“If you don’t stop that, I’m going to burn the eggs,” I say in a strangled voice as she chuckles into my back.
“Fine,” she says, taking her hands back and stepping away from me. I let out a long breath and realize my hands are shaking. If I don’t stir the eggs, they are definitely going to be burned. I take them off the heat and fluff them up. We’re good.
After putting some bread in the toaster and getting out some orange juice, I set the table and Saige watches me. I like the way she watches me move and I like watching her in this place. It’s as close as I’m ever going to get to having her at my apartment.
We sit down to our breakfast and Saige pulls her feet up on the chair, sitting sideways.
“Thanks for letting me stay over. I didn’t think you were going to let me into your Fortress of Solitude.”
“Well,” I say, taking a bite of toast and chewing before I continue, “it’s a lot warmer here, I should hope.” She grins at me over her coffee cup.
We eat in relative silence, both of us enjoying the other’s company without the need to clutter the morning with words. I admire the way she moves her hands when she eats. Saige has delicate fingers that look like they’d be good at playing an instrument.
“You’re staring again, Quinn Brand.”
“I prefer to think of it as aggressively admiring.” That comment makes her snort.
After we’re done eating she says that she has to get back to her place and study. I’d like to spend some more time with her, but I don’t want to be too demanding.
She helps me clean up the breakfast things and then goes back to the bedroom to get dressed.
I’m on coffee number three when she comes out with her bags again.
“I really…” she starts to say before shaking her head and changing her mind.
“What? You really what?” I don’t want her to leave. I want to grab her by the arms and drag her back into bed and fuck her into next week. In this moment, I don’t care about the job. I don’t care about her father. I don’t give a damn about anything but this redhead standing in front of me.
I blink a few times and try to clear my head. She needs to go. Now. I can’t let her take over everything.
“It’s nothing, really,” she says with a quick smile as she heads for the door. She seems in a hurry and I’m grateful because I need to get her out of here.
I know I need to give her a kiss or something, so I make myself walk her to the door. She pauses with her hand on the knob.
“Thanks for everything, Quinn.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses me, but pulls back quickly and then she’s out the door. I close it behind her and take a deep breath.
I definitely need to get this job over with. Fast.
“So the office is here,” I say, pointing to the blowup of the floor plan of the Beaumont mansion. “The security system is standard. You’d have no problem with it, Cash.” He grins and cracks his knuckles.
“Easy as pie.”
“I think we should wait until I can get back in the house myself to plant everything,” I say.
“But that could take a while,” Row points out. “Why don’t we just do it now? Then we can get what we need and get out of here.”
He seems… restless. Antsy. They all do. The energy in the room is ramped up and I can tell they’re losing their patience with me.
“Give me a week. I think I can swing another dinner invitation for the weekend. I have the feeling Beaumont is going to want to have me over as much as possible so he can keep his eyes on me.” That causes Baz, Row and Cash to snicker.
“With that said, it’s time to pull the trigger and get ready to move. Where are we going next?” It’s better when we democratically decide.
“Well, I think we should head to California,” Cash says. “Sand, sun and lots of bikini bodies. Plus, I’ve already got a few potential jobs lined up.” He hands me a printout with a few names on it, along with their crimes against humanity. I scan the paper and notice they’re all real winners.
“Anyone have any other suggestions?” I look around the room and get the feeling they’ve discussed this without me. Usually there’s a big fight over where we’re going to go, but they’re giving up without even a little protest. That definitely doesn’t sit right.
“Someone want to let me in on a conversation I was clearly not involved in?” I ask.
Hardy is the one that meets my eyes.
“You’re too wound up in your own head right now, Sylas. You’re not thinking straight.” No one needs to tell me this. I know I’m wrapped up with Saige. I know it’s happening and I can’t stop it. The second I saw her the first time I hopped on a runaway train and I’ve been riding it ever since. I will get off. I have to. But I might not make it all in one piece.
“So you all just made this decision without me?” I’m getting angry now. “What other decisions have you made without me?” I glare at them. My brothers. All of us bonded together by pain and blood and sacrifice and vengeance.
“Someone had to,” Cash says, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Look, we know you’ve got something going on with Saige. It’s written all over your face. Your voice changes when you talk to her, or about her, and I’ve seen you with her. You’re getting involved and it’s dangerous. You’re putting everything at risk. This isn’t just about you. This is about all of us and the work we’re trying to do.” I hear his words and I know he’s right. They’ve definitely talked about this more than once.
“I need a drink,” I say, and I’m not talking about beer.
Cash nods and goes to the bar to get something a little stronger. He emerges with two bottles of Jack and starts handing out the shot glasses.
He pours out the dark liquid and then we all toss them back. There’s a round of silence after we drink.
“I’m sorry,” I say as I hand my shot glass over for another. Cash fills it and everyone else joins suit. “I’m sorry that I’ve got my head up my ass. If one of you were doing this, I’d be pissed.” If I was in their shoes, I would have done the same thing. Shit.
“Just give me three weeks. Three weeks to get it done and then we can leave. Is California where everyone wants to go?” All the heads around me nod in unison. I down shot number two and swallow.
“California it is.”
“Three weeks,” Cash says.
“Three weeks,” I agree.
Time is ticking down. Days, weeks, hours, minutes, seconds. There is a gun pointed at my head and if I don’t get done what I need to get done, it’s going to go off and I have no idea what the damage will be.
I get wasted with the guys so Cash has to take me home.
“It’s okay,” he says as he helps me up the stairs and unlocks the door to my place.
Everything is hazy and fuzzy and all I want to do is close my eyes and shut everything out.
“It’s going to be okay, Sylas,” Cash’s voice says as he gets my boots off. I mumble something at him and then I’m down for the count.
When my eyes open again, I groan and slam my eyelids shut. My head is screaming in pain and my mouth tastes foul. I roll, very slowly, over and open my eyes just a little bit. There’s a glass of water on my nightstand along with a few aspirin. Cash must have left them. I take the pills and swallow the water, which is cool on my throat.
I need to go to the bathroom, but it takes me more than a few tries to get there. I do my thing and come back to the bedroom to find Leo sitting in the middle of my bed, glaring at me. As if I’ve done something to disturb him.
“Sorry,” I say as I grip my head and fall back into bed. There is absolutely no way I’m making it into work today. Shit, shit, fuck. I never miss work.