. Ready to go in?”
Saint ran a hand over the back of his neck. “About that. There might be a slight problem.”
Teddy looked from him to the doorman, who quickly schooled his expression into blankness. It wasn’t completely natural on him, but to the untrained eye it was believable enough.
“Hi,” Teddy greeted, stepping closer to the stairs.
“The proprietor told you last time that the guests are getting antsy with all these cursebreaker visits. It’s bad for business. I’m not supposed to let you in.”
Teddy shared a look with Saint, who was unsubtly jerking his head toward the guy and asking him to do something with his eyes. Teddy sighed internally before turning to the man with a placating smile.
“Surely anything getting out about the…unfortunate incidents would be worse for business than us?” Teddy said.
Green eyes narrowed and brows furrowed. “Is that a threat?”
“Of course not. We are bound by contract not to discuss cases outside of cursebreaker official business and we stand by that completely,” Teddy said amicably.
“I’m simply stating facts. We’re more than happy to leave, but we’d really prefer to be able to clear this case and wipe the slate clean instead of sweeping it under the rug.
Those pesky things can’t hold much, anyway. Especially the fancy ones.”
The doorman snorted, the light joke breaking through his professionalism. “Don’t I know it.”
He seemed to catch what he had said a second later and grimaced. Teddy chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest casually. “I bet you see and hear a whole lot.”
“People forget you’re there when they treat you like an object,” the doorman grumbled. “Even with this ridiculous hat.”
Teddy laughed again. “Commiserations, man.”
That garnered a smile before it fell. “She really doesn’t like it though. She thinks it’s a bad look.”
“I get it, and I wouldn’t want you to risk anything on our behalf. I know this job is probably stressful enough.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“It’s all good. I’ll make an appointment with her and see if we can smooth it over and come back.” Saint made a noise of protest that Teddy ignored. “Have a good one. Hang in there.”
He waved and turned, dragging Saint with him.
“What the heck are you doing?” Saint said under his breath. “I thought you were going to do that charming thing and get us inside!”
“Not everything can be fixed with a silver tongue, you know.”
“But that’s your thing!”
“Is it?”
“Yes!”
“I guess I’m losing my touch, then.”
“Hey, wait!” was called to their backs.
Teddy smothered his smile and stopped, looking over his shoulder. “Yeah, man?”
The doorman looked around covertly before approaching and whispering, “That area is still cordoned off. She hasn’t wanted anyone going back there. I think she’s planning on remodeling the whole wing so she can pretend nothing even happened.”
“That’s a crime scene!” Saint exclaimed. “She can’t just paint over evidence.”
The doorman shrugged and grimaced. “It’s just what I’ve heard.”
“Thanks for giving us the heads-up,” Teddy said, clapping him on the arm.
The guy blushed, which was unexpected.
Coughing, Teddy removed his hand, not wanting to give the wrong impression. He turned to leave again, forcing Saint along.
“Don’t turn around, but there’s a path around the back,” the guy said to their backs. “All the higher-ups are in a meeting for the next two hours if you just so happen to go back there. There’s a blind spot on the cameras at the end of the parking lot where it borders the golf course.”
Teddy smiled. “Got it. Thanks.”
“Everett.”
“T—” He caught himself quickly. “Damir.”
“I’ll call the cursebreaker line if I hear anything else.”
“Thank you.”
He heard Everett walk away and started them walking back to Saint’s car, Saint shaking his head in disbelief. “And he strikes again.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, yeah. Freaking Prince Charming. You should go ask for his number while you’re at it.”
Teddy sent him a mild glare—admittedly he sucked at them. “Just get in the car and park down the street so we can sneak in.”
“I’m just saying,” Saint said. “He seemed sweet.”
He could have been dipped in icing sugar, smothered in sprinkles, and drizzled in caramel and it still wouldn’t have mattered.
Teddy climbed into the car. “We shouldn’t stay longer than an hour, just in case the meeting gets out early.”
Saint nodded, throwing his arm over the back of Teddy’s seat and backing up. “An hour is better than nothing.”