Chapter One #2
“Sure thing, Mr. Fitzpatrick. Sleep well.”
I went in through the front door, gave a wave to the concierge, Ralph, and headed to the elevator, ready to kiss my bed.
After leaving the bar, I’d gone back to the office to review the briefing book Mrs. Lambert had created and added a few more details to the bullet points for a few of the meetings.
When I’d glanced at the clock on my desk, I was surprised it was so late. It had been quite a fucking night.
The whole drive home, I’d fixated on why those two blond guys were following me—if they were actually following me. I usually didn’t believe in coincidences, but maybe the universe was proving me wrong?
When I got up to my condo, I let myself inside, closed the door, and exhaled.
Tuesday was set up to be just as trying.
Had I done the wrong thing by getting rid of Byron?
He’d seemed as anxious to be away from me as I’d been for him to go when I learned he was shopping my secrets around town.
Why the hell was I second-guessing myself now?
As I was changing into shorts and a T-shirt, I glanced at the clock to see that it was nine in the evening.
It was the earliest I’d been home in a while, so I grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen and went into the living room, stretching out on the couch before I turned on the television.
What the hell was my life turning into? The idea of someone following me was driving me nuts—if I was even being followed.
I had no fucking idea what to think. I knew I needed to figure some shit out because there was a cloud over my head that I didn’t like to acknowledge. Something bad was coming my way. I knew it deep in my gut.
Thursday afternoon, I waited until Mrs. Lambert left for the day before heading to Café Berlin. Claus had left a message on my cell phone that morning to drop by, and I was more than a little curious about what he had to tell me. I’d had a dinner meeting on Wednesday night, so I hadn’t stopped by.
I sat at the bar and a drink was placed in front of me. Claus said nothing, but when the chef came out with the potato pancake appetizer, she seemed a bit off.
“Chef, how are you? Is something wrong?”
Dagmar scanned the dining room before she leaned forward and touched my arm. “I can’t say how I know this, but there are those who are looking to hurt you, Sean. Take some time off. Go on vacation. Let things die down.”
Under ordinary circumstances, I’d take heed of her warning, but now, I was just pissed.
What the fuck had I done to anyone that would cause them to come after me?
I was a guy who tried to keep my tribe from being treated like shit.
I took on the bigots who wanted to do harm to my community as they all went about their daily lives.
Was I now going to have to physically fight for their rights?
“What things, Dagmar? What the hell is going on?”
She sucked in a breath and released it, not taking her eyes off me. “You are in danger, Sean. You need someone to make sure you’re safe. You’re not popular with some of the conservatives, but you know that.
“Now, it seems, some of the outer fringes have taken notice of what you’re trying to do.
I respect your efforts, Sean. My sister is lesbisch, uh, how you.
..lesbian. We are very close, Lena and me, but the rest of our family disowned her.
I fear that there are those in the government who are of the same mind as my family.
” Dagmar glanced around, and suddenly, she turned and walked back into the kitchen.
I glanced around to see those weird blond twins in the back of the restaurant near the restrooms, both sitting on the same side of the booth so they could see me clearly. What the fuck did they want?
“I’ve had enough of this,” I said to nobody in particular. Claus was at the other end of the bar, so I put a napkin over my drink and walked toward the men’s room. I didn’t make eye contact with the twins. I had the feeling they’d confront me behind the closed door.
I went to a urinal but didn’t open my pants. As I expected, the door opened and one of the twins entered the room. He eyed me suspiciously before stepping up to the urinal and unzipping his pants.
When I heard the stream hitting the urinal cake, I stepped backward to lean against the sink, crossing my arms over my chest. “What exactly do you want with me?”
The man chuckled. “I want nothin’ with you. I’m here to tell you to stop meddlin’ with the laws of this country. There are abominations in this world, and now is the time to remove them permanently. Count your days, Mr. Fitzpatrick.”
He zipped his pants and walked out of the men’s room without washing his hands. I noticed his twin standing outside the door, obviously blocking anyone from entering. I quickly washed my hands and stepped out into the hallway, seeing the two men standing at their table.
They were as identical as any twins I’d ever seen.
One of them turned to stare straight at me while the other tossed bills on the table.
They both headed toward the door when one of them turned and held up his left hand, sticking out his index finger and lifting his thumb in imitation of a handgun, aiming it in my direction.
He winked, and then they walked out. I was stunned for a moment.
Once I gathered my thoughts, I started in the direction of the door, but I was stopped by Claus. “Sit down. Let me talk to you.”
Before I could protest, he pointed to my seat where there was a fresh drink, and he nodded. Like a defeated child, I stomped back to my stool and sat, finishing my first drink and taking a healthy swig of my second.
Was I just threatened with a hate crime? When the blond said abominations, was he referring to me? What the actual fuck?