The weekend goes by with a surprising lack of drama. I don’t see much of Sei, and Neve doesn’t try anything else after that surprise handjob. Most of my time is spent with Felix and Sage, as well as the ever enigmatic Faolan. His only reaction to my return is a soft ‘welcome back’ and a shoulder squeeze.
I honestly can’t tell if he’s happy to see me or not.
Monday morning, the four of us eat breakfast together (Neve and Sei still asleep after a nightshift), before Sage and Faolan head off to work together. I wave and finish the last bite of my cereal, before bringing the bowl to my mouth and drinking the rest of the sugary milk. Felix, who saw them off at the door, returns as I’m setting the bowl down.
“We’ll be leaving soon,” he says, picking up his (ugh, black) coffee.
I frown. “Huh?”
He raises an eyebrow over his mug. “Work. I have a few appointments today, so the office will be busy.”
His words still aren’t really registering with me. “Work…?” I repeat slowly, frown only deepening.
“Yes, work.” He looks like he’s fighting a grin. “You’re my receptionist, remember?”
My mouth works soundlessly for a minute, before I manage to croak out, “Wasn’t I fired?”
“I don’t remember firing you.”
I blink stupidly at him, wondering if the last week was a hallucination. “I…left. For almost a week. Doesn’t not showing up for work mean I’m fired?”
He shrugs. “Extenuating circumstances.”
I stare at him, before snorting. “I thought you were supposed to treat me like any other employee.”
“And I am,” he agrees easily. “I’d give any employee leeway for a personal emergency.”
I open my mouth to argue, but give up. I can feel a smile tugging at my mouth. “You’re too soft.”
He’s not fighting the (decidedly wicked) grin anymore. “Don’t think we have the time to fix that.”
It takes a second, and then I can’t stop the surprised laugh. “For fuck’s sake, Felix.” Sliding off the stool, I take my dishes to the sink and rinse them off. “For that, you can wash my dishes while I get changed.”
Felix’s grin merely widens.
When I return, wearing a pair of black jeans and a soft grey sweater, Felix is setting the last of the dishes on the drying rack. I don’t miss the appreciative drag of his eyes over my body while he dries off his hands. He’s dressed in a pair of dark jeans with a casual tan blazer and a white button-up shirt, so I guess I’m not underdressed. Hiding a smirk, I jerk my thumb over my shoulder.
“Ready?”
“Mhm.”
On the ride over, Felix casually remarks, “I notice you haven’t been wearing your wedding ring.”
I look down at my hands, fingers flexing and clenching. I never even noticed I wasn’t wearing it. “Oh, ah…guess I forgot to put it back on.”
“Did you lose it?”
“Nah, it’s in my bag at home.” I slouch in my seat, glancing at him. “I’ll put it on when we get back.”
Felix gives me a quick smile. “You don’t have to wear it, y’know.”
I shrug, stretching out my legs. “I don’t mind.” Which is partly true. The ring seems too much like a mark of being someone’s property, but at the same time, it’s kind of nice having a constant reminder that I belong somewhere.
I guess that was the right response, because Felix’s smile grows and stays on his face until we arrive at the office. I follow him upstairs, surprised to see the light already on inside.
“Someone’s already here?”
Felix puts away his keys and opens the door. “Jo said she might come in early today. Think she’s meeting a client before they go to work or something.” Raising his voice, he calls, “Morning, Jo!”
I hear a clatter from the kitchen, and Josephine walks out with a travel mug in her hand. Today, she’s wearing a charcoal pantsuit and violet pumps.
“Good morning, Felix.” Her hazel eyes flick to me, and one well-shaped eyebrow rises. “Didn’t think I’d see you again.”
“Family emergency,” Felix says airily, heading for the door to his office.
“Mhm.” Striding across the room, Josephine opens her door and disappears inside.
Rolling my eyes, I head to my desk and notice sticky notes covered in names and times. Frowning, I call, “Uh, Felix? What do I do about…” I wave vaguely, even though he can’t see me. “…these?”
Felix pokes his head out of his office and glances at my desk. “Oh, those. Don’t worry, I’ll get Jo to follow-up on that stuff when she gets back.” He carries out a folder and sets it on front of me. “For now, you can put these receipts into a spreadsheet. Also…” He opens a drawer and pulls out some notes stapled together. “Ava typed up some tips for answering the phone and figuring out the filing system, along with some other stuff, so hopefully things will go smoother than your first day.” Smiling brightly, he bends down and presses a quick kiss to my cheek. “I’ll be in my office. Let me know if you need anything.”
Flushing slightly, I give him a quick smile and turn on the computer. I open the folder Felix left on my desk and find a mass of receipts and notes. Everything is jumbled together, but I manage to get them in some semblance of order and start a new spreadsheet. After awhile, Josephine steps out of her office with a leather bag hanging over her shoulder and shuts the door. Instead of heading out, however, she comes to stand in front of my desk. I pause with my hands hovering over the keyboard and peer up at her warily.
“You look like shit,” she comments, sipping what I assume is coffee from her travel mug.
“Thanks,” I reply sarcastically, eyes narrowing.
Her hazel eyes flick down to my hands. “What happened?”
Mouth thinning, I tug my sleeves down over the bandages peeking out. “Nothing.”
She shrugs, obviously expecting that answer. “I’ll just assume it has to do with your week’s absence.” She nods at the desk and takes another sip of coffee. “I see you found Ava’s notes.”
“Uh, yeah…Felix showed me.”
“After I told her how much trouble you were having the first day, she took pity on you and typed that up,” she remarks with a smirk. “So make sure you thank her.”
“I will,” I mutter, feeling like a little kid.
Apparently satisfied, Josephine turns and saunters out of the office, leaving me with my pile of receipts.
Stifling a sigh, I put her receipts to the side and return to my spreadsheet. Halfway through, the door to Felix’s office opens, and he steps out to ask, “Do you know how to use the espresso machine?”
I look away from the computer screen, squinting. “Huh?”
“The one in the kitchen. Most clients are fine with regular coffee, but some like something a bit fancier.”
“Oh. Uh…no. I’ve never used one before.”
He smiles. “Well, I’m in the mood for a latte, so I’ll show you how.”
I glance at my half-finished spreadsheet, hesitating, but then shrug. “Yeah, sure.” Saving my progress, I stand up and follow him to the kitchen. On the counter is a sleek black machine that looks similar to the one at V—
Don’t think about him.
I give myself a quick shake and join him by the machine, where he’s holding a couple sheets of paper.
“Looks like Ava left you instructions for the kitchen, too,” Felix remarks, sounding amused. He sets them aside and glances at me with a smirk. “But you’ll probably learn better if I show you, huh?”
Why does it seem like he’s talking about something else?
