Buttons and Blame (Buttons 5)

* * *

Crow was in a pissed-off mood. I could tell just by looking at his furrowed eyebrows.

“What’s up?” I asked as I took a seat.

“What’s up?” he asked sarcastically. “While you’ve been playing with your toy, I’ve been trying to track this asshole down. You know, so I can be with my wife again.”

“I haven’t been playing with my toy,” I snapped. “I’ve been helping her, in case you’ve forgotten what she’s been through.”

“And what do you think I’m going through? My wife is pregnant, and she’s in Greece by herself.”

“With Lars and a dozen guards,” I argued. “She’s fine.”

“Well, I’m not fine,” he snapped. “We need to find Tristan.”

“What did the team say?”

“No sign of the boat.”

“Anywhere?”

“Nope.”

I put my feet on the desk as I considered the announcement. “If he survived, he had to take it somewhere.”

“Or it sank,” he said. “In that case, he could have swum to shore or drowned. So he’s as likely to be dead as he is to be alive.”

“The only reason why I want him to be alive is so I can kill him with my bare hands.” What he did to Adelina was unforgivable. And the fact that I let it happen was even more unforgivable. She was my woman. She was my life. How did I walk away from her? How did I let this happen?

“I just want him to be dead so I can get back to my life.”

“We’ve got eyes and ears everywhere,” I said. “I’ve already told our distant crews we’re looking for him. If the guy is in public at all, word will get back to us. We took out his entire team. Tristan has no one right now. He’s totally helpless. If he tells anyone it was us, then everyone will be more terrified of us than him.”

Crow nodded in agreement. “True.”

“He’ll turn up soon. If weeks go by and he doesn’t…we’ll just assume he’s dead or has gone into hiding.”

“I don’t think I can handle weeks of this…” He rested his fingertips against his temple like he was fighting a migraine. His black wedding ring matched his exterior, cold, dark, and hard. It was difficult to believe he loved a woman with all of his heart.

“It’ll be over soon. Pearl can come home, and you can get ready for the baby.”

He rubbed his temple. “I don’t know shit about babies…”

“But Pearl does. She’s got that natural maternal instinct.”

“You’re right, she does.”

“You could always go to Greece and wait it out with her. I can take over the manhunt and let you know when it’s all over.”

He grabbed the glass from the table and took a drink. “As tempting as that sounds, I don’t want anyone to follow me. It would be a moot point if I led the trail back to my most prized possession.”

“True…”

“I’m staying until this is over.”

“Alright. Then let’s buckle down.”

* * *

“How’s Adelina doing?” Crow asked.

“She’s handling things pretty well, actually.” I closed the folder when I didn’t find what I was looking for. “She’s resilient. Anyone else would still be shaking. But she’s holding her head high. She’s strong.”

“Reminds me of Pearl. I never felt like she was a victim. More like a survivor.”

“Exactly.”

“I’m sure you have something to do with her calmness. She feels safe around you.”

“Yeah…I think she does.”

“Have you told her how you felt?”

I shook my head.

“Are you going to?”

“I don’t know… I feel like it’s pointless.”

“How so?”

“I risked my life as well as yours to save her. It’s pretty damn obvious how I feel about her. If she doesn’t already know, she’s an idiot.”

“She might just think you’re a good guy.”

I snorted. “She knows I’m not a good guy. She knows I’m not evil, but not good either. That’s why I like her so much. She knows exactly what I am and accepts it.”

“And you know where acceptance comes from? Love.”

“I’m not sure how she feels. I’d think she was a little crazy if she fell in love with me when I accepted her as payment…”

“Pearl fell in love with me.”

“But she is an idiot,” I said with a smile.

His eyes narrowed.

“Come on, you know I’m kidding.”

If he didn’t know that was a joke, he would have murdered me right then and there.

Bran approached our table with straight shoulders. He was always a serious guy, but he seemed more serious than usual. “There’s someone here to see you.”

“Who?” I asked. Judging by the expression on his face, it was the Queen of England.

“Constantine,” Bran said quietly. “Says you know him.”

I wished I didn’t know him.

I exchanged a look with Crow.

This was bad news. And even worse timing.

“Where is he?” I asked.

“At the entrance to the warehouse,” Bran answered. “Has a few men with him.”

Of course he did. “I’ll be there in a second.”

“Alright.” Bran walked away, so we were alone once more.