Chapter 18
I turned the gold jester over in my hands.
The glossy sheen scratched, and the cheap plastic underneath peeked through.
A pretender like me. Fake tattoos covered my body in various states of decay.
I never repeated a tattoo, except for the jester on my right bicep and the Lyre I moved around my body.
I enjoyed being part of The Unseen.
They'd plucked me from the psychiatric hospital my parents had surrendered me to. They gave me a new life and purpose. Nothing had ever come between The Unseen and me. But I couldn't lose Lara. If it came down to The Unseen or her, there was no choice.
I was saving my girl.
"Are you certain this was placed on the night of the shooting?"
Lara jerked her head in a brusque nod.
"I literally bought the bag that day. I meant to show it to you the night at the Den, but you had to go all alpha male on me."
The reminder of that night made my nostrils flare.
Lara flipped through my closet. To anyone else, it would look like she was searching for something. But I knew she was keeping her hands busy. If there was one thing Lara couldn't do, it was sit still.
My one-bedroom apartment was top-to-bottom beige, with generic artwork of foaming ocean spray.
I was not a beach person. Sand between my toes gave me full-body shivers.
But I wasn't planning on staying in Greenich Bay long.
Just enough time to sniff out Ellington and make sure Lara returned to where she belonged.
By my side.
"I wouldn't have stepped in if you had removed his hand when I told you."
Lara gave an exasperated sigh to the ceiling, closed my closet and crossed her arms. She had bags under her eyes, and if she just let me, I could make all her worries go away.
Fuck Ellington. Some other agent could chase the traitor.
We could leave this city and forget about the dangerous position she'd found herself in.
"It's my body, and I was on a mission. You were being a jealous ass, Beck. Are you going to apologize?"
"I'll never say sorry for claiming you, Lyra."
"Are you teaming up with Ray and Jonah to irritate me now?"
I grimaced. "Hard pass. They are nothing."
Lara narrowed her gaze, so I changed the subject. I didn't want to talk about other men, especially ones that had her returning to her apartment flushed and disheveled, with a satisfied expression plastered on her face. My ribs tightened like a cage.
"You said you worked with another agent before. Which one?"
"It was just Connall. I'd know the sound of his voice anywhere, so it was definitely him. The guard at the warehouse that day was unfathomably sloppy. I thought that was unusual."
"You remember the sound of his voice?" My head whipped up, and I caught her quick eye roll. Lara pursed her chapped lips. She needed to drink more water. I unfurled from the bed.
"That's my job, Beck. I notice things. I didn't say I was attracted to him."
"The Unseen were happy with the mission. It stopped them talking about Adelaide, for now."
"If you'd let me do my job, I could have finished the mission with a great deal more finesse."
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, ignoring her scowl.
"It was simple. I knocked his slimy mouth shut and carried him up to the room. I underestimated how much seeing someone else touch you would affect me."
It was as close as I could get to an apology. Lara spun around and planted her hands on her hips.
"Well, get a handle on it because I don't belong to you, and anyone I choose can put their hands on me."
A noise of disagreement rumbled in my throat, but I swallowed it down and changed the subject again.
"I've reported to the council everything that's been happening in Greenich Bay. Including my little phone call from our friend. In the meantime, I want you to message the number that was threatening you and see if you get a response."
"What's the point?"
"He won't be able to resist toying with us. And it's better than being on the defensive."
Lara shook her head but kept her reservations to herself. My shoulders relaxed when she pulled out her phone and sent a message. Her beautiful brown eyes sought mine, and I recognized her need for reassurance. I pet the bed beside me, intending to seal my promise with my body.
But her steps halted as my front door rattled in its frame.
There was a doorbell, but apparently, slamming a fist was easier.
I swallowed a growl. Tonight was supposed to be ours alone.
An unleashing of the desire I had smothered for years while I grappled with our professional relationship.
The last few weeks had been fraught with danger.
Adelaide Orazio had been targeted by someone intent on violence.
The council's assurances that it had nothing to do with them didn't help.
My paranoia was at an all-time high. And my cover meant I actually had to keep up the semblance of doing work.
"Wait here," I muttered through gritted teeth.