“I guess…” I reply suspiciously.
“It’s easier than it looks. First, make sure the reservoir is full.” He taps the clear plastic on the front of the machine, and then points to a black pitcher nearby. “Filtered water’s in there. Then you press this button and wait for it to warm up.” I watch him walk to the small fridge and pulling out a carton of milk. Instead of returning to my side, however, he steps up behind me and sets the carton on the counter. I stiffen and glance over my shoulder, but he isn’t looking at me.
“Now, fill up this pitcher…” He leans forward, pressing up against my back, and picks up a metal container with a thermometer sticking out of it. “…and then press this button to prepare the steam for frothing.”
“Wait, we’re frothing milk? What’s wrong with just plain coffee?” I try to ignore the warmth of his body seeping through my sweater. “It’s not like we’re a café.”
“Because we’re classy. Now pay attention.” Arms reaching around me, he sticks the milk under the machine’s wand and turns a knob. “Once the thermometer reaches eighty, slip the wand deep into the milk…” His voice lowers, hips pressing flush against mine.
“What—”
He wraps my fingers around the handle of the pitcher. “And once it gets up to about one-sixty, remove the milk and turn the knob.” He suddenly steps back and walks to the sink to dampen a cloth. I eye the milk nervously, watching the milk swirl around the wand. My grip tightens on the handle as the thermometer’s needle slowly creeps toward one-eighty. As soon as it hits, I quickly pull the milk away and turn the knob.
“And then”—I jump when Felix presses up against me again, cloth in one hand—”wipe off the wand with a damp cloth and press the button to turn off the steam.” He wraps the cloth around the wand and gives it a couple slow strokes, which makes me flush. He’s doing that on purpose, I know it.
“So when does the coffee come in?” I ask impatiently.
“That’s what we’re doing now.” He picks up the thing coffee goes into and slides it into the machine. “Okay, now press this button to wash the portafilter with hot water, and then we fill it with the coffee grounds.” He reaches up to open the cupboard above the machine and pulls out a dark bag. “Coffee’s always up here, along with tea. I think there’s hot chocolate in there, too.” I perk up at that. “So fill the portafilter with coffee, and then we’ll tamp it.”
“What the fuck is tamping?”
Felix ignores me and hands me the coffee bag. “Here, fill the portafilter.”
Rolling my eyes, I open the bag and carefully shake out the grounds, nose wrinkling at the strong scent. Once the grounds reach the top, Felix takes the bag back and presses something that looks like a metal stamp in my hand. He wraps his fingers around mine, guiding the thing to the portafilter.
“Now we press the tamper in…” He squeezes my hand and presses the stamp—tamper—down, before pulling it out to reveal neatly flattened coffee grounds. “And then you stick the portafilter back into the machine.”
Glancing at him as he steps away to open another cupboard, I carefully insert the portafilter and turn the handle like I’ve seen them do at cafés. Felix slips a mug beneath it, and then says, “Now flip the switch.”
I’ll admit it’s a bit satisfying seeing the espresso come streaming out. After a bit, Felix flips the switch again and removes the mug. “There. Perfect espresso.” Opening a drawer, he pulls out a big spoon. “Ava’s notes probably tell you how much espresso goes into each type of drink. If it’s a latte or a cappuccino or something, just add the steamed milk like this.” He picks up the silver pitcher and carefully pours the milk into the mug, using the spoon the keep the extra foam back.
I peer at the drink with a frown. “This seems needlessly complicated.”
Felix shrugs and smiles. “Makes the clients happy.” He brings the mug to his lips and takes a small sip, lowering the mug with a satisfied sigh. His tongue darts out to lick the foam from his lips, and I flush as my mind automatically goes to something else.
I quickly look away. “Right, so…I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Here, try some.” Felix holds out the mug.
I hesitate, before accepting it and taking a careful sip. Not bad.
“Oh, you’ve got some milk…”
Before I can react, Felix slides his fingers through my hair and leans in to lick the foam from my lips. I open my mouth in surprise, which invites him to tilt his head and turn the contact into a kiss. My first reaction is to pull back, but then his tongue touches mine, and I press closer with a soft moan, eyes sliding shut.
Just as I’m getting into it and wondering if the kitchen door is close enough to kick shut, Felix pulls away and takes the mug from my hand.
“Well, I guess we should get back to work. I’ll clean this up.” He gestures to the espresso machine while I blink dumbly at him.
Face burning, I give him a quick nod and clear my throat. “Right, uh…right.” After staring at him for a second, I spin around and stalk out of the kitchen.
Fucking cocktease.
***
It turns out the filing cabinets are organised by detective, which explains why I had so much trouble figuring out the system last time. But all the filing cabinets are the same colour and lack nametags, so I guess they all just know which is theirs. Not that that helps me.
Making a face, I dig out a pad of sticky notes and scrawl Felix, Ava, and Jo on three of the notes, then stick them to cabinets. Felix came out awhile ago with a stack of filing, so I pick it up and start carefully putting away invoices, expense lists, and stacks of receipts. They never talk about all the paperwork in mystery novels.
I pull open one of the drawers to Ava’s cabinet, but pause when I hear a raised voice coming from Felix’s office. I don’t recognise it, but no clients have come in. Curious, I edge closer to his door, papers clutched to my chest.
“—said I would meet you Wednesday, didn’t I? I can’t meet any earlier.” Silence. “Yes, the restaurant on Aberdeen, and no, I will not be bringing him” The voice fades again, and I move closer, straining to hear through the thick wood. Nothing.
I start to step back, but jump when the door suddenly opens. Felix blinks at me.
“Something wrong?”
Flustered, I straighten the papers in my hands. “Uh…no. Nothing.” I glance past him, but there’s no one else in the office. “I heard someone else’s voice, but no one else has come in, so…”
Felix’s brow furrows briefly, before his face clears. “Oh, that. I just had the phone on speaker.”
I frown slightly. If that was a conversation over speakerphone, then I would have heard two voices. He’s lying to me…but why? “Oh, okay. Well”—I hold up the papers in my hand—”I’ll just finish filing these.”
“Need help with anything?” Felix asks, and is just me or does he seem a bit eager about changing the subject?
I shrug and smile. “Not right now; Ava’s notes are helping.” I resist the urge to look past him into his office. It’s not like he’s hiding someone in there, right?
I almost laugh out loud at that. Right. Because someone scaled the building and came through the window.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it, then. I’m going to go pick up lunch.” Reaching out, he brushes the hair out of my eyes and asks, “What do you want to eat?”
I blink at him for a moment, half-wondering if he’s going to kiss me again. “Uh. I’m fine.”
He rolls his eyes, teeth flashing in a crooked grin. “Okay, I’ll just pick up something I think you’ll like.”
