Chapter 12 #2
Henny by my side had been a pipe dream. Now I was acting like it was a given. I shook my head to focus back on the task of finding him. Thoughts weren’t action. I couldn’t make him appear with sheer will.
Honestly, if I hadn’t been overanalyzing my lack of bloodthirst, the gap between us would have been much smaller. I only had myself to blame.
Outside, there was no sign of life to be found. I knew there were men on patrol, but even they weren’t making any noise.
I sighed and pulled up the rideshare app on my phone.
I could demand one of the goons take me, but then I’d have to be alone in a car with them.
My homicidal urges might return with the confinement, leaving me to need to take the wheel so we don’t crash, and then hide a body because I don’t want evidence to come back to the boss.
So, yeah.
A stranger would have to do.
They usually didn’t piss me off as quickly.
Thankfully it wasn’t far. Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes at worst.
City lights blurred as my mind focused on one thing, and one thing only. Henny. My Henny. I was on the hunt for him now. He was prey that needed to be captured.
Then I’d let him take control again.
At the casino, I tipped the driver double for not speaking a word to me. The guy really could read the room. He deserved to treat himself to something nice for that alone.
I considered texting Henny to see if he’d tell me where he was outright. Then again, if he felt like avoiding me, a call would give him a head start.
Fuck that noise.
After avoiding him for days, it was time to face the truth. No more interrupted conversations. I needed to know where we stood.
Did Henny truly want me?
Or would I need to convince him I was worth taking a risk for?
Because yeah, I’d considered letting him keep up the “this can’t happen between us” bullshit.
And then I remembered who the fuck I am.
I didn’t let others make decisions for me unless they’re wiring me a bunch of money.
I’d never let anyone else call the shots in relationships either—though relationship wasn’t the right word for the random people I’d slept with through the years.
Henny’s words from the warehouse made it seem like he was ready to take this further. I knew from experience though that he could be hot one minute and cold the next.
The lobby of the hotel was busy enough I had to actually pay attention to where I was going. Business dudes in suits filled the line to get to the check-in desk. A wedding party stood to one side taking a bunch of photos in front of one of the fountains.
As I sneered at the duck lips they were making, a path cleared past them to reveal Henny posted near the concierge desk with that damn tablet in hand.
There you are.
Except… he wasn’t by himself.
Some asshole stood beside him, his body turned in a way meant to close Henny into the space.
It was an intimidation tactic I’d used myself in the past on my victims. This guy wasn’t looking to hurt anyone though.
He was stupidly tall, wearing a business suit and sporting a haircut that looked more copy-paste finance bro than personal preference.
As I watched, he put his hand on Henny’s arm and leaned closer. Henny didn’t look away from the guy as he spoke. If anything, his expression went a bit soft.
No! Nope!
This wasn’t happening.
My need for blood and pain returned in an instant. This guy was going to be my next hit if he kept fucking touching what was MINE.
Instead of thinking it through or calming down, I took off in their direction. I’d figure out what to make of the impulsive decision later. Right then, this piece of shit needed to get his hands off my man.
“So happy I found you,” I said loudly as I slid between Henny and the intruder with enough momentum to make the other guy stumble back. “I didn’t realize you’d finished up early. I came as soon as I could, babe.”
Henny's eyes went wide. "Pip—"
I turned, giving the asshole my brightest, most unhinged smile. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. I'm Pip. Henny's boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" The man looked between us, confusion clear on his face.
"Yeah." I reached out and straightened Henny's collar, letting my fingers linger against his throat. "We've been together for a while now. Isn't that right, Henny?"
I could feel Henny's pulse jumping under my fingertips. I saw the way his pupils constricted. He was trying to figure out what game I was playing, but his body was already responding to my proximity.
"This is Woody," Henny said slowly, and I noticed he didn't correct the boyfriend title. "He's a colleague of sorts. We were just discussing our business connection."
"Ah, I see. Boring work stuff." I kept my hand on Henny's collar, thumb brushing the hollow of his throat. "Woody, was it? That's a great suit. Very sharp."
Woody's smile had gone tight. "Thank you. I should probably—"
"Did Henny tell you we're living together?" I interrupted cheerfully. "It's been great. Though he does hog the covers." I leaned into Henny's space, close enough that anyone watching would think we were intimate. "Don't you, babe?"
"Pip." Henny's voice had a warning edge, but he still wasn't pushing me away.
"What? I'm just making conversation." I turned back to Woody, who was looking increasingly uncomfortable. "Were you two ever friends as well? Or maybe former lovers?"
I let the question hang with just enough edge to make it clear I was asking if he needed to be considered a threat.
"We met at a conference last year. Nothing like what you’re suggesting," Woody said stiffly.
