I glanced over at Falcon. “Want some?”
He shook his head and leaned back with his hip against the counter. “Tell me more about Elek.”
Nosy motherfucker. “No thanks.”
He ignored me. “I mean, having a relationship history with him could mess with our operation. That’s why I’m asking. So who was he to you? Or maybe who he is to you now is the better question.”
Falcon wasn’t wrong to ask. I knew that. If I were in his shoes I would demand to know also. But that didn’t mean I wanted him to see such a vulnerable part of me. My history with Elek was embarrassing, plain and simple. Admitting how naive I had been when I first came under Elek’s spell and how quickly and easily I’d trusted him was humiliating. And telling it to someone strong and powerful, someone who seemed to have his own shit together, someone like Falcon, wasn’t easy.
“We fucked. There, you happy?” I took the toast out of the machine and slapped butter onto it. After retrieving the cream from the fridge, I doctored my coffee and took everything to the kitchen table.
Falcon took the seat next to mine. “I’m not trying to get into your business. You and I both know that your personal history with him, whatever it is, could be a real problem in this operation. I simply want to be prepared. Anything you know about him could help.”
I nodded and took a bite of my toast. After swallowing, I ticked off some points on my hand. “First, he’s not the smartest guy in the world. Which is good for us. Second, at one point, I used to have the ability to get him to do what I wanted. I don’t know if that’s still the case, but it might be. In which case that could benefit us. Third, the fact I have a personal history with him means I know him better than any undercover operatives ever could. I know his habits, his schedules, the kind of people he keeps around him, and unless things have changed, I even know the man he would have hired to put in the security around the crown.”
Falcon seemed to relax. “Okay, you’re right. Those are good things. I just don’t want any surprises, as I’m sure you can understand.” He stood up and pushed the chair back under the table. “Good night, King.”
I enjoyed the sight of him walking away and tried not to think of how good he looked in his workout clothes. Instead, I got to work.
Two hours later, I realized the late hour had caught up to me, and I decided to get some more sleep if I could. When I walked into the room, I was shocked to see Falcon’s sleeping form in the bed next to mine. How could he not have realized this room was already taken?
I stepped back out into the hallway and looked for an extra bedroom. I’d already noticed the rooms Ziv, Mouse, and Linney had selected. And now I realized there were no additional bedrooms. No wonder Mouse had reassured me that Falcon didn’t snore.
After returning to the room, I slipped into my bed and tried like hell not to stare at the man across from me.
I failed.
9
Falcon
The following day dawned bright and warm, warmer at least than the day before. The first place my eyes landed was on the bare shoulder of the man in the other bed. King Wilde.
Why had I thought sharing a room with him would be a good idea? It wasn’t. It was a stupid, idiotic, ridiculous idea. Because now, I was having thoughts.
I shook my head and stood up. No time for thoughts. No thoughts. None at all. I grabbed my things and headed for the bathroom. A shower would do nicely, even if it did need to be on the cold setting.
By the time I got dressed, everyone had already gathered in the kitchen, and someone had made a platter full of eggs and some sausage. A bowl of cut-up fruit was in the center of the table, and I could smell the coffee the minute I walked in the room. Today was going to be a good day. The run the night before must’ve helped clear my head because I felt more ready for the day than I had since before finding out about the crown.
As I poured my coffee, Ziv turned around beaming. “Your boy came through for us. The invitation arrived this morning. David Kennedy plus one. Now we just have to decide who his plus one is.”
I nodded. “And we also need to decide who David Kennedy is. Because it sure as hell is not going to be King.”
A familiar snort came from behind me. “Falcon, the man knows me on sight.”
“So does Elek,” I pointed out.