My suspicions are confirmed when he bends down to press a quick kiss to my mouth, before straightening and striding out of the office with a wave. I touch my lips and realise I’m grinning.
I quickly shake my head and drop my hand, losing the stupid grin. Felix is hiding something from me, and I don’t trust that. Glancing around the empty office, I put the papers down on my desk and walk quietly to Felix’s door. I slip inside and close the door most of the way behind me, looking around. Nothing seems out of the ordinary.
I do a quick walk around the room, taking in the stuffed bookshelves, the framed certificate on the wall stating that Felix O’Malley is legally allowed to poke around in people’s business, and the messy desk. But other than that, it’s surprisingly empty in here. No pictures. Nothing personal.
Sighing, I rub my eyes. What am I doing? It’s not like anything I heard was suspicious…aside from the unfamiliar voice that did not come from a speakerphone. Maybe there’s a secret staircase.
Maybe I’m just paranoid.
Glancing around one last time, my eyes land on the bottom drawer of Felix’s desk, which has a combination code on it. Curious, I crouch down and tug the drawer. It opens.
“So much for the lock,” I mumble, peering inside. Lots of papers and folders.
I start rummaging through and grab a folder at random. It’s full of articles about the government’s stance on Correna’s slave laws, which I prefer not to think about. Didn’t think it was something Felix was interested in.
Setting aside the folder, I dig deeper into the drawer and stop when I find a picture of a middle-aged man with neatly trimmed brown hair, olive skin, and arresting grey eyes. With a frown, I pull it out and realise it’s attached to a few papers.
Antony Zadeh
Not a name I recognise. Then again, he doesn’t look like the kinda guy that travels in the same circles as I do. Or used to.
Flicking through the rest of the stapled pages, I see a lot of personal information on the guy, so I guess it’s one of Felix’s clients…or targets.
So far, nothing suspicious.
I freeze at the sound of the front door opening, before shoving everything back in the drawer and standing up. I kick the drawer just as the door to Felix’s office opens and the man himself walks in. I force a grin.
“That was fast.”
He raises an eyebrow at me, setting a full plastic bag on his desk. “Looking for something?”
I shrug, peering into the bag to avoid his eyes. “Thought I left a paper in here.” My mouth waters at the smell of chicken, and I pull out one of the styrofoam containers.
“Did you find it?”
“Nah, must be around my desk.” Opening the container, I grin and change the subject. “Hope this one’s mine.”
“As long as you like fried chicken, it’s yours,” Felix replies, pulling out the other container. Inside is some kind of sandwich with a lot of greens.
Definitely prefer the chicken.
“Guess you do know what I like,” I remark, remembering him ordering salmon for me that one time. “Thanks.”
Smiling brightly, Felix leans in and presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “No problem.”
I feel my face burning, even though he keeps doing things like that. Clearing my throat, I step back. “Well, guess I’ll go eat at my desk.”
To my surprise, he follows me with his sandwich. “I’ll eat with you. If that’s okay.”
I blink at him. “Uh…yeah, of course.” Like I’m going to tell him what to do in his own office. And, well…I do like hanging out with him.
I plop down into my desk chair while Felix brings one of the chairs from his office and sits across from me. He hands me a couple napkins as I dig into the chicken, and I grunt in thanks.
“So how’s your arm?” he asks, before biting into his sandwich.
I shrug, sucking the grease from my fingers. “Fine. Sage thinks I’ll be able to stop bandaging it soon.” The skin’s no longer that weird purple, and I’m starting to regain feeling in it. I’m not used to my injuries taking this long to heal, but I guess since this one was caused by magic…
“Have you and Neve talked about what happened?”
I hide my grimace with a chicken leg, delaying my response as I chew. Once I swallow, I mumble, “I guess.” Not wanting to go down that road again, I clear my voice and ask abruptly, “So, uh…how did you guys all meet?”
Felix gives a me a crooked smile. “Nice topic change.” But he doesn’t try to change it back. “Well, Sage, Faolan, and Sei were already married when I met them. Sage and Faolan met each other in teacher’s college, and even back then, they were regulars at Leigh’s. Sei was a bartender there, and from what they tell me, he convinced them to try out a threesome one night.” After another bite of his sandwich, he smirks. “Guess it must have been good because it became a regular thing.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And then they got married?”
“Eventually.” Standing up, he says, “I need a drink. Want something?”
“Uh, sure…just water.”
I finish off another piece of chicken before he gets back with two glasses of water. Sliding one across the desk to me, he sits down again.
“So when did you and Neve come in?” I ask after draining half the glass.
“Oh, right. Well, Leigh hired me for a case—client confidentiality, can’t tell you about it—and I saw Sei, and then his husbands came in…” Felix shrugs with a smile.
“And…that’s it?” I drawl, bone dangling from my fingers. “You saw them and…what?”
Felix’s smile grows. “Well, it was love at first sight for me.”
I snort. “Yeah, right.”
“It’s true! But it took a bit of convincing to get them to give me a chance. Once you’ve already got three, I guess four seems a little much.”
“And yet they ended up with five.”
“Six, including you,” he corrects with a wink.
I ignore that. “So Neve?”
It seems like Felix’s smile dims a bit. “That’s…kind of a long story. He was new to the city, ran into some trouble that I got him out of…” He trails off and bites into the second half of his sandwich, chewing slowly. He finally swallows and adds, “His temporary stay with us ended up being permanent.”
I stare at him, waiting for something else—like, I dunno, how they managed to put up with Neve so long?—but Felix isn’t forthcoming. I consider pushing him, but before I can ask anything else, the door flies open, and a woman I’ve never seen before struts in. Her light pink curls bounce around her shoulders with each step, heart-shaped face broken by a wide grin. She’s dressed more like Felix and me than Josephine, so I guess Josephine really is overdressed.
“Hope you’ve got your wallet, because you owe me a drink!” Closing the door behind her, she grins at Felix, who has turned in his chair with a mouthful of sandwich. “I solved the Bancroft case.”
Felix eyebrows shoot up as he swallows. “Wait, seriously? But you’ve only had it for a week!”
The woman crosses her arms with a smirk. “I’m just that good.” Her lilac eyes flick to me and widen in surprise. “Oh! Are you Kit?”
Glancing at Felix, I shift uncomfortably. “Uh…yeah.”
She crosses the room and sticks out her hand with a wide smile. “I’m Ava! Did you find the manual? It really wasn’t fair of Fe and Jo to expect you to figure everything out with their terrible instructions—or in Jo’s case, I guess lack of instructions, right?—and Fe didn’t tell me he’d hired you, so I couldn’t make you any for your first day, so sorry about that.” She finally pauses to take a breath, and I quickly cut in before she can start again.
