Page 59 of Heathen

It's as if he knows how difficult it's going to be for me, and he doesn't envy me having to make that decision at all.

"He's a piece of shit," I mutter.

"No doubt, but getting a little vengeance on that goon isn't part of the plan. Dima is the head of the snake, and he's the one we need to take down."

"Too bad this isn't a job in South America," I mutter, pulling a grunt of agreement from him.

If Cerberus was working a case in South America, there would be a lot less red tape if the leader of this particularorganization just happened to disappear into one of those desert holes we were speaking of moments ago.

"I'm attracted to her," I confess after Edmon gets something out of the SUV before going back inside.

"Of course you are. She's hot as hell," he says, drawing my eyes to the side of his face. "Objectively speaking."

"Neither of us is looking for something serious."

"Yet you married her the second time you saw her."

I have no argument against the facts he has stated, so I don't bother even attempting to.

"This is definitely not how I saw my life going," I mutter, shoving both hands into my hair.

"Shouldn't have drank the fucking Kool-Aid," he mutters.

Chapter 24

Kaylee

A second shower, a colder one this time, doesn't provide the distraction I need.

Two dozen laps around the swimming pool doesn't help either. The entire time, I kept thinking about the damn hot tub interaction from last night, which leads to thoughts of the shower this morning, and then I feel like I'm spinning out of control once again.

There's nothing that seems capable of distracting me completely, and I've spent nearly all day missing a man I shouldn't even know past our one interaction at the grocery store.

The house is completely empty except for me and Rooster. He came out of the big room he works in, made a plate full of what he calls nachos which consist only of tortilla chips and shredded cheese, and heated up two hot pockets, before grabbing a handful of candy and then disappearing again into the room and shutting the door.

All I got from him while he was in the kitchen was small talk about the heat, humidity, and the lack of a chance of rain.

What it did do was confirm that there are grown men who still eat like toddlers, and I sort of felt bad that he didn't have a more rounded meal.

I, on the other hand, raided the fridge like I lived there, and found some thawed chicken, fresh green beans that weren't purchased at my grocery store earlier in the week, and some rice. I managed to cook up a little stir fry for myself. I ate in silence, washed my dishes, and then commenced being bored and wishing that Ellis would hurry up and get home.

That idea both scares and titillates me in equal measure.

My walk around the backyard only makes boredom set in harder, so I decide to leave.

Having spotted the key rings hanging by the door close to where the detached garage is, I grab a set and pray that the vehicle I find isn't a stick shift. I haven't driven one in years and I'd probably embarrass myself if I had to drive one.

The second I open the door and step into the garage, the motion sensor lights activate, leaving me looking around the massive space with my mouth hanging open.

There is a row of matching black SUVs that had I not been told what this team of men does for a living would have left me wondering if they were a part of the Secret Service. To the right there is a line of clean and sleek motorcycles, and just the sight of them makes me wonder if Ellis would take me for a ride on one if I asked even though the thought of riding such a dangerous thing makes my knees threaten to bump together with a tremble.

I press the lock button on the key fob to find out which one I have the keys to and find that it's one of the SUVs right in the center of the line. Each one is backed into its slot with such precision, that I have no chance of sneaking out and returning it without it being noticeable. Hell, because of the lack of distance between them, backing it in without causing damage isn't even in my wheelhouse.

I tap my foot on the speckled concrete floor, considering that this might not be the best idea ever, but my boredom and need to interact with others make my decisions for me.

The second I climb inside the massive SUV, I fix the mirrors and open the garage door. No one is standing on the other side of the door, and it makes me feel as if that's permission enough to go for a drive.

The gate to the property opens when I inch closer. The vehicle itself has to be programmed to do that because there's no clicker on the sun visor that would've let me escape if it hadn't been.

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