Page 24 of Mine to Keep
My insides go cold, though I try to keep the worry from my tone. “What do you think that means?”
Her non answer is answer enough.
“Heard,” I say.
“Don’t worry. If I see or hear something, I’ll let you know.” She pauses for a beat. “I’ve been careful not to look more into The Void, taking the checks they give me for doling out jobs. But you’re the second person on my team that they’re giving me shady vibes about. I think I’ll have to backdoor them and see what they have going on.”
“Can’t be anything good. Especially since The Director contacted me directly about a job. He’s only done that once before and it was right after my first handler was retired. He was my go-between for that one kill, and he fucking sucked at it.”
I sigh and sit on the bed, rubbing a hand over my waves. I should have gotten a haircut before I left the States. “Something is up, Pegs. I don’t know what, but I can feel it.”
“Don’t worry, darlin’. I’ll start digging. If it has anything to do with you, I’ll call you. How do those Brits say it, ‘straight away’.”
A tired laugh catches in my chest. “Yeah, straight away. Listen, I need a favor. Can you delete a video for me? A video that may have been downloaded to people’s phones, maybe?”
“Child’s play. Send me the video. Give me about twenty minutes, and I’ll have it all gone.”
I find Javier’s social media page and send the video to Peggy. A few seconds later, she lets me know she got it. “Oh. They look familiar. The airport guys? How did…Knox, did you stalk them?”
“What? No.” I quickly tell her how I ran into Javier and Talon when I got here, then explain why Talon told me he was coming up North and what the video is all about. “I promise, it was a coincidence.”
“Some coincidence,” she muses. “Especially since you asked me to look into them.”
“Can you dig up more on the two of them?”
“Way ahead of you. Check your secured email. I didn’t think you’d need it, but I gathered it anyway. Let me know if you need anything else. I’ll be sure to let you know when the video is down.”
We speak for a few more minutes then I hang up. I don’t want to go to sleep until Pegs tells me the video is taken down, so I can tell Javier and Talon.
Gathering my clothes, I head into the bathroom and take a quick shower. The hot water only makes me sleepier, but I hate cold showers, so I let drowsiness take over while I clean myself.
As I step out and put on clean clothes, my phone beeps a text from Peggy that she sent me about five minutes ago.
Peggy: Video deleted. No traces anywhere.
I send her a kissy face emoji and shuffle out of my room. I want to let the guys know so I can finally take a nap.
My mind is on plans to disappear as I trudge across the sitting room.
Not hearing from The Void is a bad sign. Especially since they like to brag about being the best in the business. If The Director hasn’t called after my second botched job, something is going down. Maybe even that retirement he promised me during our last conversation.
I'm so deep in my thoughts that I almost miss the conversation I hear through their cracked door. I pause mid-knock, hand going still, and peer through the opening. Talon is straddling Javier’s lap, his head resting on his shoulder. If Javier didn’t tell me they weren’t together before, I might have been fooled by the position they were in. Still, it doesn’t look romantic, more comforting than anything else.
Softly, Talon says, “I just feel so stupid.”
“You’re not,” Javier says, rubbing his back gently.
“He said he was trying to break up with me. Thinking back, he did mention us taking a break a few times, but it was never like ‘hey, let’s take a break’. It was always like ‘do you think we, maybe, need some space?’ I would always tell him if that’s what he wanted we could, but he’d backtrack, saying he was only asking.” He moves his head from Javier’s shoulder and wipes under one eye. “I swear, I would have given him a break if he said that’s what he wanted.”
Javier smiles sadly at Talon and gently wipes his face. “I know, babe. You’re not like that. Remember, we’ve been tight for a long time. I know you. In here.” He places his hand over Talon’s heart. “I know that’s not you.”
Voice sounding heavy with tears, Talon says, “I don’t want to feel like this anymore. Like I’m a burden on someone. I can’t…”
Javier goes to bring Talon in for a hug, but Talon drops his mouth and kisses him. Javier rears back, looking at him with wide eyes. “Talon?”
“Just…Javier, please. Take my mind off what I’m feeling. I want to feel connected to…something. I just found out I was cheated on for God knows how long.”
“And kissing me will?—”