“That’s okay! Thanks for the manual. I’ve been using it.” I manage a forced smile and shake her warm hand. I really am grateful for the manual, but she’s kind of…overwhelming.
She beams and squeezes my hand. “I’m glad. Let me know if you need any help, okay? I was a receptionist forever before I was allowed to become a detective”—she looks sidelong at Felix—”so I know everything.”
It sounds like Felix mumbles “humble”, but Ava ignores him.
“Uh, sure. Thanks.”
Felix wipes off his mouth with a napkin and stands up, gathering his garbage and looking at Ava. “How ’bout you come with me and fill me in on everything?”
“Sure thing, boss,” she chirps with a salute and a wink, finally letting go of my hand. Only when she’s followed Felix into his office and shut the door do I relax. Like being hit by a perky tornado, that woman.
Grabbing the small stack of papers from the corner of my desk, I return to filing and wondering about the mysterious Antony Zadeh.
***
Stepping outside of the building, I stretch my arms up over my head and let out a yawn. Felix’s arm slides around my waist, and I shoot him a smile.
“Good day?” he asks, leading me to the car.
I think about it a moment, lingering on that kiss in the kitchen, and then nod. “Yeah, actually.” At his raised eyebrow, I add, “I didn’t fuck up as much as last time.”
He snorts and squeezes my hip. “You’re fine.”
As we come to the parking lot, he suddenly slows to a stop, and I look around. My smile morphs into a grimace.
“Why is Neve here?” He’s leaning against a sleek two-door convertible that I’ve seen in the garage at home, looking at something on his phone.
Felix’s shrug jostles me, and I wince when he calls, “Don’t trust us to find our way home?”
Neve looks up and shoves his phone into his pocket, waiting until we’ve made it to the car to reply. “I’m here for Kit.”
I try to step back, but Felix is still holding onto me. “What? Why?”
Neve shrugs, face impassive. “Leigh wants to see you, so I’m bringing you to the club.”
I take a closer look at him and realise he’s in his work clothes: tight black jeans and an even tighter black tank top.
“No, thanks.”
“Don’t worry, just go,” Felix murmurs in my ear. I shoot him a betrayed look, but he just smiles. “It’s just Leigh.”
‘Just Leigh’, my ass.
“What could he want with me?”
Neve studies his nails and shrugs. “Maybe something to do with you being at his house?”
I stifle a groan and reluctantly pull away from Felix with a scowl. “Fine. But if he’s up to something, I’m leaving.”
“He won’t do anything,” Felix says with a laugh. He pulls out his car keys and waves. “See you at home.”
Fuck.
I avoid looking at Neve as I climb into the passenger side of the convertible, tensing at the realisation that this is the first time we’ve been alone together since that handjob. He’s been taking care of my bandages, but even then, someone’s nearby. Neve starts the car without a word, and then the wind fills the silence as we drive along.
All too soon, we’re pulling up behind the club. I stare at the nondescript brick as Neve closes the convertible’s roof, wondering how long I can delay leaving the car.
“Hurry up and get out.”
Guess not long.
Grumbling under my breath, I unbuckle my seatbelt and open the door, slamming it behind me a bit harder than necessary after I climb out. Neve shoots me a glare, but I just look back innocently. He rolls his eyes and walks to the backdoor, a set of keys in his hand. The stairwell looks just as sketchy as I remember.
“Do you know how to get to Leigh’s office?” Neve asks once we reach the top of the stairs.
Looking down the bright hallway, I nod. “Second last one on the left, right?”
“Yes.” Without another word, he heads for another door and disappears inside.
And here I was, worried things would be awkward. Shaking my head, I walk to Leigh’s door and raise a fist, but before I can knock, the door opens.
Leigh smiles when he sees me. He’s dressed impeccably in a crisp button-up shirt (pale blue, this time) and dark grey slacks, but his white hair is loose around his shoulders and looks like he’s been running his fingers through it. “I was wondering if you would come.”
Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I shrug and try to keep eye contact. “Didn’t have much choice.”
Leigh’s smile grows at that, showing off his sharp teeth. “Neve is rather persuasive.”
More like abrasive, but I keep my mouth shut and follow Leigh into the office when he steps back. Leigh shuts the door, and I uncertainly take a seat in front of his desk.
“So. You’re probably wondering why I called you here.”
I keep my eyes fixed on him as he takes a seat behind the desk. “I’m…guessing it has something do with me being at your house last week?”
“Something like that,” Leigh replies, crossing his legs and leaning back in his chair. “It’s about the four thousand you owe me.”
I stiffen, eyes widening. “Owe you?”
“Yes. That was the amount you owed Jordana. I paid off your debt with her, so now that debt has been transferred to me.” His tone is pleasant, but his words make me cold.
Swallowing hard, I lick my lips and ask, “What does that mean, exactly?”
“Nothing bad,” he assures me soothingly, apparently notice the look on my face. “And I’m not expecting the money upfront.” He leans forward, folding his hands on top of the desk. “I’d like you to work for me.”
“Doing what?” I ask slowly, trying to keep my voice steady. Do I have the option of refusing?
Leigh gives me a crooked smile. “You don’t need to look so scared. I just want you to work here until you’ve paid off the four thousand. One of my servers had to return to her home country for a family emergency, so I’m in need of a replacement.”
I frown, looking for a catch. “A replacement…server?”
“That’s right.”
“No drug running or prostitution or anything?”
Leigh stares at me for a long time, before suddenly laughing. “What kind of things do you think I’m involved with?”
Scowling at his reaction, I say defensively, “You’re the one forging citizenship papers.”
He holds up his scaled hands, eyes crinkled at the corners. “Just some light illegal activities. I don’t get involved with the heavy stuff.”
“Do the rest of them know?”
“The rest of them?”
“My…husbands,” I reply with a grimace. Will that ever not be uncomfortable to say?
Leigh thinks for a minute. “Felix does. The rest don’t.”
I frown. “Why Felix?”
He shrugs with a slight smile. “I help him out sometimes on his cases.” He doesn’t elaborate, and I don’t ask. “So. What do you say?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Of course you do.” Leigh frowns slightly. “You can pay back the money, if you prefer, but I thought this option might be easier on you. It would just be on the weekends, sometimes to cover a shift. You only need to come in when Sei or Neve are working, to make you more comfortable.” That sounds like the opposite of comfortable. “The standard pay rate will go toward paying down your debt, but any tips you make are yours.”
“Wouldn’t I pay off my debt faster if I gave you my tips, too?”
He shrugs. “Yes, but I’m sure you’d like to have something to bring home?”
“Well, I’m working at Felix’s office…”
Leigh’s smile is small and amused. “Just keep your tips, okay?” Leaning forward, he rests his elbows on the desk and twines his fingers together. “So how are things at home?”
