Page 26 of The Tenor's Shadow

Chapter 8

Freddie

As they walked back to the hotel, Freddie silenced Anthony with a low grunt of “not here” every time he opened his mouth to ask a question. It wasn’t safe to talk in the open. As a bonus, it gave Freddie a few minutes to find an explanation for what Anthony had seen. Although he wracked his brain, he hadn’t come up with anything convincing.

Once the door to the hotel room closed, there was no stopping Anthony.

“What just happened?” Anthony stood framed by the doorway, his arms crossed and his face flush with rage and confusion. Freddie didn’t like that he’d caused that anger, but it was all to keep Anthony safe. That was what was important.

“They tried to kidnap you. I stopped them.” Freddie loosened his tie and sat by the desk. He was acutely aware of the high wire he was balancing on. He needed Anthony to trust him, but he couldn’t betray the existence of vampires to a human, even the coven master’s nephew.

“Don’t play coy with me. They hissed at us. That one growled at you.”

“They were weirdos.”

“And...and goatee guy moved faster. Faster than…well, I don’t know, but it wasn’t normal.” Anthony’s confusion warred with his anger, and Freddie wished so badly to lay everything out for him. But he wasn’t allowed.

“I didn’t notice that.” That’s the answer Freddie decided on. Weak, but better than the alternative.

“I know what I saw! That was insane. They weren’t hired guns.”

“The Azarians are crazy.” Freddie shrugged. “Always have been.”

“That doesn’t explain anything. Are they the mob? Are they a cult?”

“...a little of both.”

Anthony’s face scrunched in anger. He was barely holding it together, and Freddie was helpless to diffuse the situation without saying more than he should.

“No!” Anthony was almost yelling. “Absolutely not. We’re not doing that. These people are more than stalkers or deranged fans. What kind of horrible shit is Oliver involved in? Why would they try to kidnap me?”

“Leverage.”

“For what? What do they want?”

“I don’t know. Business dealings. I’m just security.” Freddie cringed inside. He knew it was the right thing, but the deceit made him feel dirty.

“You’re just security? Come on Freddie, I’m not stupid. You’re like some super soldier or something. When you threw the guy with the goatee, fucking Brian, there were cracks in the wall behind him. That’s insane!”

“I work out.” Freddie chuckled. That Anthony thought of him as a mutant army commando tickled him. And turned him on a little.

“God, you are infuriating!”

Freddie didn’t respond. What could he say? Anthony grabbed the hotel phone from the nightstand and put it to his ear.

“What are you doing?” Freddie asked. If Anthony tried to get the police involved, he’d have to stop him. They would make everything a thousand times more complicated.

“I’m ordering room service, dammit.” Anthony’s voice took on a sickly sweet tone. “Caro, send up a burger and fries. Rare. Well, as rare as you’ll cook it, then. A double order of garlic fries and a side of mayo.”

He hung up and stood by the phone, staring at Freddie. Freddie felt raw and exposed under his glare.

“And what were those things you said? You’re older? You had maybe a decade on them, sure, but what did your age have to do with anything?”

“Sometimes, uh, guys like that are intimidated.”

“By how old you are?!?”

Freddie shrugged. It was warm in the room for some reason. He reached up and took his tie all the way off, unbuttoning his top button. After a moment, he reconsidered and removed his jacket entirely.

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