Page 68 of Breakaway
"And he just agreed?" I ask, not believing for a single second that Jeremy is that idiotic. Sure, he's fueled by greed, but he has to have some sort of self-preservation to realize how unlikely what Kolos said is.
"No, he actually told me I could shove my questions up my ass," Kolos answers. "That's when I told him it would only take a few minutes of his time, and we were looking to double the amount. I also may have let it slip that we could write out the additional funds under just his name if he prefers that."
"Greedy," I say, shaking my head. "Well, whatever, that works out great for us."
Kolos looks up at the sky and then pulls out his comm. "I'm ordering a transport. I'm not trying to walk all the way back to the apartment."
"We're already halfway there," I tell him, scowling a little at now needing to wait for one of the automated transports to arrive.
"And we'll still get there faster if we get a transport," Kolos says, not even looking up. "You can run it if you want."
I cross my arms over my chest and don't respond. Running to the coffee shop wasn't even something I was thinking of. Now that Kolos has said it, a part of me thinks it might be worth it, and the other part realizes it would be pointless. Even if I did run, he'd still probably beat me there by transport.
"It's okay if you want to pout," Kolos says, shooting me a wink that earns him nothing but more scowls from me. He just chuckles, unfazed in the least by my ire.
The transport arrives before my facial muscles begin to cramp from holding them in such a strong frown for so long, which means I get to keep scowling and brooding the entire ride over to the coffee shop. Kolos is wholly unaffected. If anything, he seems to be enjoying that he's getting a reaction out of me, which should clue me in a little that maybe I shouldn't give him what he wants.
If I'm not purposefully being unhappy, I'm going to be sifting through Reese's thoughts for glimpses and hints at what she's doing right this instant and how she's feeling. To go from that blissful happiness to shoveling through the waste that I have no doubt will be Jeremy's mind isn't a shift I want to take right now. So, I'm going to remain unhappy until we are done with our task, and then I'll be more than willing to be the happiest male in the universe, spending all my time basking in Reese's thoughts. If there's anything I need to know, my shadows will alert me, just as they have any time Reese has started to undress.
"If you look like that when we meet Jeremy, he isn't going to stay for very long," Kolos says, nudging me in the shin with his boot.
"If Jeremy sees either of us, he's going to run," I say, easing up on the tension in my face. "Our best play is to just wait out on the street and go through his thoughts outside. And don't give me grief on how illegal it is."
"If we do that, you're not going to get a chance to tell him what a piece of shit he is," Kolos says, whining like a child.
"I highly doubt my confronting him will have any impact on who he is as a person," I tell him, and because I can already feel the vast amount of Intergalactic Alliance laws that Kolos wants to break, I add, "And no, we're not altering his mind."
"Who would even know?" Kolos asks, his tone holding a laugh as if the small amount of amusement can cover just how serious he's being.
"Do not alter his mind," I say, leveling Kolos with a look that tells him I'm not playing.
He might think it's worth it to alter Jeremy's mind so he becomes a better person, but it's not worth it if someone were to find out. And even if Jeremy is better now, I have no desire for Reese to make amends with her family.
As far as I'm aware, and I'm pretty aware since I'm in her head now, she doesn't want to reconcile with any of them. She's looking forward to getting off the planet because it will be the separation she's so desperately needed, without having to have another confrontation. Considering all of the interactions she's had with her family over the years, I don't blame her in the least. A nice, clean galaxy or two between her and the people she's unfortunate enough to share blood with is exactly what she needs.
"I won't alter anything," Kolos says, flopping back in his chair as if I've just taken away his favorite toy. He's being especially grating today, but it's for both of our benefits. He's struggling with being on Earth, while I'm struggling with the need to bewith Reese. We're playing our usual roles. He's annoying me, and I'm the exasperated boss.
The transport pulls to a stop right outside the coffee shop, and Kolos' amusement tapers off. He might appear careless around the crew, but he's serious about the work we do, even more serious about keeping those he cares for safe. Reese has managed to become one of those people. Even before she fully bonded with me, he was ready to do whatever was necessary to keep her safe.
"If you want to go confront him, let me know," Kolos shoots me one last smirk. "I'll hold him while you punch."
"We're not physically assaulting anyone today," I say, exasperation lacing my words. Kolos waves his hand in the air as he strolls over to the coffee shop.
There are quite a few people out and about, but it's easy enough to filter through their minds and discard them as the person we're looking for. Kolos has taken a place leaning against the brick wall of the building that the coffee shop is in. His head is tucked down, curls covering the blue glow of his eyes as he just stands there. He looks human, considering his shadows are all tucked up underneath his clothing. While he stays on that side of the coffee shop, I move to the other. If Jeremy gets cold feet, I want us to know which way he's going.
Found! Have him. Listen. Learn.As my shadows all jabber over one another to tell me they've found Jeremy's thoughts in the sea of other minds, I realize maybe I shouldn't have left the transport.
"ZillHerman?"
I hear my name and immediately freeze. I've heard the same tone used before, the same one that's always yelling at Reese when she leaves somewhere without a guarded entrance. How I thought showing my face anywhere near Reese's apartment was a good idea is beyond me at this point.
A groan slips from my lips as I keep walking past the coffee shop, across the street, hoping to lead the paparazzi away from the coffee shop. My shadows are already digging through Jeremy's mind, and will keep doing it until we're too far away. Kolos is still back there and will stay there until we get what we need. He's better at digging through memories anyway.
"Zill, wait, we just have a few questions," a grating male voice calls from behind me, his breath wheezing a bit as he jogs to keep up with my strides.
A second pair of footsteps matches the other man's jogging, but unlike the man who's struggling to keep up, this is a younger woman who easily paces me, holding a camera in my face as if it's not incredibly rude.
The question that comes out of her mouth is even more disrespectful. "How does it feel knowing your soulbond has slept with so many people when you haven't?"
