Page 57 of Alpha's Embrace
I handed him my financial file. He looked it over and pulled open his laptop lid. He typed for a while, then snapped the lid shut.
“There,” he said.
“What?”
“Done.”
“Everything?”
“All your money from your 401k is transferred to your account. Your other accounts have been combined. I made a note for them to have all the money in cash waiting for you, no questions. We pride ourselves on our privacy here.” His grin was almost wild. “And the taxes for early withdrawal on retirement won’t need to be filed until next year, so fuck it, right? Damn, it’s not much money, though. I mean, really, Geo, you said you’re moving to Tarn. I haven’t even asked you why but I figure knowing how smart you are, it’s for a good reason. Do you need more money?”
“I have my house.”
Mathias re-opened his computer. “Address?”
I gave it.
“It’s got some equity. I can get you credit on it. I can arrange the sale of it for you later. I’ve got friends in real estate.”
“Cash credit?” I asked.
Mathias snorted. “Fuck, you are going dark, eh? I’ll make it happen but that might take a few days.”
“I’ll be gone by tomorrow.”
Mathias took a deep breath. “Here’s what you do. Contact me when you get where you’re going. Will there be people after you?”
I shrugged. If I was caught for forming a bond with a Sylph, a judge could sentence me to anywhere from a year to five years prison time. There would be a warrant out on me at the very least.
“They might freeze all your assets once they know you’re gone. I’ll make sure this is hidden for a while. I’ll have the money wired.”
“Don’t. Not if it will get you caught.” I didn’t want Mathias mixed up in this.
Mathias flung me one of his full, perfect white-toothed smiles. “Sweetheart, former roomie-of-mine, I never get caught.”
As he leaned back, arms behind his head, he said, “Look, I don’t know what’s up with you. I don’t care. But you were a good roomie. You covered for Alden when all that shit went down. And you knew about some of my own youthful indiscretions. And you never said a word. You let me know if you need more money. My father has more than there are drops of water in the sea.”
“I don’t need--”
“Don’t be proud, Geo. You’re always so proud. I know you’re not an asshole. You’d never ask. You would never take advantage. But those years in college were okay. You’re like a brother. You remind me of--”
He stopped. He pounded his fist on the tabletop as if to chase away some other sort of pain, then said, “Are we done then?”
I nodded. But I knew what he was going to say. He’d gotten really drunk one night back in college and told me in almost the same words, voice low, words slurred.Geo, you remind me of my fucking litter-mate. Kris. What a fuck-up. I did him wrong, damn it.But hey, if you ever tell anyone I said that I’ll deny it.
At the time, I didn’t know whether to take it as a compliment or not that he had compared me to his brother. But today, I saw. He was helping me partly for himself. He was making up for something. Maybe some bad deed. Something to do with Kris, who I knew nothing about and had never met. Litter-mates were usually very close. If he’d wronged one, well, even someone as hollow as Mathias might occasionally feel the tiniest twinge of guilt. Especially while drunk.
“Thank you, Math.”
“Mouth shut. This meeting didn’t happen. Thanks not necessary.” He stood and looked down at me with his eyebrows narrowed. “I’d wish you luck but you’re too smart for that. You don’t need it. You may not be street-smart but you’ll learn fast.”
Before I could get out of my chair and get to the door he was gone, laptop under one arm, sauntering rapidly down the long, plush hall of the bank’s main office complex.
I went to the downstairs teller window, collected my cash which was nicely done up in bundles. It had been placed in a leather case which I knew wasn’t standard and had to have been also authorized by Mathias.
I had a rental waiting for me when I got outside, the first use of my new credit card under my false I.D. from Alden. I’d sold my car yesterday and taken the train into the city this morning.
On my two hour drive home I battled second-thoughts until I was talking to myself, yelling in the closed space of the vehicle. All the voices looking to be heard inside my head came out. They called me insane. They called me all the words for idiot that Mathias might never have thought of.
