Page 118 of Things We Left Behind
“Once. A long time ago,” he said, his voice low.
I bit my lip and tried to avoid the barrage of memories.
“You should go, Pix.”
“You don’t have to be like them,” I told him. “You’re already better. I mean, besides your terrible personality. You’d do it better than they did.”
He was already shaking his head. “I invest my time in what matters most. I don’t have any left over for a wife and kids. I’d only be putting them at risk.”
I straightened. “I talked to Nash about you working with the FBI—”
“Of course you did.”
The roller coaster was inching its way up that first hill.
“You told me not to worry. You didn’t say ‘don’t talk to your friend.’”
“You haven’t changed in the least,” he snapped.
Actually, I’d gone up a cup size since I was sixteen. But that didn’t feel relevant in this conversation.
“Andyou’rea completely different person than you used to be,” I pointed out.
“I have work to do, and you’re annoying me,” he said.
“I talked to Nash, yourfriend, and he isn’t too thrilled about you becoming BFFs with the FBI.” Nash’s exact words had been something along the lines of “it gives me fucking heartburn.”
“I don’t care.” Lucian’s tone was just flippant enough it made me want to march into the living room, pick up one of the scratchy pillows, and hurl it at him.
“We both couldn’t help but wonder if it was Anthony Hugo’s men who went after Holly,” I said.
“It’s none of your business. But if it was Hugo’s men, then I just proved my point. I do things that get people close to me hurt,” he snapped, that beautiful facade cracking just enough for me to catch a glimpse beneath.
“Lucian,” I said softly.
He held up his hand. “Don’t. I’d like you to go.”
I crossed my arms. “Not until you tell me where the investigation stands. Are you in danger? Are the rest of your employees taking precautions?”
“I’m not discussing this with you,” he said and headed out of the kitchen.
I followed him into the hall. “You said the guy who sold Hugo the list turned up dead. Felix Metzer, right?”
Lucian stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “How did you know that?”
“It’s not that hard to search the news for dead bodies pulled out of the Potomac.”
“The news didn’t identify him,” he countered.
“I’m a fucking librarian. I have literal resources.”
“You’renotgetting involved in this, Sloane.”
His tone was icy and hard.
“I’m not asking to be involved. All I’m asking for is answers. Is the FBI close to making an arrest? Is Hugo going to retaliate again, and if so, are Lina and Nolan targets? If the guy who sold Duncan the list is dead, does that mean it’s a dead end? Is the FBI looking into financial crimes because those carry more charges? It’s not as sexy as convicting him for murdering people, but it’s usually easier to prove—”
“This is none of your business.Iam none of your business.”
