“I should hope not.”
“The other half when the job is done, naturally.”
I don’t respond, but he lingers, seeming to want me to.
“A gesture of good faith, if you will,” he continues.
He’s nervous.
I put the sandwich down and turn in my seat so I can look up at him. “Is there something you need, or can I finish my lunch?”
Most people aren’t so direct and he’s momentarily surprised. He recovers quickly enough, pulling out the chair next to me and taking a seat. He removes his glasses, gently squeezing the bridge of his nose, and then puts them back.
“I realize it’s not exactly my business what you do once your contract is up, but I was wondering if you had any interest in sticking around here.”
It’s obviously a question, but he doesn’t make it sound like one. My mind jumps to Annabelle, the only reason I would have any interest in sticking around, but he hasn’t mentioned the idea of bringing her over to his side again, and I don’t want him to know she’s still on my mind.
I shake my head, a wordless no.
He nods, but disappointment flits across his features. “I was thinking… if you were looking for something a little more permanent, maybe I could use a guy like you.”
I’m not interested, not even a little bit, but I am curious, so I don’t immediately say so. “How do you mean? Protection?”
“No. Well… not precisely. A sort of protection.” He looks at me, trying to read me or something, but it doesn’t work, so he remains tentative. “After all is said and done and Pietro’s empire is toppled, there will be new opportunities, a very brief window before someone else comes into power. Money to be made.” He’s watching me for interest as he speaks, and I get the impression he’s holding back, but I’m also not dense, so I can fill in the pieces myself.
I cock my head slightly, but my face betrays nothing of my thoughts. “I thought this was about avenging your son.”
Scowling fiercely, he says, “This is about my son. Of course it is.”
I nod once, accepting his word for it.
I understand. It may be about vengeance, but Raj is an opportunist and the situation he’s creating is too great to pass up. He wants to take advantage of the chaos after the fall, and he needs muscle.
“Well, I like being a freelancer; I’m not looking for anything permanent,” I tell him.
“It wouldn’t have to be permanent. Just another job after you complete this one.”
I look at him and flash him a smile. “After this one, I’m taking a vacation.”
He looks disappointed. “I see. Well, if you change your mind….”
“I won’t.”
Raj stands and goes to leave, but after only a couple of steps, I hear his footsteps pause. I’m more alert, shoulders tensing. Ordinarily I’m not this tense doing a job, but ordinarily I don’t fuck around and catch feelings for the people involved. I can’t shake the feeling of being a double agent when I’m around Raj, or the concern that he might start to see that.
I half expect to be jumped several times a day at this point, whether at work, or when I show up back at the place I’m calling home right now. Raj’s guy or one of Pietro’s? Who fucking knows anymore. It’s no way to live.
“It’s important that the entire family be removed,” Raj finally says.
I don’t react, but he’s obviously talking about Annabelle. It makes me uneasy that he’s even bringing this up again, that he thinks I’m still worried about her.
He can’t trust me if he thinks that.
I can’t rely on him if he doesn’t know he can rely on me.
I wanna hurl my half eaten sandwich across the goddamn room. This is exactly why this sort of shit shouldn’t happen. Needless complications. This job was stressful enough before Annabelle had to pick her goddamn apples.
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