The sudden change of topic has me shifting uncomfortably. “What do you mean?”
He just looks at me with those unnerving eyes. “You know what I mean.”
I stare back at him, jaw tight. His expression doesn’t change.
Finally, I let out a long sigh and slouch in my seat. “I don’t know. Jules came over and told Sei what happened, so now he isn’t talking to me. Faolan doesn’t seem to care. Sage got mad at me, but I think we’re good now. Felix gave me my job back at his office, so I guess things are fine? And Neve is being”—I frown—”almost nice.”
“Oh?”
“Well, he’s been bandaging my arms…” I hold them up, showing off the neatly wrapped gauze. “And he—” I cut myself off, pressing my lips together. Right, not going to mention the handjob. And does that really count as ‘nice’? I mean, it felt nice, but that was kinda ruined by it being done by someone who hates me. Maybe if it had been Sage or Felix…
Okay, I need to stop that line of thought.
“So things are going well.”
My nose wrinkles. “I guess, all things considering…”
“Still want to run?” His voice is quiet and serious.
I hesitate and mull over the question. Ever since I got back, things have been…well, maybe not good, but decent? Better than I expected, at least. Better than before. And I’ve got a legitimate job now. A home. People to go home to.
“No,” I finally reply, meeting his eyes. “Not right now.”
“Have there been anymore incidents?”
Handjob?
“No.”
That earns another small smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Tapping my fingers against the arm of my chair, I chew the inside of my lip. “So. This…arrangement. What are we going to tell Neve and them?”
“Do you have serving experience?”
“Yeah.” Nothing classy like this place, but I know how to run drinks and deal with drunks.
“Then that’s what we’ll tell them. You mentioned your experience, I asked you to fill in here.” He shrugs. “Simple.”
I wrinkle my nose. “If you say so…”
“I do.” Leigh pushes back from the desk. “Now, since you’re here, why don’t you have a look around, introduce yourself to your new coworkers? You can study the menu, get an idea of our patrons, that sort of thing. I’ll give Neve a longer break to take you home later.” He stands up, eyebrows raised. “Have you eaten?”
I slowly follow him. “Uh, not since lunch…”
“Alright. Head to the lounge first and get something to eat.” He smiles. “On the house.” Coming around the desk, he walks to the door to open it. “Do you remember the way?”
“Think so.” One thing I’ve got going for me is my memory for places.
“Tai’s working the bar tonight, so just order from her.”
“Uh, sure.” Pausing at his side, I stuff my hands in my pockets. “So, about shifts…”
“I’ll send your schedule home with Neve after I’ve written it up.”
Part of me wants to object to being told what to do, but the more sensible part keeps my mouth shut. Instead, I just nod silently and leave the office. I glance down the hall at the door Neve went through, but continue to the stairs down to the lounge instead. This staircase ends in the storage room behind the bar, and I glance around at the shelves as I warily make my way to the door. I can hear voices and soft music on the other side.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door and step out behind the bar.
“Whoa!”
Startled by the cry, I jump back and hit the wall, but relax when I see Tai staring at me. She quickly breaks into a grin.
“Well, hey there, coworker.”
“You know about that?” I glance around, but the lounge is empty save for Tai and someone playing around on the piano.
Tai puts a bottle of pink liquor on one of the shelves behind her and shrugs. “Kinda hard for him to keep things from me when we live together.”
My eyebrows shoot up at that. “Is that why you were at his house? Are you a couple?”
She snorts out a laugh. “What? No! He’s my adopted brother.” Turning, she props her hands on her narrow hips and shakes the hair out of her left eye. “So, what’s the deal? You working tonight or…?”
“Leigh told me to just look around and meet people.” I scratch my nose and add, “He sent me here to eat first.”
Tai nods and pulls out a small, sleek black menu from under the bar, handing it over. “Choose something from here. Food’s only served in the lounge, while bottle service is only available downstairs.” She smirks at me, leaning against the bar. “You’re cute, so if you’re any good, you might get roped into bottle service.”
I frown, looking up from the menu. “What’s that?”
“Don’t worry about it for now.” She glances down at the menu. “The ceviche’s good. So are the chicken fritters. How hungry are you?”
I shrug, studying the list of unfamiliar dishes. “Hungry enough, I guess. Felix got me fried chicken for lunch.” I squint. “Truffle poutine?”
“Yeah, that’s good, too. Here, why don’t I just choose something for you?” She takes the menu back and walks to the slick monitor tucked in the corner. “This is where you put in orders.” Tapping the screen a few times, she turns back to me with a bright smile. “There.”
“Despite what everyone around me seems to think, I am capable of choosing my own food,” I say mildly.
Tai shrugs. “Sure, but you take too long. Besides, I’ve eaten everything on there, so I can recommend stuff.” I roll my eyes as she turns to grab a slender glass from the shelf and sets it on the bar. “While we’re waiting for that, let me make you a drink.”
I grimace. “Uh…I don’t have any money with me, and Leigh only mentioned food…”
Tai waves me off. “Don’t worry about it. So, what do you like? Fruity? Sweet? Sour? Strong?”
I glance at the pianist as they start playing something fast and complicated. “Nothing fancy. No citrus.” I usually drink beer, because it’s cheaper than cocktails.
“Not that helpful,” Tai complains, but she grabs a bottle of pale green alcohol off the shelf and scoops ice into the glass. “Ever had a Ghost’s Breath?”
I lean against the bar, watching her pour the alcohol—fairy gin, according to the label—into the glass, followed by a splash of something purple from another bottle. She adds a sprinkle of something that makes the drink fizz and sticks a straw in, before sliding over the drink with a smile. Eyes narrowed, I take a tentative sip. The fairy gin is a bit sweeter than regular gin, and it’s shot through with something floral—maybe from the purple stuff? My tongue tingles.
“Pretty good,” I announce, licking my lips and offering her a smile.
“I know, right?” She winks and puts the gin back on the shelf. “There’s a reason I work here.”
“Sure it’s not just nepotism?”
“Says the guy hired by his husband,” she drawls.
I frown, trying to remember if I ever mentioned working for Felix to her. “How do you know about that?”
“Because I’m friends with your husbands?”
“Oh.” That…never really occurred to me. But I guess if they’re friends with Leigh, and Leigh lives with Tai, it makes sense they’d be friends with her, too. Then again, I don’t have any friends, so what do I know?
“Anyway, I guess I should show you around.” Leaning across the bar, she points to the piano. “That’s Andrea. She’s one of our regular musicians.” The pianist doesn’t pause in her playing. “We’ve got a whole bunch, but you’ll get to know them all eventually.” Sweeping her arm out, she continues, “This whole floor is the lounge. We get a lot of professionals coming by after work, while downstairs is the party crowd. Leigh will probably have you down there, since it tends to get slammed—although that’s mostly on weekends.”
