Page 47 of Ruling Scar
Elijah sent me photos of all the times he hung out with Russet. Maybe he makes it a habit to check in on the people around him.
“You’re not going to warn me to be careful?” I ask after a minute.
“Oh, sure.” She takes a drink of water, making a face at the boring liquid. “I’m assuming he’s with you?”
She points a chopstick at a booth. The blonde guy from the photo Elijah sent me earlier looks up, mid-bite. A second ago,I thought the man out of my peripheral was a business guy at lunch.
“Holy shit,” I say under my breath and turn back to Ren. “How’d you know?”
“Hi, Ivan.” She waves a hand, somehow knowing the man.
He chews his food, but there’s a mask of amusement and there’s no sign he’s leaving until I do.
“Do you think Leopold will believe it?” I ask quietly.
She sets her glass down. “Do you?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “I’d like him to get the hint and move on.”
“Except you’re worried he’ll go on and fuck some other girl up.” She tilts her head to the side. “May as well go ahead and ask Elijah to kill him.”
“Are you sure I can’t hire the Ghost?”
She smiles.
“Has Isolde really seen his face?” I lean forward. “Did you figure out who he is?”
I’ve not heard a whisper about him since he took out Marissa.
“We’re not talking business.”
“I’m asking about a friend’s crush,” I counter.
Amusement lines her face, but she shakes her head. “Be careful, Len.”
She started shortening my name a while ago and I like it.
“You’ll help me put a hit out on Elijah if anything happens right?” She advised me against plotting Leopold’s murder, but surely she’d help with a Zimin.
“Unfortunately, I think that bastard has nine lives.”
“All Isolde needs is nine bullets.”
She laughs and then whispers, “Ask Abe about dessert. If I ask he’ll blow me off.”
CHAPTER 12
Lennie
Very begrudgingly, Abe serves us mochi and later I arrive back to a bouquet on my desk.
They’re a beautiful burnt orange and my boss doesn’t bother to hide a smile as she peeks into my office. She hands me a stack of paperwork and wags her brows.
I blush. “They’re just flowers.”
“Uh huh. But from who?”
“Thanks for these.” I hold up the paperwork. She chuckles under her breath and walks away.
