Page 36 of Kill Me Sweetly

“JJ, of course,” Angel said. “He’s got the mingling down pat. He shot JJ a wink.

“Then I go too.” I wasn’t letting JJ go without me.

“You sort of stick out like a sore thumb, Shep.” Angel cocked his head. “You want to sort of be forgettable by the time you leave, and you’re not.”

“Wait.” JJ slammed the glasses on the counter. “Are you implying I’m not memorable?”

Ha-ha. I was loving this. I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. Angel gaped at JJ.

“No, you’re amazing, of course we could never forget you.”

“Uh-huh. Bullshit, fuckface! You’re saying no one will remember me, but if Shep goes, he’ll forever be ingrained in the minds of the elite evil?”

“Elite evil?” Angel looked over at me, but I wasn’t helping him.

“So tell me, dickbag, who should be my equally forgettable partner?”

I knew who he was going to say before he said it, and I instinctively took a step away from them.

“I dunno.” Angel shrugged. “Probably Mason.”

JJ’s eyes widened. “I hope you’re a fast runner, Angel. I’m about to fuck you up.”

Angel laughed. Genuinely. But JJ wasn’t kidding. He’d get in the car and chase him if he had to.

“JJ, come on.” Angel snorted, trying to convince JJ he was joking. No dice.

JJ slow-panned and faced me. “Can you keep an eye on Four for a little bit?”

“You do what you have to, babe.” I chuckled when Angel bolted out of the kitchen, JJ hot on his heels.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

JJ

Aziza arrived shortly after lunch,and we sat in the living room. Shep brought drinks and some snacks to them just in case. I could tell he was nervous. Angel and Shep wanted to stay in the room, but Aziza said she’d ask Four. It was his session, his recovery, and therefore his choice. I imagined he didn’t get many of those.

“Four, before we begin, would you like it to just be the two of us, or are you okay with anyone else being in here?”

Four looked at me first and I tried to appear encouraging; then his attention was on Angel and Shep.

“I…it’s okay if they stay.” He stammered, which was new, so I took his hand.

“It’s your choice, Four. No one here will be upset if you ask us to leave.”

He regarded me for a beat, and then his shoulders relaxed. “I’m okay if you three stay.”

Aziza nodded. “Very well.” She turned to Angel and Shep. “I’ll ask you both to keep quiet while Four and I talk unless he addresses either of you. Stay out of his eye line for now as well. Four?” She faced him again. “Like yesterday, you and I will have a conversation. If you have questions, please ask.”

“Okay.”

She smiled. “Great. Now, I know we talked yesterday about your earliest memory, but I wanted to dig a little into some things that have been rattling around in my brain overnight.”

“Okay.”

“Did you have parents? A mom or dad? Maybe a guardian?”

Four tilted his head in confusion. “I have never called anyone those words.”

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