“I’m probably better with the party crowd, anyway,” I remark, thinking back to all my clubbing over the past five years.
Tai smirks, giving me a sidelong glance. “So I’ve heard.” At my sharp look, she adds, “Neve told me how you and Felix met. Well, ranted, really.”
My long sigh ends in a groan. “Of course he did.” Before I can ask what else Neve told her about, a plump woman comes out of the door on the other side of the bar, carrying three plates.
“This for you, Tai?” she asks, walking toward us. Judging by the way she’s dressed, I’m guessing she’s a chef.
“Nah, the new guy,” Tai replies, jerking a thumb at me.
Dark eyes follow the gesture and size me up, clearly finding me wanting. “You gonna be able to eat all this?”
I glance at the plates she sets down on the bar, each holding something different. “Uh…”
“He’ll be fine.” Reaching over to snag what looks like a piece of chicken, Tai adds, “Kit, this is Sinta, our chef. Sinta, this is Kit, our new server.” She grins. “He’s married to Sei and Neve.”
Sinta’s eyebrows rise at that. “Good luck with that.” Turning around, she walks swiftly back to what I assume is the kitchen. I give Tai a look.
“Yeah, she and Neve don’t get along.” Grabbing a fry from what I assume is the truffle poutine, she points to the stools on the other side of the bar. “Now hurry up and eat; we’ve only got twenty minutes until opening.”
Stomach grumbling, I obediently take a seat and tuck in.
***
The car ride back home is just as silent and awkward as the one to the club. I prop my feet on the dashboard when we get in, but Neve shoots me a glare so fierce that I quickly put them on the floor again. I steal glances at Neve as we drive, my fingers tapping restlessly against the door’s armrest. His face is flushed from running around the club as it quickly filled after opening, and his silvery hair is standing on end from frequently running his fingers through it. The nervous gesture seems at odds with his normally cool disposition.
My eyes trail down his torso and the tight black tank top, before flicking to his hands. My mind is instantly filled with the memories of how those hands felt on me, wrapping around my cock, squeezing…
I quickly look away, shifting uncomfortably in my seat and wishing my jeans weren’t so tight. I try to avoid looking at him for the rest of the ride, but I keep getting drawn in by the light sheen of sweat that gives his skin an unearthly glow. I clutch my hands in my lap, barely resisting the urge to reach out and touch his slender neck.
But do I need to resist? I mean, he gave me a handjob, so that means if I want to touch him, I can, right?
I start to recognise the houses along the tree-lined street, and a minute later, we pull into our driveway, lit by the light above the garage door. Biting my lip, I undo my seatbelt with trembling hands and take a deep breath. My heart pounds as I twist in my seat and reach over to turn off the car, before sliding my hand between Neve’s legs.
He jerks back, grabbing my wrist and looking at me with wide eyes. “What the fuck are you doing?”
I raise my eyebrows with a small smirk, massaging him through his tight black jeans. “What’s it feel like?”
Neve’s grip tightens, making me wince. “Not what I meant.” His voice is hard.
Frowning, I try to pull my hand away. “Trying to return the favour.”
“The…what?” He stares at me, bewildered, before realisation dawns and his face suddenly twists. “Seriously?” He practically throws my hand away from him in disgust. “That was not a favour.”
I stiffen in indignation. “Then what was it?”
But he just shakes his head. “Nothing.”
My lip curls. “That wasn’t nothing. So what the fuck, Neve? You can jack me off, but I can’t do the same to you?”
“Exactly.” His shrug just pisses me off more. “You got off, didn’t you?”
“That’s not the point!”
He rolls his eyes, not even looking at me anymore. “Why should I let you touch me?”
“Because you did it first?”
“That was different.”
“How?” I demand, getting to my knees on the seat to turn fully toward him. “How is me giving you a handjob any different than you giving me one?”
Neve gives me a patronising look. “Because this isn’t an equal relationship.”
“Well, no shit,” I snap. “That’s the point I’m trying to make.”
He sighs, an exasperated sound that somehow pisses me off even more. “You’re not going to get it, even if I explain it to you.” Reaching for the keys dangling in the ignition, he adds, “Now get out so I can go back to work.”
Leaning forward, I shove his hand out of the way and yank out the keys, growling, “Not until you tell me what the fuck you’re talking about.”
Nostrils flaring, Neve turns to face me. “Fine. It’s because you haven’t brought anything to this marriage. You benefit; we don’t. And because of that, you’re indebted to us.”
I stare back at him, a bit hurt. I mean, I know it’s true, and I’ve been thinking it myself, but hearing it like that stings. “That’s why I’m working.” But then the full meaning of his words hits me, and my eyes widen. “Wait, are you saying…that you jerked me off…because I owe you?” I can barely get the words out, voice cracking partway. I don’t even need to wait for an answer; I can tell from his expression that that is exactly why he jerked me off. Like he owns me.
Blood pounding in my ears, I turn to open the door with a trembling hand and manage to get out of the car without falling. Neve still hasn’t said a word, and when I look at him, he’s just watching me with a blank expression.
His lack of concern just makes me angrier. Like he isn’t treating me like a…like a…
Rage finally overtaking me, I yell, “I’m not your slave!” and whip the key at him. He winces when it hits his shoulder, but I spin around and stalk to the front door without waiting to see his reaction.
I yank open the unlocked door and slam it shut behind me, barely able to see through my blurred vision. I collapse back against the door and hit it with my fist, teeth clenched against the scream that wants to rip through me.
I can’t believe I decided to trust them. What the hell was I thinking, coming back here? Of course they didn’t actually miss me; they just missed having someone they could use.
My ears prick at the sound of footsteps, and I straighten with a glare as Faolan appears down the hall. He approaches me, looking concerned. “What’s going—”
“You assholes are using me!” I snarl.
His step falters as his eyebrows shoot up, but he continues until he’s a few feet in front of me. “What are you talking about?”
“Just because I don’t have anything doesn’t mean you own me!” My throat burns, and my voice cracks as I put as much force as possible behind my words.
“Who said anything about owning you?” Faolan asks calmly.
“Neve,” I snap, because even though those weren’t his exact words, I can read between the lines. That handjob in the bathroom wasn’t because of Neve’s hidden desire for me, but because of some dominance asserting bullshit.
I expect Faolan to argue or claim I misinterpreted Neve or something, but instead he sighs and mutters, “Shit.”
My smile is more teeth than humour. “So that’s it, huh? That’s why you guys decided to let me stay. Not because you actually thought I could become part of your family”—my voice cracks again—”but because you wanted your very own slave.” It was stupid of me to think I could ever have a home here.
