Anguished (Crimson Elite 2)

“Take me to Ma’s.” He knows whose place that is. Ma is the mother I wish I had. Creed is one lucky prick to have a mother like her. She makes me feel welcome, and I enjoy being there. Especially, when I don’t have anywhere else to go.

“Do you want to come to mine?”

I look up at him shocked. He never lets us come to his. He’s much like Creed in that way.

“Ma is probably sleeping, best to not wake her.”

I nod my head. Then look back up at the house I bought with her. It’s time to sell it, even if I do love it. She’s in every aspect of it, and everywhere I step or touch I’m reminded of her. It’s too fucking much.Waking up in Darby’s spare room isn’t something I’ve ever done before. I knew his place would be like a showroom, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent. It feels like you can look but not touch. The floors are white. The table, which I’m guessing is an office is white, no pictures hang, and nothing that makes it feel homey is in here. Careful to not touch anything because I would hate to leave a stain on it I get up. He told me he has a cleaner come every week. Why? Fucked if I know. It’s not like he’s here to dirty it. He basically lives at the fucking office. Walking into his kitchen, he’s seated at his bench with a cook on the other side making him waffles. I can smell them as I rub my eyes wondering if what I’m seeing is real.

“Does she make your lunches as well?” I ask sitting next to him. The woman who’s cooking doesn’t pay me any attention, but Darby looks at me as if to tell me to shut up.

“That will be all, Wanda.”

She places a plate in front of me as she disappears. Leaving us both sitting at his counter eating breakfast in the quiet. He lives in an apartment, a fucking penthouse apartment, high above the city which overlooks office buildings with their secrets contained inside their gleaming blacked out windows.

How have we all been friends for so long, and I’ve never seen this place is beyond me?

“Maybe I should buy in this building,” I say looking around.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t.” I almost choke on my food. “Hurry up. I have to get to the office.” He gets up placing his plate in the sink then he takes his seat again drinking his coffee waiting for me to finish.

“You’re not as cold as him, but you’re as closed off as him,” I say. He knows who I’m talking about automatically. We don’t have many other friends. It’s been the four of us as a team for as long as I can remember. Some days are better than others. But when you work day and night with someone, you get to know all their traits. We sure as shit all know each other’s, including what ticks each of us off the most.

“If you’re finished assessing me for the day, some of us have to work.”

“I have work,” I say grunting at him, then pointing my fork with the waffle still on the end. “It’s with you, remember? Dickhead.”

“Do you? Because this last year you’ve been extremely absent, and we’ve been picking up after you.”

Damn him, his words are true. I haven’t been involved as much as I should have been. But it still isn’t good to hear.

“I’m here now.”

He stands, steps forward placing his coffee down. “Are you really, Echo? Are you really? Because I sure as shit am sick of doing two jobs.”

“I’m back. Can’t you see me? I’m fucking back. So enough of this shit, D. Just tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.”

He places both hands on the counter. “Your job.” Then he walks off, leaving me with a plate full of waffles staring after him. Have I really been that fucking bad?

Ringing Creed, he answers on the first call. I hear Darby in the other room as Creed says my name. “Echo, what do you want?”

“Good morning to you, too, sunshine,” he says nothing as he waits for me. “Have I been that bad with business for the last year?” He stays silent, and I pull the cell away to look at it to make sure the call is still connected. “Creed?”

“Yeah, you’ve been shit,” he replies, and I know he won’t lie to me. I look up just as Darby walks back in, he stops waiting and listening.

“Darby’s on my ass about it.” Darby crosses his arms over his chest as he listens to me speak to Creed.

“I’m amazed he hasn’t sold your part of the business, actually.”

“He doesn’t have the right.”