Page 34 of Bad Enough

TB pocketed the ribbon, got up from the chair, and gave it a shove toward the table as he tried to head to the door.

Steel called out, “I’m just trying to figure out when the angle became a thing.”

TB had reached the door, his hand on the knob, but he turned back to face the man still sitting, relaxed as could be, at the conference table. “There’s no ‘thing.’”

“Call it whatever you want, but there’s definitely a ‘thing.’ You don’t usually sit through meetings completely tuned out to what’s going on and contemplate pieces of frilly material.”

“I have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow. Is there a fucking point somewhere here?”

“Between you and Waters this past week since you got home, it’s like trying to navigate a minefield.”

“My problem is nothing like Waters’ problem.”

“At least you admit you have a problem,” Steel muttered. He continued, “Does your grouchiness have anything to do with the text you just got?”

“No.”

“You know, for an expert interrogator, you can’t lie for shit. C’mon, seriously. What is going on?”

“Why do you care?”

Steel shrugged. ”Do you blame me for not wanting to work in an office full of cranky men? Glad Demon’s not here because then it would be all doom and gloom.”

“Whatever.” He headed through the door. “I have to go.”

“Have you learned nothing from the bossman’s mistake?” Steel called out again.

“What is it you want?”

“I want to know if you’re going to learn from his mistake and fight for what you want?”

“You talking about Flame? The author and her research?”

“That may have been how it started, but that’s not how it ended. Or, ended prematurely, should I say. It did not go unnoticed by anyone that you went to the club with her, and then for the past five nights, you’ve gone alone, and you’ve not been home in time for your nightly chats with her.”

“Fuckin’ Midas,” TB spat. “Is he following my chats? I’ll fuckin’ kill him.”

“No, TB, he’s only checked the connection. He would never look at your communications, no matter how much Nemo begs. You would have known that if you’d been listening in the meeting. He said it out loud, and he was right next to you. You didn’t even flinch.”

“Look,” TB tried to explain, “it became very clear that she’s too innocent for this. It’s not fair to lead her astray. She’s going to get caught up in the whole role exchange, and then I’m going to hurt her. When we get back in town, I’ll have Cherry partner with me. Same scenario—a newbie able to ask questions.”

“Yeah, that won’t look odd at all, you bringing another new girl in.” Steel shook his head. “And good luck getting Cherry into that club dressed like a sub. We’ll be lucky if he only raises the roof and doesn’t burn this building to the ground.”

“He who? God? He’s sent her undercover before.”

Steel mumbled under his breath about the best and brightest being the most oblivious.

TB frowned and shook his head. “No idea who or what you’re referring to. Regardless, if in a week I haven’t found anything, there probably isn’t anything to find. Maybe the club has nothing to do with it directly. Maybe it’s just a vulnerable location to hunt. I’ll talk to the security team there. One of the dungeon masters is a former Marine.”

“Waters says his spidey senses are telling him it’s connected to the club, so that means it is ninety-nine percent connected. He just hasn’t figured out how he knows it. I think… maybe… just maybe… you got too close to Flame and got burned.” Steel stood, stretched, then walked past his friend and headed out the door. “Figure it out, big man, or you’re going to end up like Waters.”

TB sank down into the chair closest to the door. He sat alone and in silence, contemplating what Steel had said to him.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like her. He did. Way more than he should.

But no matter which way he looked at it, he couldn’t see any sort of a future between him and Flame. His job wouldn’t allow it with someone like her. She’d be crying and demanding he stay home and spend time with her within two project stints.

She hasn’t complained in the time you’ve been chatting.

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