Faolan sighs again. “Kit, that’s not—”
“Well, guess what?” I continue, voice getting louder. “I don’t need to stay here.” Pushing away from the door, I start toward the stairs. I’ll grab my bag and leave—for good this time.
“Kit, stop.”
I hesitate without meaning to, halted by the command in Faolan’s tone. My hand tightens around the stair rail. More of that Alpha bullshit.
Faolan walks to the bottom of the stairs, but doesn’t touch me. “Kit, let’s sit down and talk about this.”
“What, so you can try to convince me I misunderstood?”
“Look, what Neve said, it isn’t true.” Faolan’s hand hovers over my arm, still not touching. “If we just wanted to use you, would Felix have offered you a job? Would I be helping you sign up for classes?”
“And how do I know you’re even gonna let me go to the classes?” I start up the stairs again, jaw tight. Wouldn’t be the first time someone tricked me with that. “And working for Felix lets him keep an eye on me. How do I even know I’m gonna get paid?” Financial control, right? And even if he does pay me, am I going to get to keep the money?
I hear Faolan following me, stairs creaking under his feet. “If you aren’t comfortable with working for Felix, you don’t have to.”
I twist to glare down at him. “That’s not the fucking point! Everything I do, you guys are watching me.” I turn fully, demanding, “Where are these classes? The school where you work, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“And Leigh has me working shifts with Neve and Sei!”
“Leigh?”
I storm up the stairs, shaking my head. “I’ve had enough. I thought I could start a new life here, but I was wrong.”
I reach the second floor and turn right to start up the next flight of stairs, but a strong hand on my arm pulls me to a halt. “Wait.”
Spinning around, I easily yank my arm out of Faolan’s grip, heart pounding. “Don’t touch me.”
Faolan holds up his hands, expression still infuriatingly calm. “Kit, just listen to me. We’re trying to treat you like one of us—”
Teeth clenched, I give in to the hurt and anger, and plant my hands on his hard chest, shoving him back against the wall. He grunts, his calm façade finally cracking to show surprise. I feel a hint of satisfaction. Bet he didn’t realise someone nearly a foot shorter could be that strong.
“Kit—”
“If we’re equals, I can do what I want to you, right?” Before he can answer, I dig my fingers into his mass of braids and drag him down to roughly press our mouths together. The kiss is hard and biting, and when I finally let Faolan go with a smack, his lips are swollen. He brings his hands to my shoulders, but doesn’t push me away. “Not going to stop me?” I press closer until our bodies are flush and I have to tilt my head back further to meet his eyes.
“What if I said I wanted to fuck you?” I demand, wondering how far he’ll let me go.
“No.”
Bitter triumph rises in my chest, twisting my lips. I almost want to laugh. “Exactly. Because that would put me in charge. You’d be doing what I want.” I step back until his hands fall from my shoulders, daring him to argue. He’s already shaking his head.
“Except it’s not what you want,” Faolan replies quietly, letting his arms hang by his sides. “Just because we’re married on paper doesn’t mean we need to sleep together. What Neve said…” He sighs and shakes his head again. “Where he comes from, relationships are power struggles. Marriages aren’t about love.”
“And this one is?”
Faolan crosses his arms and shrugs. “Felix seems to think so.”
My anger is abruptly replaced by surprise and confusion. “What?”
That earns a slight frown. “Didn’t he tell you about this?”
“Tell me what?” My pulse is racing for another reason now. A weird mixture of excitement and anxiety.
“Felix’s father was a grá sidhe,” Faolan replies, looking and sounding way more relaxed than me. “And Felix inherited some of his abilities—”
“A what?”
“A grá sidhe,” Faolan repeats patiently. “A love sidhe. He…” He trails off with a sigh, running a hand back through his braids. “Look, let’s go sit down and talk about this, okay?” He pushes away from the wall, making me take a wary step back.
“Why can’t we talk about it here?”
“Because the hallway isn’t the best place for a serious conversation, and Sage is sleeping off a migraine right now.” Without waiting for a reply, he walks past me to the room across from Felix’s office. “Have you eaten?”
I quickly reply, “Yeah, at the club,” but refuse to be distracted. Despite myself, I find myself following him. “What did Felix say? What do his abilities have to do with this?” I didn’t even know he had any powers.
Stepping inside the room, Faolan’s turns on the light, revealing a cozy room with well-cushioned furniture, shelves of books, and a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. He sits in one of the wide armchairs, stretching out his legs. “Felix can tell who would make a good romantic match.”
After hesitating a moment, I reluctantly perch on the loveseat across from him and cross my arms. “So? Plenty of people can do that.”
Faolan’s lips twitch. “Not like this. He can actually see a connection.” He squints up at the ceiling, crossing his arms. “From the way he explains it, there’s this line he’ll see between some people, and he can tell how close a possible romantic bond is based on how bright that line is.” He looks at me with a small smile, adding, “I thought it was just a pickup line or something when we first met, especially when he claimed he saw these bright lines between all four of us, but he hasn’t been wrong yet.”
I stare at him. Not really a power I expected out of Felix. I mull that over for a bit, before slowly asking, “And what does that have to do with me?”
“Felix claims your potential romantic bond with us is strong.” Faolan rests his cheek on his hand, studying me with his unnerving amber eyes. “Like I said, he hasn’t been wrong yet.”
My mouth feels dry. “Are you trying to tell me that I’m here because of…fate or something?”
Faolan’s mouth quirks. “More like potential.” Straightening, he leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees with a thoughtful look. “Felix would be able to explain this better. From how I understand it, these connections he sees are based on compatibility, whether or not the people have met before. He can only see them between people a short distance away from each other, but a full-blooded grá sidhe has no limit on distance. Apparently, they can follow a bond around the world, if they want.” He adds, “Neve says they often work as matchmakers.”
This is making my head hurt. “So…what, I have this…connection with all of you?”
“That’s what Felix says.”
I can’t keep the disbelieving smile from my face. “And we’re all just going to magically fall in love, is that it?” I press my fingers against my eyes and shake my head. “Bullshit.”
“I never said that. The bonds just act as a starting point. The rest works like any other relationship.” Hands spread, he adds, “None of us just immediately fell in love.” His teeth flash in a sudden grin. “Well, except for Felix, but apparently that’s just how grá sidhe are. Love at first sight with anyone they see a strong connection to.”
Heat rises in my face. “Wait, are you saying Felix loves me?” The words come out fast, even as I try to keep them from spilling out. No one loves me.
