Page 83 of Iblis' Affliction
“Slater wants to go.” The protest bared Slater’s teeth in an aggressive grimace.
“No. Not after the last time.” Tugging the tie off his neck, Talha tossed it aside; his shirt followed.
The reaper’s voice changed, turning velvety-soft. “Slater was wrong, Master. Slater won’t do that again.”
“I’ve heard it before. You aren’t going. This is an important meeting, and I don’t want you to fuck it up.” Turning away from the reaper, Talha kept undressing. “Go away.”
“Slater said, Slater was sorry.” The tone changed again, becoming aggressive. “Slater won’t do that again. Why is Master still mad?”
“Because you always break your word. You make people uncomfortable. You aren’t supposed to be present in meetings like this. Why do you even want to come? There is no reason for you to be there.” Reaching for the belt, Talha hesitated, not willing to strip and entertain the reaper.
“To protect Master.”
That means you are bored…Talha thought, but said, “From whom? No one is threatening me. And you are a reaper, not a bodyguard; I prefer it to stay this way. Moreover, there’ll be Güvenç’s people, so as you see, I don’t need your protection. Now, step out of the bathroom, I’d like to shower.”
To his surprise, Slater left, but ten minutes later, the fully dressed figure of the reaper waited for him in the parking lot.
“Slater is going, Master.” The reaper grinned, and Talha checked his watch. There was no time left for a fight, as Slater would follow anyway.
“Fine, but no weapon. Disarm, now.”
THE NIGHT SCATTEREDcolorful lights over the two-millennia-old city, outshining the barely recognizable Milky Way, and the slim crescent of the moon. Escorted by two jeeps, occupied with armed men, Talha didn’t bother looking around, as his attention was consumed by Slater. Unable to sit straight, the reaper kept squirming on his seat, obviously feeling naked without any weapons. Talha smiled as sparks of satisfaction warmed his chest. If he couldn’t leave Slater home, at least he could make him uncomfortable.
Dinçer kept stealing curious glances through the rear-view mirror, but Talha couldn’t voice the reason for his amusement.
They parked among military jeeps that belonged to Güvenç’s people, in front of a small bar with a roof terrace. Giving the soldiers a once over, Talha nodded his appreciation. Toned and disciplined, they scattered over the perimeter, securing the restaurant. Curiosity to see them in action gnawed at him, but deep down, he already knew that choosing Güvenç had been the right call.
Exchanging a few nods and handshakes, Talha directed his feet toward the entrance when he noticed three Land Rovers parked on the other side of the parking lot. Heavy, with solid tires, they looked enchanted, bullet-proof.
“I assume they have already arrived?” Talha shot a glance at the lit windows, then at Slater. The reaper swayed to and fro on his toes. His eyes examined the armed men with a challenging look as if he was ready to fight anyone who wanted to contend him.
Like a fucking dog… Lips quivering in a smile, Talha palmed the reaper in his chest. “You stay here. If you go upstairs, I’m going to be very upset. Understand?”
“No, Slater goes with Master,” Slater gnashed out, made a first step toward the entrance, but a tall, wide shadow crossed his path.
“Haven’t you heard what Reis said? Back off!” A muscular, tall man, dressed in a black military uniform, confronted Slater. Stepping toward the reaper, the man jerked the muzzle of his automatic gun pointing Slater to a table on the first floor. “Sit there and wait, as Reis said.”
Interesting!It’s been a while since someone captured Talha’s attention. Usually, people instinctively avoided Slater, sensing the danger in him. This man looked fearlessly stupid, therefore captivating.
“What’s your name?” Talha found himself asking as he examined the stranger’s eyes. Immobile, black, with barely recognizable pupils, it was impossible to tell where they were looking.
“Zaal, Reis.”
“Zaal, huh. You aren’t Turkish, are you?”
“No, Reis. Georgian.” The low voice sounded cautious this time, as the wide mouth reduced to a slit.
“I’ll give you a thousand Euros if you manage to keep this one in check. He must not go upstairs.” With a careless lift of his chin, he pointed at Slater. “Can you do that?”
“Absolutely, Reis.” Zaal grinned, as his eyes and his muzzle fixed on Slater. “Don’t worry.”
THREE HOURS LATER,when the dinner was over, and the deal with the Syrian crime group was finalized, Talha stumbled down the stairs. To his surprise, Slater still sat on the assigned chair. Gun on the table, Zaal sat opposite to him. Their hard eyes fixed on each other, as vehement hatred, exuding from the pair, condensed the air.
No one had ever managed to make Slater sit for three hours in a row without chaining him. Watching the rare picture, Talha thought that he could use a bodyguard like Zaal, as well as with a baby-sitter for his psychopathic assassin.
“Did you have fun?” Approaching the reaper, Talha slapped Slater’s shoulder. Jumping to his feet, Slater glared, indignation splashing in his pale eyes. “Good. Get in the car.”
Turning to Zaal, he gave him a once over. Talha rarely misjudged people. The man looked impressive and serious. Yet, he gave out the vibe of a private person. Someone who wouldn’t run his mouth. “Do you have family, Zaal?”
