Clevenger sits at a wide window overlooking the city as he sips a coffee. “Have a seat.” He waves to the chairs on his right.
Sister Jezebel stations herself by the door as Ben and I take a seat. “Coffee?” she asks.
We both decline.
“Brought your apprentice today?” Clevenger asks though he doesn’t even glance at us.
“I figured he might want to hear your pitch so he can make up his own mind.” I’ve already checked the room, looking for all possible exits and spots that could create a bottleneck if we’re set upon by too many to handle.
“My pitch?” The side of Clevenger’s lip quirks up.
“Company?” A woman walks in and gives Clevenger a kiss on the cheek, which he then turns into an open-mouthed hello with tongue.
Ben glances at me with his eyebrows high.
“Off to shop, sweet Poppy?” He pats her ass.
“I’m meeting Lily at the toy shop on Fifth. I can’t wait to tell the grandkids they can each pick whatever toy they want in the entire store.” The older woman smiles. She’s about Clevenger’s age, but I don’t sense any of the devious darkness in her that floats around Clevenger.
Grandkids. I suppose I’ve never thought of Clevenger as a family man. But then again, he’s always been solitary until the past few years. Rumors were swirling of rekindling an old romance, and it seems they’re true.
“I’ll meet you there shortly.” He stands and walks her to the door, kissing her again for good measure before sending her on her way. “Keep a close eye,” he says to Sister Jezebel, who follows the woman out of the penthouse.
Returning, he sits and stares at me. “I hear you’ve also found your match, Logan. A little wife at home?”
I tense. Though Quinn isn’t exactly a secret, I’ve done everything I can to insulate her from my life. She thinks I work in finance. Hell, she even believes she works for a real company. The business is mine, a front that sells stuffed Pandacorn toys and other specialty stuffie items. I set it all up, recruited a stuffie maker who just so happens to be the wife of a former colleague, and created the company so Quinn could work from home.
“Yes, I’m married.” I don’t put any inflection in my voice. The more I seem uninterested, the quicker he’ll move on to another topic. At least, that’s my hope.
“Marriage is a big deal for people in our line of work, Logan. I hope you didn’t enter into it lightly.” He stirs his coffee. “Does she know?”
I guess the “pretend to be uninterested” plan failed right out of the gate. “She doesn’t, and I’d prefer to keep it that way.” I tell myself it’s because I want to keep her safe, but if I’m being honest, there’s a part of me that worries she’ll turn away from me if she finds out the truth.
“She’ll find out one day.” He glances over his shoulder at the door Poppy just left through. “And she’ll run. She’ll run as far as she can to find safety.”
“She’s safest with me.” I can’t tell if he’s threatening her, but I’m thinking not. He seems to be more … I don’t know. It’s as if he’s trying to give me actual advice.
He nods. “I know how that feels, but all the same, you can’t know what she’ll do when she finds out. Best for you to tell her yourself.”
I stiffen. “That’s my business.”
“Of course.” He waves the topic away and seems to switch gears. “Now how about you come to work for me?”
“No, thank you.”
“You haven’t heard my offer.” He tsks.
“It doesn’t matter. With all due respect, Clevenger, I’m a freelancer, and I always will be. I respect your organization, but I won’t join.”
He narrows his gaze on me for a while, then flicks it over to Ben, who’s studying a ceremonial mask of some sort that’s encased in glass against the side wall.
“That was a gift to my brother from the Museum of Alexandria. He returned several lost artifacts to them, and in return they granted him one of their prize possessions. He’s lent it to me for a short while.”
“You have a brother?” Ben is agog.
“I do.” Clevenger brushes past that small tidbit. “Now, how about you? Are you interested in working for the most powerful secret organization in the world?”
“Never say never.” Ben shrugs. “But for now, I think I’m good where I am.”
Clevenger considers his words. “You’re studying at the feet of a master. I’ll give you that. However, I do expect both of you to join my ranks sooner or later. There may come a day when I won’t take no for an answer.” And there it is. The lethal threat beneath the polite words. Clevenger may be a softie for his woman, but he’s all steel when it comes to business. I respect it.