"Oh good." My smile widened. "Because Henny's very monogamous. Aren't you?"
I shifted my hand from his collar to his face, and this time there was nothing playful about the touch. No teasing, or hesitancy. Just my palm cupping his jaw, thumb tracing the sharp line of his cheekbone with a clear meaning in mind.
My fingers slid back to tuck a strand of golden hair behind his ear, the gesture intimate and possessive. This wasn't me in chaos mode. This was me showing everyone in this room exactly what I wanted.
Exactly who I wanted.
Henny's breath hitched. His eyes locked on my mouth. I watched his throat work as he swallowed. For a moment, the entire lobby faded away, and it was just us, my hand on his face and his heart hammering where my fingertips rested against his throat.
"Yeah," Henny said quietly, his voice rougher than normal. "He’s right."
Victory had never tasted so sweet.
Woody cleared his throat awkwardly. "Right. Well, I should let you two get back to your evening. Henny, we'll catch up another time about those reports."
"Sure, another time," Henny managed, though his gaze never strayed from me.
I didn't watch Woody leave. He wasn’t worth my attention. All I cared about was the way Henny was staring like he was seeing a new side to me.
"Boyfriend?" He finally said when we were alone.
I let my hand drop but didn't step back. "You didn't correct me."
"As if you truly gave me a chance."
"You had plenty of chances." I tilted my head, studying him. "You could have laughed it off; told him I was joking. But you didn't."
Henny's jaw tightened. "What was that, Pip?"
"What was what?"
"That whole…" He gestured vaguely. "The jealous lover routine. Was that part of your game?"
The accusation stung. "I told you before, this isn't a game."
"Then what is it?" Henny demanded, and I could hear the frustration bleeding through. "Because I can't figure you out. One minute you're avoiding me, the next you're staking a claim in the lobby in front of everyone."
Was I being a bit of a hypocrite? Sure. Didn’t mean I didn’t want to know his reasoning.
"You want to know what it is?" I stepped closer.
"I was supposed to take my time killing someone and all I could think about was getting back to you.
I rushed through my favorite part of the job because I wanted to finish our conversation.
And then I get here and see some guy touching you, looking at you, like he had a fucking right to. "
"He was just being friendly.”
"I don't care." The words came out fierce. "I don't want anyone else being friendly with you. I don't want anyone else touching you or making you smile or standing that close."
I stopped myself, but Henny's eyes had gone dark.
"You make it sound like you want me all to yourself, Pip."
The lobby hummed with activity around us, people passing by without a second glance at two men standing close together. It was for the best that way. I had just casually mentioned murder. And I was seconds away from losing my cool if the conversation kept going this way.
"Exactly," I huffed. "I want you. Not temporarily, not just while I’m here for this job. I want to be the person you come home to. The person who gets to touch you and sleep beside you every night."
Henny stared at me, and I could see him thinking through my words. Those careful walls he'd built were cracking bit by bit.
"You're still on Pharrell's payroll," he said finally.
"Fuck the job." I grabbed his wrist. "I'll tell the boss to keep his money if it means that much to you. I don't care. I just… I need you to stop treating this like it has an expiration date."
"Pip," he whispered, voice broken like what I was saying finally got through.
"Tell me I'm wrong. I know you, Henny. I get why you think I’m not a sure bet, but that’s not true anymore. I want to get a place here. With you. Want you to organize it in your freaky obsessive way, and I want you to tell me there’s a chance you want that too."
"There's a chance," Henny said quietly, and my heart stuttered. "There's more than a chance. But I don't know how to do this."
"Do what?"
He gestured between us. "This. I can’t let my guard down. Not in the life we’re involved in. Giving up any amount of control feels wrong.”
I understood then. It wasn't about me specifically. It was about Henny being terrified of giving someone the power to hurt him, to disrupt the careful order he'd built his entire life around.
"You already let me in, Henny. I sleep in your bed every night. You hold my hand in the dark. You have more control over me than anyone ever has. It's time you stopped fighting it and just let yourself have what you want."
His hand came up to cover mine where I still held his wrist. "What if I fuck up?"
I managed a crooked smile. "I'm pretty good at chaos, remember? I can handle a little mess."
Henny huffed out something that might have been a laugh. "You're going to drive me insane."
"Probably," I agreed. "But you're going to love it, Daddy."
He looked at me for a long moment, and I could see the decision forming behind his eyes. The moment he stopped fighting and let go.
"Come on. Let's get out of this lobby before you cause a scene."
"Too late for that," I said cheerfully as I let him tug me toward the elevators.
I caught our reflection in the polished doors while we waited. We looked like a couple. Like we actually belonged together.