The bed groaned as she sank down onto it, and I cursed my untimely visitor. I wanted the bed to be squeaking for different reasons. The apartment had a fresh lick of paint, and even new sheets, but not a new mattress.
I wanted to slip between Lara's legs and invite the darkness in. Lara might not admit it, but we were destined for each other. My madness and hers rubbed together. Although she didn't know how deep mine went, and how far I would go to keep her next to me.
I'd been complacent before. Never again.
Fate intervened on my behalf, and I wouldn't stop until I shackled her to me this time.
Women liked commitment, didn't they? Lara was going to get it whether she wanted it or not.
I had things I needed to deal with before I could.
Like luring Ellington out and dealing with him as he deserved.
I hadn't lost a game before, unless you counted Lara keeping secrets and giving me the silent treatment.
"It's Jonah," I sneered at the beefy man through the peephole.
The second I saw him tossing wistful, longing looks at my girl, I went home and researched everything about Jonah Charles Black.
Twenty-eight years old. Best friends with his neighbor Bernice.
Dabbled in the esoteric. That was an interesting nugget about Greenich Bay's most serious guard.
I mean, a crystal collection? I would have believed anything else.
Lara popped out, with a look of utterly adorable dishevelment. She'd changed into one of my baggy shirts, and damn if it didn't look good on her. Her tight biker shorts peeked out from underneath.
"What's he doing here?" Lara's high-pitched voice carried.
"I imagine he followed you here, Little Liar. What with the threats to Adelaide's life. I'm sure he wants to see what on earth you're doing at my house and if you are truly safe. Should I let him in?"
I enjoyed watching the dynamics between Ray and Jonah at the club. I would have liked to join them in debauching her, but I had to tie up loose ends. It was unlike me to lose my temper. But seeing Cole Lacott touch what was mine was all too much.
"Don't open it," Lara hissed as she rushed into the bedroom to hide.
I opened the door. Jonah looked me up and down with flared nostrils.
I was confusing these poor souls. One minute, I was dressed as a budget Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Without the British accent and double the tweed.
Next, I was wearing my usual attire. Tailored black.
Because I liked to dress in the color of my soul, and I never quite grew out of my emo phase.
"Can I help you?" I cocked my head, enjoying the flare of irritation in his gaze.
I wanted to get under his skin and see if I could make him break.
"We need to talk. Ray is on his way." He pushed past me into the apartment.
I waited as he cataloged every piece of furniture, not having the heart to tell him it was pointless. He wouldn't gain any insight into my personality. This apartment didn't belong to me. I liked the thought of perplexing him.
I had a bag packed in the closet, like always, and that was it. Nothing permanent, ever.
Except for Lara.
His gaze came back to me, and I was glad I'd covered my tattoos. They weren't permanent either, but they were the most direct way to get to know me, if you knew how to interpret them.
"Make an appointment at the station. I should be free in about—ah—a month?"
That little dig was more for Adelaide, who refused to entertain a meeting with me. If only she knew how close I was to her best friend. Jonah planted his feet on the ground. Did he think I was going to throw him out?
"This has nothing to do with your position, Chief." Jonah arched an eyebrow, and I let out a husky chuckle.
Interesting. Unexpected. I rubbed my hands together with barely contained glee. Had he seen through my charade? Was he going to call me on it? How deep would Jonah go to satisfy the itch in his brain right now?
I wandered to the kitchen and pulled out a half-empty bottle of vodka from the freezer. I preferred the cheap kind. The way it burned was grittier. The buzz felt earned.
"This sounds like a conversation I need a drink for.
You've got my attention, Jonah Charles Black.
You'll have to tell me how a boy from a small country town, three states over, I might add, got such a prestigious spot in the Orazio organization?
" I poured us both a finger of liquid and nudged a glass to Jonah.
He shook his head warily, not trusting anything that came from me. Probably smart.
"You've been doing your research." He flattened his lips.
My front door crashed into the wall. Ray Donato lowered his boot and shuffled in, arms heavy with grocery bags. His teeth flashed.
"I hope you didn't start without me. Look, I brought wine and three different take-outs. Thai, Indian, and Ethiopian." He heaved the bags onto the counter and stole Jonah's vodka.
He emptied the glass and wiped his palm over his mouth with a satisfied smile.