Page 67 of Icy Heart, Empty Chest
I squeeze his hand and raise my eyebrow to him. “You wouldn’t be here without him. Chill, please.” I turn back to Finneas.
“Since I’ve been burned so thoroughly, I guess it’s as good a time as any to announce my retirement. I’m getting out.”
There were a few moments of measured silence while both Damien and Finneas could process.
He regards me cooly. “You know this is permanent. No favors or frantic phone calls.”
“I know. I’m done. Going in a different way. This isn’t what he would have wanted and I don’t need the money anymore.” A solemn look crosses his eyes at the mention of my father. A pang erupts in my chest.
He knows I’m right. Dad was always about doing everything on your own merit, not taking shortcuts. I can’t imagine what he’d say if he had known what I was doing after his death. I had my reasons but now they just seem irrelevant. Damien coming back into my life pretty much blasted them all away.
Finneas plants his stubby legs on the ground and nods with finality.
“You know where to find me. Take care of yourself, kid.” He makes his way towards my door and goes through it without another word.
I get up and lock it behind him.
“Were all of your contacts that intense?” hedged Damien. His body language was still tense.
I laugh. “Oh gods no. But be respectful please. Even if he’s a criminal, he was a big reason I was able to survive the last decade.”
Damien held up his hands. His cold protective doppelgänger was gone.
“I was just hoping I wasn’t heading into a shoot-out unarmed.”
“Not quite his style. Picking the lock and dropping in, absolutely.”
“I cannot stress how much I dislike that,” he says and pulls me into his arms.
“I doubt it’ll happen again. Truly. I think I may have burned my last illegal bridge.”
“I hope not. If we’re sleeping in the same bed and anyone gets through your door, they’re getting shot.”
“Cool it there, trigger. I doubt anyone in any underground circles is going to touch me with a ten-foot pole after all this. I’ll be back to being a lowly barista albeit with a super-hot boyfriend.” I thought for a second. “Marie might stab me though.”
He chuckled. “She can try.”
I untangled from his arms and wandered into the kitchen. I can’t even describe how good it felt to be back in his arms, to be held and protected, appreciated.
“Coffee or beer?”
“Probably beer.” Damien slid into the seat that Finneas vacated. “You do have other options, you know?”
“Hmm?”
“Look, someone I went to the academy with dropped out to go to the Healer’s Guild. I can put you in contact with her if you want,” he said as he sipped. “It would be a change and as much as I love seeing you in the apron handing me my coffee, it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
I snorted. “I will consider it in the morning when I’m not blinded by dick lust and the fact that I just gave up a very lucrative gig.”
“Cora, I’d pay for it myself, I have the money. Consider it your retainer fee. However, tell me more about this dick lust?”
Smiling seductively, I pulled the tie on the robe and started to walk back to the bedroom, dropping it to the ground in my wake.
I cameout of the bathroom later and looked at my bed with a silly smile. He was here, in my bed, casually running his hands back through his hair. I slid under the covers and wrapped my arms around his torso.
“Well hey there,” he said in a low tone.
“Mine,” I said with a squeeze.
