He nodded somewhat jerkily as he walked over to the table and motioned for us to follow. I reached for the fancy, full backed velvet chair to pull it out for her, but he beat me to it.
I glowered at the hand that lightly brushed against her back as she sat and he helped her scoot in her chair. That was my job. I took care of her.
“So, you said you needed my services?” He cleared his throat as he took the seat next to her, pulling his own seat a little closer. Silver flashed in his mouth as he spoke.
Did I take the chair on the other side of her, or did I sit next to him to watch his hands? There was a long, draping white tablecloth hanging over the table that would perfectly hide any advances he tried to make.
No, I didn’t need to do that. Vienna had already told me she’d break hands if someone tried to touch her and she didn’t want it. I believed her. Even though it went against every fiber of my being, I sat in the chair on her other side.
But to subtly show my connection to her, I pushed my chair even closer than his. There was still space between us, but it should leave no doubt that I knew her better.
“Wow boys, you’re getting a little close, aren’t you?” Vienna laughed, humor bright in her eyes.
I grunted, while Fletcher lost some of his fear and the good-natured smile he wore was honest.
“Drew, you wound me, that you think I wouldn’t want to be close to you.” He placed a hand over his chest.
Drew...I smirked, relaxing into the seat. Fletcher didn’t know her real name. And that was more of a balm to my ego than if Vienna had straddled my lap in front of him. She was a complicated creature, and she wouldn’t lightly share about her life.
But I knew the real her, and I lived with her in her home, slept with her in her bed. Yes, I was much calmer now.
Vienna rolled her eyes at his flirtation as a small smile played over her luscious lips and my hackles rose again. That was a little flirtier than I liked.
“Business, Fletcher. We’re here for business.” She maneuvered her chair closer to the table so her lap was completely hidden from him, then her hand squeezed my knee. It was brief, barely a few seconds, then it was gone.
It was everything I needed in that moment. A bit of reassurance that said she wanted me here with her, and to trust her.
“Yes, the business you mentioned over the phone.” He traced his bottom lip with his thumb. Like Vienna would fall for that trick.
Then I looked over, and her gaze was following the movement. And he grinned.
The. Fucker. Grinned.
As if she remembered why she was here, she blanked her face and started laying out what she needed. I was shocked this was the errand, but I kept my face neutral. I’d never give him the satisfaction of catching me off guard.
“This is my friend, and we need to make him a new identity. Passport, driver’s license, birth certificate. The whole nine, including a digital footprint. Dion called this the around the world package. Is that something you can handle?” She was all business now, her tone crisp and no nonsense.
I got hard watching her take charge.
“Too easy,” he scoffed, as if offended she would dare question him. “Although it does take quite a bit of elbow grease, we’ll have to negotiate an appropriate payment.”
The butter knife on the cheese platter was begging to be shoved through his eye. Or maybe the ear canal. I wasn’t sure.
“I always pay my debts.” Her voice dropped in tone just enough to be suggestive. My head was going to explode, that was the only outcome I could imagine with the flames surely coming out of my ears. “But there’s something else I’m not sure you can do, and if you can’t…” Vienna gave him a delicate shrug of a shoulder. “Then you aren’t the man for the job.”
“Oh really,” he murmured as he sat up only to lean in close to her. I caught another flash of silver as he spoke. Did he have some kind of shrapnel in his forked tongue? “Do tell, what’s this other project? Because, I’ve never not finished the job, thoroughly and completely. No one has ever been dissatisfied with my services.”
His brows were dark slashes over his bright blue eyes that were smoldering. He wassmolderingat her, and I could tell he really wanted to die.
With anyone in my past, they’d be alarmed by this, but Vienna wouldn’t. She’d help me hide the body. That’s how I knew she was perfect for me, supportive of me. Not this guy.
At fucking least Vienna didn’t seem to react to his most recent advance. “His entire life up to this point needs to be obliterated, as if he was never a twinkle in his mother’s eye. From this point on, he does not exist. Only his new persona will leave this room.”
Fletcher blinked, a slow smile curling the edges of his mouth. “Done.”
Wait. What was happening? I was losing my identity? I was rather attached to it.
But when I glanced at Vienna, I realized something important.