Faolan just shrugs, and I shake my head, heart pounding. “No. Bullshit. You think you can trick me that easily?” My anger returns to crush whatever stupid hope I was starting to feel. “You think I’m so…so desperate that I’ll just believe that after what Neve said? That I’ll believe Felix is in love with me when he hasn’t said anything?” I choke, eyes stinging. “I’m not going to fall for that.”
Before I can move, get up, run, Faolan stands up and comes around the coffee table to kneel in front of me. His warm hands wrap around mine, holding me in place. “Kit. You’re okay.”
I yank my hands away, balling them into tight fists. “No, I’m not!”
He looks concerned, and I want to believe so badly that he’s sincere. “Kit, what do you think we’re going to do to you?”
A tear manages to escape and slide down my cheek. Lips pressed tight, I shake my head.
But Faolan doesn’t give up. Instead, he repeats gently, “What do you think we’re going to do?”
My teeth hurt from how hard I’m clenching them. I don’t want to say it out loud.
“Kit.”
“Make me your slave,” I whisper brokenly, more tears leaking out as I squeeze my eyes shut.
Faolan doesn’t say anything, and I reluctantly open my eyes to see his surprised face.
“Why would you think that?” Faolan asks, sounding just as shocked as he looks. Shocked that I’d think that, or shocked that I figured it out?
“Why wouldn’t I?” I retort, voice thick.
Faolan frowns. “Well, ignoring that it’s illegal, we aren’t those kind of people.” His gives me a half-smile. “What would even need a slave for? We’re five guys—six, now—living together, so it’s not like we need someone to cook or clean for us. And we’re not exactly lacking in sex.”
He says it so matter-of-factly that I flush. “Maybe you just like having control over someone.”
After studying me for a moment, Faolan rises and sits on the edge of the coffee table, crossing his arms over his knees. “I’ve been wondering something…” His eyes meet mine, holding them. “Were you in an abusive relationship?”
I flinch, quickly looking away to stare at the soft cream carpet beneath my feet. I breathe in. Out.
“I guess.” I squeeze my eyes shut, trying not to think about it. I hate thinking about it.
“Have you ever talked to anyone about it?” His voice is soft, gentle.
In contrast, my smile is so twisted and bitter that it stings. Who the fuck would I talk to? Who would even want to help? “No.”
“Do you want to?”
I shake my head, eyes still fixed on the carpet.
“Okay.”
I look up, surprised. I expected him to pry, demand details, but he’s just…watching me.
“Okay?”
Faolan gives me a small smile. “If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. I just want to know how to help you.”
I bite my lip, hands flexing and clenching on my knees.
“Kit.” I swallow, looking up. “I know it’s hard to trust us. We’re still strangers. But we aren’t going to force you into anything. You’re safe here.”
I stare at him, searching for any sign of deception…but I don’t see any. Of course, he could just be good at hiding it.
Letting out a deep breath, I study his face and mull over everything. It’s not like I can’t run away again if I have to. I’m not locked up.
Forcing myself to slowly relax, I finally nod and hope I won’t regret it. “Okay. I’ll believe you.” I look up, meeting his eyes, and add quietly, “But if you’re lying to me…”
Faolan doesn’t seem concerned, merely giving me a quick smile. Standing up, he stretches his arms with a yawn. “Well, I think it’s about time for bed.” His smile is replaced with a small frown when he looks down at me. “Are you alright for now?”
I shrug, rubbing my palms against my thighs. “I guess.” I stand up, tucking my hair behind my ear. I need to cut it again. “I think I’ll go to bed, too.”
“If you don’t feel like being alone, you can sleep with me,” Faolan offers, before adding, “Which isn’t a euphemism.”
“Oh, uh…” I look at the floor, face warm. “It’s okay. I’m good.” I don’t really want to be alone, but I’m not really sure I’m comfortable enough to spend the night with Faolan.
“Alright.” I look up again, worried I’ll see anger on his face, but he’s just giving me that same small smile from before. “Night, Kit.”
“Night,” I murmur, and watch him leave the room.
It feels strange returning to my room after convincing myself that I was leaving, but as I brush my teeth and strip off my clothes, I slowly relax into the familiar routine.
Turning off the lights, I crawl into the closet and burrow in my mass of pillows and blankets. I curl on my side and close my eyes, trying not to think.
It doesn’t work.
Sighing, I roll onto my back and stare up at the empty hangers above my head. I feel…lost. I’m not sure how I feel about Felix apparently…being in love with me. I mean, even if he’s a—what was it, love sidhe?—that’s way too fast, isn’t it? Besides, this marriage was a mistake; there aren’t any feelings in it.
And what about everything else Faolan said? Instinct tells me to not believe anything he says, that he’s tricking me…but reason tells me he’s not. Everything he said makes sense. But maybe I just want to believe I’m safe.
Rolling onto my side again, I bite my lip as another thought rises to the surface. How did Faolan know about the abuse…? The scars are gone; there’s nothing left to show what happened. So what gave me away?
I sigh, pressing my face into my cool pillow. I…really don’t want to be alone right now.
With a deep breath, I sit up and crawl out of the closet, pausing to pull on a pair of pyjama pants before leaving my room. The house is dark and quiet, so I guess no one else has come home yet.
Ears pricked for any sign of movement, I make my way down to the second floor and peer down the hallway. I shuffle along to the end and eye Sage’s door, but move on to Faolan’s. I don’t want to bother Sage when he has a migraine.
Raising my hand, I hesitate before knocking lightly on the dark wood. I hear movement, and then the door opens to reveal a shirtless Faolan wearing a pair of low-slung pyjama bottoms covered with cartoon wolves. My mouth quirks.
“Hey. Everything okay?”
I move my eyes up to his face—maybe lingering a bit on his chest on the way—and swallow, suddenly nervous.
“Is it alright if I changed my mind?” I rub the back of my neck, struggling to maintain eye contact. “About sleeping with you?”
I kind of expect Faolan to say he was kidding and shut the door in my face, but he just takes a step back. Heart racing, I slip past him and hurry to the low bed before I can lose my nerve. I crawl under the covers, trying to calm down. I’m being an idiot. He’s not going to do anything.
I watch Faolan close the door and follow me to the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight.
“Need anything?” he asks, glancing at me.
I shake my head. “I’m good.”
Faolan nods and swings his legs up, pulling the covers up to his shoulders. “Okay if I turn off the light?”
“Yeah.”
The light goes off, and I lie quietly in the dark. I expect Faolan to say something else, ask why I changed my mind, maybe go back on his promise and grab me, but he just shifts around and goes still. Seconds later, his breathing is deep and even in sleep.
Letting out a long breath, I finally relax into the firm mattress. It’s not as uncomfortable sharing a bed with him as I thought. Just having a warm body next to me is comforting. Rolling toward him, I reach my hand out to brush against his and shut my eyes.