Page 41 of Sinner
“It was coded.” Beck shrugged, not nearly as torn over this as he was. “Either they didn’t think anything of it, or they got caught and bailed before finishing the job. There are a million reasons it could have happened. Does it really matter? We’re able to link them together, isn’t that what’s important here?”
“Okay, but that still doesn’t tell us who gave Dew the account. Hendrix wouldn’t have. It was sitting unused for months before Juri came along and Dew let him have it.”
“If anything, that shows Dew didn’t care for whoever the original account owner was.”
“Maybe he stole it?” That would make sense. Or a graduating student gave it to him randomly. “You said Dew had a thing for you. He never mentioned anything about Enigma?”
“He was my student,” Beck reminded. “His feelings were inappropriate, and I tried to avoid speaking with him alone as often as possible for that reason. If he ever did mention a sex app to me, I blocked it out and left immediately so as not to be misunderstood.”
Right. Beck was a professor before anything else. He’d never entertain someone like Dew.
Maybe he was right, and it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like whoever had originally owned the account had still been involved. Juri, Dew, and Hendrix were the perpetrators. West was simply allowing his paranoia to get the best of him. He wanted to be thorough so he and the others could finally put this part of their story to rest and move on.
“Is the food not to your liking?” Beck interrupted West’s thoughts. “You used to love this place.”
They’d come a few times when West was in high school and needed a break from training and his competition with Lake. Without realizing, he’d ordered the same dish he’d usuallygotten back then, despite it having been a while since their last visit here.
“I’m sure it’s great,” West reassured him and then picked up his utensils. “What about yours?”
“I’ve never really liked this place.”
He paused. “What? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“Because it was your favorite.” Beck shrugged like that made all the sense in the world and cut through his steak. “Today’s meeting went about as well as could be expected, don’t you agree?”
It was awkward as hell having Demitrious still involved by proxy, even when he physically wasn’t allowed in the Club House, but West wasn’t sure that’s what Beck meant.
“How are you doing?” he asked. “About your dad, I mean.”
“My dad is an asshole who’s going to reap what he sowed,” Beck replied calmly. “You don’t have to worry about me. The two of us haven’t been close for a long time.”
“He’s always hated how you weren’t on the same page about overthrowing Lake.” West chuckled and cut his burger in half before lifting it for a hearty bite. “I can’t believe you don’t like this place. They have the best burgers.”
“I’ve never gotten one before.”
“Really?” West couldn’t recall every dish the other man had ever ordered here, and he wasn’t about to try. Instead, he pulled Beck’s plate toward him and added the second half of his burger to it, ignoring Beck’s protests. “It’s fine, Nix wants to have dinner together later anyway, so I don’t need to fill up right now. Try it.”
“He seems to be fitting right in.” Beck set his knife and fork aside and picked up the burger. “I’ll admit, I had my doubtsat the beginning of the semester when I saw him hanging around the three of you.”
“You’ve got that all wrong,” West laughed. “It was us bothering him. But it worked out in the end.”
“Yes, well.” He cleared his throat and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully for a moment before humming his approval. “You’re right, this is a really good burger.”
“You’ve been ordering incorrectly this whole time.”
“I’m not sure I’d go that far, but sure.” Beck set it back down on the edge of his plate and went back to his steak. “Since you’ve brought it up, I have to say, I’m surprised by just how close the four of you are.”
“You didn’t think your cousin had it in him, you mean? Me either. And Yejun’s always been a playboy, so I bet you’re—”
“I’m not referring to my cousin or Yejun, actually.” Beck had been staring at something over West’s shoulder, but he tore his eyes off whatever it was and wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin. When he next met West’s gaze, there was an intensity there that wasn’t usually directed West’s way. “I’m most surprised by your reaction.”
“Mine?”
“You’ve never dated anyone seriously before.”
“I’ve never liked anyone enough to consider taking them seriously before.” West tilted his head, confused. “Nix has been a good influence on—”
“Yejun and Lake,” Beck interrupted. “June seems to have learned how to take responsibility for his emotions and actions, and my cousin has unlocked an inner warmth that allows him to connect with people on an emotional level. It will serve him well once he’s emperor. But those are positives for them. It isn’t the same with you. There’s nothing Nix Monroe can help you improve on. You’re already perfect.”
