CHAPTER 13
WREN
∞
I’m just finishing up with plating the pancakes when Alex knocks at the door. I roll my eyes and wipe my hands on a towel. Now he decides to knock. “It’s open!”
I call out. “Obviously since you were just here,”
I mumble under my breath as he walks through the door. He holds it open for Chess to walk through and I see her eyes widen as she takes in the space. “Have a seat, Che---Frankie.”
She raises an eyebrow at me and heads towards the table. Alex is barely containing his laughter at my almost slip up, and I motion for him to help me carry over the food to the table.
“Wait, did you cook?”
She asks, confused.
“I did. Is that alright with you?”
Her eyes travel across the spread in front of her and she quickly licks her lips. I see her visibly swallow as she looks longingly at the stack of pancakes. I push them a bit closer to her and her eyes dart up to look at me.
“We should probably get this started. I’m sure there’s plenty to go over.”
She pulls out a pen and pad and sets it on the table before pulling out a chair to sit.
“Do you not have a laptop?”
I ask her, confused.
Her hand stills as she reaches for the pen. “No.”
“Would it not be easier to do your research with a laptop?”
“I can use the computers at the compound for whatever I need. I don’t need a laptop.”
She’s lying. I can tell she wants a laptop just from the small sigh she lets out as she opens up the pad to a blank page. She probably can’t afford a laptop at this point. She can’t even afford to feed herself. She probably buys the cheapest thing she can, even if it’s junk food. It’s not like she’s overly skinny because she’s not. She’s beautiful, and I’m glad that she has some weight on her. Her curves are lovely.
What the fuck am I thinking? Why am I checking her out?
Her hatred alone should be enough for me to avoid even thinking about her body. Though, I’m glad I invited her into my home…I hope her scent lingers long enough for me to satiate my curiosity about her.
I shake my head at the thought and turn away from her to put some distance between us. Alex comes over to me in the kitchen and grabs the tray with bacon and sausages.
“Are you alright?” He asks.
“I’m fine, Alex.”
“You two are being more civil than yesterday at least, so that’s a good start.”
“I don’t actually remember inviting you to stay for breakfast,”
I growl through clenched teeth.
“You think you two can eat all this food on your own?”
He snorts. “I’m not leaving you two unattended while we do this. The last thing we need is another incident.”
“Fine. Sit down and shut up unless you’re spoken to directly.”
“As you wish, Sire.”
“Stop that,” I groan.
“Just checking,”
he laughs.
I grab the coffee pot and head back over to the table. “Do you drink coffee?”
I ask her.
“Yes, thank you.”
She’s being very polite, which is nothing from the girl I saw yesterday. Then again, I haven’t really done anything yet to piss her off…I’m sure I’ll fuck this up at some point.
“Help yourself to anything you want. There’s plenty of food.”
“Is this your apartment?”
She asks suddenly.
“It is.”
“So, do you all live here then? In the tower I mean.”
“Not everyone. The ones who work for me directly on the vampire side of things, live within the tower. The humans under my payroll for the law office side of things obviously have their own homes and lives. I try to keep it as separate as I can, while still maintaining control over the heart of the city.”
“It’s pretty,”
she says quietly as her eyes drift around the room.
“I can give you a tour later if you wish.”
“That’s okay. I’m sure it’s all lavish and luxurious. I don’t really need to feel even more jealous at this situation.”
She snaps her mouth closed and her eyes widen slightly. “Sorry,”
she mumbles.
I tilt my head at her, confused. “Why are you apologizing?”
“I’m…not sure.”
“There’s nothing to be jealous about either.”
“You’re joking, right?”
I stare at her blankly and she rolls her eyes. “Your kitchen is bigger than my entire apartment, Wren.”
Alex chokes on a piece of bacon and I turn my head to glare at him. I turn my attention back to her and I see her poking at her pancakes absentmindedly. “Do they taste bad?”
She looks up at me and shakes her head. “No, they’re fine.”
“You can move into the tower if you wish. I have plenty of rooms available.”
“No fucking way,”
she says quickly.
“Why not? You work for me now, so it makes sense to have you move in.”
“I rather not have to spend more time near you than absolutely necessary,”
she says sternly.
“You’re being stubborn.”
“And you’re acting like a privileged douche again.”
“How is me offering you a better home, acting like a privileged douche?”
I can feel my anger rising in me, and she in turn, is reacting accordingly.
She sits herself up straighter in the chair and glares at me. “I already have a home, and once this is over, I want nothing to do with you. It’s as simple as that.”
“Very presumptuous of you to think that I’ll let you go once this is over.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“If you’re as good as you say you are, I may just have to steal you away from Adrian.”
“You can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I’m…going to use the bathroom really quick,”
Alex says quietly. He’s clearly sensing the tension and animosity building between us.
“I’m not allowed to leave Adrian.”
“…because you owe him money.”
“Exactly!”
“If you work for me, I’ll pay off your debt for you.”
“And there you go again…trying to buy me like I’m some fucking piece of furniture.”
“Furniture stays quiet and does what it’s meant to.”
“God, you’re such a dick.”
“You do realize, that anyone else that dares to speak to me in the way in which you do, is executed…correct?”
“Then do it, you fucking coward.”
“That mouth…”
I grumble.
“You can’t, can you? The big shot King won’t get his hands dirty. Heaven forbid you chip your crown.”
“Or maybe I won’t do it because I don’t want to snuff out a soul as vibrant as yours!”
She snaps her mouth closed at the comment, and I cringe internally that I was so open about saying something like that. It’s true though. She has fire within her, even after the trauma she’s experienced in her life.
“Don’t say shit like that,”
she mumbles before shoving a large bite of pancakes into her mouth.
“Why?”
“Because it’s not true. I don’t need you of all people trying to butter me up. Death would be easier at this point,”
she says quietly.
“Do you fear it? Death I mean.”
“Sometimes…but sometimes I wish for it. There’s only so much fighting you can do before you feel every piece of you shatter. Try as you might, it’s impossible to glue those pieces back together.”
“Do you think you’ll die during this assignment?”
“I don’t know,”
she sighs. She sets down her fork and looks up at me. The look she’s giving me right now, has my breath hitching in my throat. “There’s one thing I want you to do for me…if I don’t make it through this.”
“And what’s that exactly?”
“I have a cat.”
“A cat?”
“Yes. Her name is Nyx, and if something happens to me, I want you to find her a good home. I don’t want her going to a shelter. I don’t want her being gawked at and passed over for who knows how long. I don’t want her breaking in the system, hoping that someone out there can love her and finally give her a home.”
“All this for a cat? That’s your final wish?”
“Yes. She’s all I have, and I just want her happy if I’m no longer there to care for her.”
“Alright.”
I can see she’s actually getting emotional about this. I’m sure it’s the last thing she wanted to do…asking me for anything, but she must care for this creature very much for her to put her pride aside in order to ensure the cat’s survival. The tone of her voice as she spoke about not wanting her in a shelter, made it seem like her mind went somewhere else for a moment. I’m sure it did. I’m sure that all that went through her head, was her time in the system herself. Waiting to be found and given a home. She was fortunate enough to be found but unfortunate enough to have fallen into Jullian’s claws.
“I promise that your cat will have a wonderful home, so you don’t have to worry about her.”
“Thank you,”
she says quietly.
“Of course.”