Chapter 4 #2
I went inside the small space, gathering my stuff as quickly as possible, shoving things into a sports bag, grabbing my stack of horror paperbacks.
“Shut your fucking face,” Jake’s elevated voice sounded in the doorway.
“Why should I? You don’t get to swan in here and bark orders at me.” Dirk’s loud, teeth-clenching tone made me wince.
Man, I hated his voice.
Flinging the bag over my shoulder, I hurried out of the blue-and-white striped room back into the corridor.
Dirk squared up to Jake, puffing his chest out. Taller than him, his friends lined up behind him.
Agent Jake cocked his head. “You really want to throw down with me?”
“I ain’t scared of you, pussy.”
“No? Shame.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Dirk snarled at me. “Men’s business, stay out of it.”
Deep breaths. “What shit are you talking now?”
He smacked his lips, shooting me a withering look. “Running away, are you?”
“None of your business,” Jake retorted, arms folded tightly across his chest.
Dirk ignored him. “Heard you’re getting special treatment. No barracks for you. Not surprised, really seeing as you’re a special ickle bitch.”
Don’t rise to this. “How am I special?”
Because Ben kissed me first, by any chance?
Here came another vile smirk, reminding me of the time Ben told me he’d seen harder cream cheese than my dick in front of this fool.
“We’re leaving,” Jake interjected. “Come—”
“Thinks because he lives in a fancy mansion he gets to have special treatment,” Dirk boomed, cutting Jake off. “Oh, look at me! My shit don’t stink!”
His friends laughed, the doors of the other rooms opening. Great, he’d gathered an audience.
“And getting all close with the Aurora brothers,” he threw in. “Only just graduates from the academy and look at him. Thrown into the good action while the rest of us do the grunt work.”
Jealously brought out the worst in everyone. And there was a lot of bad in Dirk to draw to the surface.
“Leave it out,” I said.
“What? The truth?” He shook his head, a couple of the others echoing him. “You had a whole job created for you. Assistant Liaison? Fuck off.” He turned his head and spat at the floor. “You make me sick.”
Every inch of me tensed, my jaw clenched.
I didn’t have a comeback for him that wouldn’t trigger a riot.
Because I’m sure they all thought the same, hating me for being handed a position a lot of them would’ve loved.
Especially those who’d been here the longest. I understood it might be a slap in the face, but at the same time, I had been living with Riley and Isaac.
Helping them out in the spell rooms, keeping the house running, being in the thick of it.
Who else would be better than me to serve under Jake?
And there you are, making similar judgments about The Sun…
I ignored my brain making a good point.
I’d beaten Dirk to Ben, and I beaten him to a promotion. Well, it wasn’t really a promotion. I was still on the same new recruit salary as him.
“We’re done here,” Jake said. “Come on, Ollie.”
Dirk poked him in the chest. “You can get fucked, too.”
Shadows passed over Jake’s face. Even with a view of his profile, I clocked the shift from cool to ‘oh, you’re in for it now.
’ Dirk was stupid to think of trying it with a guy who’d lost his eye and suffered through some serious drama as a witchcop.
Even saw his relationship with Dean Tseng fall apart—and they’d been one of those couples representing the ideal endgame in matters of love.
They’d even planned on getting married and starting a family, only for things to fall apart.
I wouldn’t let Dirk speak to this legend like he was dog dirt on his shoe.
“Rein it in,” I warned. “Wash your mouth out a bit.”
Dirk poked Jake again. “You sucking him off now, Squishy?”
That nickname. That damn nickname he’d given me after Ben and the cheese comment.
I glowered, my bag sliding off my shoulder.
My former friend chortled, smiling as if he’d stolen a bag of sweets from a kid.
He bared his teeth in a grin.
Jake cracked him in the gob with a punch so swift it made my head spin. Yikes. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of it.
Dirk stumbled back, holding his mouth with wide, open eyes. He mumbled behind his hand, his friends surrounding him nervously.
Jake cracked his knuckles. “Come on, Ollie. We’re going.”
A guy called Gary lunged at him. Jake spun him, pinning his arms behind his back. “I wouldn’t, wanker.” He shoved the agent forward, his friends catching him.
No one else tried it, just gave us death stares instead.
Blood seeped through Dirk’s fingers as his muffled voice continued to ramble on. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but knew for sure it’d be hateful.
Yep, time to go.
I grabbed my bag, following Jake into the lift, and kept my head down.
“We’ll report you for this,” a woman complained.
Jake shrugged. “Go for it. I’ll do the same.” He pushed the button for Floor Eight.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have done that,” I said.
“Why not? Gob shites like him need a punch from time to time.”
The lift made its ascent.
“You won’t get in trouble?” I asked.
“Let them bollock me, mate. I’m not standing for trash talk.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
“I should’ve…” I sighed, a heavy veil of defeat pressing down on me. The sign of me being done with the day. I needed my bed, my alone time to escape the world and recharge enough to face tomorrow.
Damn Dirk.
Damn the rise in unwanted memories.
The lift stopped, the doors opening on two bodies waiting on the other side.
Khloe to my left and Stefan to my right.
Crap. Every muscle tensed, the atmosphere turning chilly.
“Hello there.” The High Inquisitor greeted me in his famously deep yet relaxed tone.
With knots in my chest, I responded with an, “Evening, sir.”
Khloe nodded her greeting, saying nothing.
Stefan’s pink face was riddled with pock marks and scars, with more scars crisscrossing his bald scalp. He always wore a baby-blue shirt and a navy suit jacket to set him apart from everyone else. And his green eyes were always probing, always making my skin crawl.
Man, I hated him.
“Come with me, agents,” he said. “I have something important to show you.”