Everybodydidknow who Toby was—he was married to the richest man in the state. News outlets considered him a local celebrity, but I wasn’t so sure he thought of himself that way. He was kind in a way his husband wasn’t, and though I only knew him through cameras and background checks, I liked him. Toby’s smile reminded me of Thea’s, as did his laugh and the way he hugged people. Toby and Thea both approached life with a benevolence that left them capable of loving monsters.
I thought, not for the first time, that if I ever made a friend, I’d want it to be Toby.
A set of green eyes raked over me. “Youwork for Benji?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t say anything further. He just… stood there, staring at me. His fingers flexed against the door handle. Silence and confusion moved precariously between us, and the longer we stood, the more I wondered what exactly he was looking for. With a quick dip of my eyes, I ran them over the length of my body—up my denim-covered legs and across my short torso. I couldn’t exactly see my own face, but I tried to imagine what it looked like to him—dark eyes dipped low, unruly hair concealed by a low hanging hood…oh.
“Are you an intern or something?”
“No.” I removed my hood. “I, uhm, don’t work forthisbusiness. I work for the other one.”
His head drew back quickly. “I’m sorry?”
“Mr. Thomas called me an hour ago and demanded I come here. He sent a driver to pick me up. I would’ve preferred taking the bus, but I didn’t want to make him mad.”
Toby’s mouth opened before it closed again. His hand came off the door, and he stepped inside just far enough that it closed. “You said your name was Silas?”
I nodded.
“And youdon’twork for Teleflix?”
“No, I work for…”Was I allowed to say it?“His other business. The illegal one. I’m not part of it, technically. They have meetings I’m not allowed to go to, and I don’t have a gun or anything.”
“Then what is it you do?”
“I’m…” I had to be careful,I knew that, but I didn’t think I had to worry about Toby—not when he knew so much already. “I’m a hacker. I guess you could say I’m freelance but not really since Mr. Thomas is the only one I work for.”
His mouth fell open. A beat of silence passed over us before he shook his head, red hair swaying across his forehead while he mumbled to himself. “Midnight.” His chin jerked upward. “Is that you?”
“Yes.”
“Holy shit.” A wild sound left his throat, and then he started running. I took a step backward, but I didn’t get very far before he pummeled me. Arms wrapped around my middle, he squeezed me so hard, my feet came off the ground.
Was he…huggingme?
Heart swooped low to my belly, I felt a little melty inside as his grip tightened. My arms buzzed as I lifted them and placed them around his shoulders. I gave him a tentative squeeze. “How come you’re hugging me? Unless…” I loosened my grip. “Is this not a hug?”
“This is definitely a hug.”
I grinned.
I’d only ever known hugs from two people. Daddy’s were still the best, but I liked this one too.
“Do you… always hug the people that come to visit Mr. Thomas?”
“No.” Toby laughed and placed me back on my feet. Our arms fell to our sides, and now that we were face to face, I could see the light rash blossoming across his freckled cheeks. “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have hugged you without your permission.”
He sounds like Thea too.
“It’s okay.” I reassured him. “I don’t mind.”
“Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “For saving my life, I mean. Maybe you don’t remember—”
“I remember.” It was the only time I’d ever heard Mr. Thomas’ sound anything but resolute. “You were kidnapped, though I wasn’t really the one that saved you.”
“Youwere the one that found my location and got Benji access to that military base. Maybe you weren't the only one who saved me that day, but you were definitely part of the team. ”