“Come home with me?” Saige says as we reach my car and I hit the automatic locks and hold the door for her.
“Absolutely,” I say.
Twenty
“When am I going to get to see your place?” Saige says the next morning as we’re eating cereal in bed. Neither of us had enough energy to cook anything or go out, so cereal is the best solution.
I knew this would come up eventually, and I have a contingency. The guys and I rent an apartment in the city, for emergencies. It’s filled with nice furniture. No personal items or anything, other than a few clothes in the closet for appearances. I’ll have to take some of my things there to make it look lived-in and buy some groceries, but all that is easily arranged. Saige puts her empty bowl down on her nightstand and lies next to me on her side.
“How about next week you come over and we have dinner, how about that?” She flicks my nipple and smiles.
“Okay. I thought you didn’t want to take me to your place because of some reason.”
“What kind of reason?” I ask as she continues to play with my nipple. It set my bowl on her other nightstand. It’s hard to concentrate on her voice when she’s doing that, so I put my hand on top of hers to make her stop.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she says, looking up. “That you’ve got a weird collection of something, or you’re a hoarder, or you live in your parents’ basement.” She laughs and I join her.
“Nope. None of the above. I just don’t spend that much time in my place. It’s for sleeping and that’s about it.” She nods.
“Okay. That’s good to know. I’m not sure I could have taken it if you were a hoarder.”
“I’m more the opposite. I throw everything away.” Quinn does. Sylas doesn’t.
“Why don’t you ever talk about your family?” Why is she doing this right now? It’s too early and I haven’t had nearly enough coffee. I shrug.
“There’s nothing to talk about.” She rolls her eyes.
“That’s another line you’re feeding me. Come on, I want to know. You’ve met my parents. It’s only fair that you tell me about yours.”
I shake my head and grip her hand.
“Leave it alone, Saige.” Her eyes go wide, as if she knows she’s pushed too far.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was a tough subject for you.”
“Me avoiding all talk about my past didn’t give that away?” I snap. Shit. I didn’t mean to do that. She doesn’t seem bothered.
“I’m sorry,” she says again.
“It’s fine. Just… leave it alone.”
“Okay.” There’s a tense silence between us and suddenly I don’t want to be in bed with her.
“I should probably get home,” I say, putting my feet on the floor and standing.
“Quinn, wait,” Saige says, diving across the bed and draping herself over my back.
“I really am sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. Sometimes I can be a little pushy.” That’s an understatement.
She kisses the side of my neck and I can’t help my body’s response to her. I close my eyes and feel her body against mine.
“It’s okay,” I say. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she whispers against my neck. “Don’t go yet.”
“Okay,” I say as she pulls me back.
“No more messages?” Cash asks at our meeting the following Tuesday.
“None. Either he’s given up, or he’s waiting. We should be prepared for either scenario,” I say. The guys have been following me 24 hours a day and have seen nothing. No vehicles parked near my house, no one taking pictures of me, absolutely goddamn nothing.
“Oh, I’m sure he hasn’t given up,” Track says. “Do you think maybe we should get out? Do an extraction?” He’s finally voicing what I’m sure everyone has been thinking, me included. We’ve pulled the plug on a few jobs before for one reason or another. It would be easy to do. I’d just transfer all Mr. Beaumont’s assets to another advisor and we’d leave.
But… the thought of bailing makes a sharp pain shoot through my chest. I rub the spot and shake my head.
“No, I’m too far in. I can do this. I just need a little more time.” Time, time, time. We’re always racing against it, ruled by it.
I meet each set of eyes on me.
“I can do this,” I say again.
There’s a collective exhale.
“Okay,” Cash says, clapping me on the shoulder with his enormous hand.
“Just… hurry,” Row says, looking up at me.
“That’s my plan. I need the apartment this week.” That causes lots of eye rolling. It means that no one else can use it and they need to clean their shit out of it. I know they use it as a storage facility and sometimes crash pad, even though they’re not supposed to. I don’t bust them on it because it’s such a little thing.
“She’s asking me to let her come to my place. What am I supposed to do?” I ask.
There’s more moaning and groaning.
“So get your shit cleared out and I swear to God, if that shower is broken, I’m going to garrote whoever did it.” That had been a problem in the last apartment we’d had.
“Hey, it wasn’t my fault,” Baz says, putting his hands up. “She grabbed onto it. Wasn’t my fault.” If he hadn’t brought the girl in the first place, it wouldn’t have happened.
I try to get everyone back on track as Hardy gives us the facts and figures. He’s been treating me the same way he always does, but I know he’s probably going to want to collect his favor relatively soon.
The guys are out of control and busy talking about other things, so I give up. My burner phone vibrates in my pocket and I freeze.
“That’s the burner,” I say, looking at Cash.
“See what it is,” he says as I pull the thing out of my pocket. Another picture message. It’s dark, but there’s no mistaking it’s me, walking down the street with Saige. Probably after we left the club.
“Shit, shit, shit, motherfucker,” I say as Cash looks at the thing and swears.
“Another message from your stalker?” Row asks with a grim face. I nod. “Are you sure you want to keep going with this? You really don’t know who you’re messing with.” No, but that doesn’t matter. I’m not giving up this job.
“I’ll go back to the club and if I can figure out the angle the picture was taken from, I can do a search and see if he left anything behind.” Cash hands the phone around so everyone can take a look.
“Shit, that’s a sexy girl,” Baz says, completely ignoring everything but Saige. I want to punch him for a second, but just snatch the phone back.
“I’ll go with you, Cash,” Hardy says. He’ll be able to pinpoint the exact location, no problem.
“Time for a new phone,” Cash says, but I don’t want to hand it over. I look again at the picture. Saige and I are walking together, my arm around her shoulders, her arm around my waist. She’s pressed into my side and laughing as if I’d said something funny. And there’s a smile on my face.
I hand the phone over to Cash and he collects everyone else’s before breaking out a new set and handing them around.
“We should probably go now, because the light will match,” Hardy says and he and Cash depart together.
“Are you sure you can do this?” Row asks. He looks odd without his twin by his side. Like he’s missing something.
“Yes,” I say. “I just need a few more…” I don’t know. Days? Weeks? I’m not sure. “I’ll get it done.”
He nods as if he doesn’t believe me and chucks his empty beer bottle in the recycling before heading out. Track is next, telling me to be careful and then it’s just Baz and me.
“Look, we bailed you out, no questions asked,” I say in case he’s going to tell me to stop.
“I know, I know,” he says, his face getting tight. He’s not one to be serious, but he’s got his serious face on right now.