He runs his bottom thumb over my lip. “Well, then, I suppose I’ll need to find a way to extract all your secrets from you.”
I smile. “For that, my friend, you’ll just have to wait patiently.”
“Friend?” Dorian growls.
“Lover,” I correct. “Better?”
“Alright, fuckbirds, that’s enough—you’re too sickening to look at,” Seamus says. He turns to Asher. “I’m off to Silving to case the place. Any hot spots I should look for?”
Asher promptly lists off several locations—trailer parks, diners, and of course, the infamous town brewery.
“I’ll be back in time for the rendezvous.”
“Sergei’s agreed to the change in location, on the condition that this place is safe from prying eyes, ears, and enemies. His men will thoroughly sweep the premise,” Connor says,
“The walls and windows are bulletproof, the doors are thick enough to be vaults, and anyone who tries to break in will find themselves in for some nasty surprises,” Asher grunts. “The police know better than to annoy me—I supply them with most of their weapons. I promise you it’s safe.”
Dorian insists on taking me out to lunch—I agree only when Asher retreats into his office, wanting to get through his work for the day.
We settle at a local spot—Pixiedust Diner. The place has a retro 50’s vibe going on, with checkered floors, waitresses wearing short red dresses featuring flared skirts and aprons, and a jukebox in the corner. Dorian and I take a booth along the left wall, which is decorated with a mixture of tasteful graffiti and colorful prints.
“What’s good here?” he asks, flipping through the menu.
Asher used to bring me here when I was younger, when I’d take the bus and walk to his shop just to get away from Clyde. I lied to Clyde and told him I was going to some after-school activity, and the bastard never cared enough to double check. I’m not sure if the food here is actually as delicious as I remember, or if I was so starved that it tasted amazing to my adolescent self.
“The milkshakes are legendary—I highly recommend Oreo. And the burgers are creative and delicious. Ohh, they also have seasonaltruffle fries—” I cut off with a sigh. “I’m going to get fat. I want the entire menu.”
“You won’t get fat, and even if you did put on weight, you’d still be the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met,” Dorian murmurs offhandedly. He’s gazing at his menu, so his words aren’t planned or carefully structured. He genuinely means what he says, and it makes my cheeks heat. “Get the entire menu if you want—then we can take the leftovers to feed Connor and Seamus.” He shuts his menu, looking up at me. “Order for me. I trust your judgement.”
A young, blonde waitress walks up to our table, deliberately fussing with her dress, pushing out her breasts and trying to catch Dorian’s eye. He gives her a single, uninterested glance before returning his attention to me.
The blonde clears her throat. “What can I get y’all today?”
“Two Pixie Special Burgers, two Oreo milkshakes, and the truffle fries to share, please,” I say.
The waitress glances at Dorian. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Nope.” He pops the p, not bothering to look at her. “I trust my woman.”
Her brows furrow with dejection, but she scribbles our orders on a notepad and walks away. “Hopefully I’ll prove worthy of that trust,” I say, my words half-teasing.
“You already have,” Dorian replies seriously. “Sergei’s requested to meet you tonight, before the big meeting tomorrow. He wants to get a read on you. Don’t be nervous, but do be clever. He won’t hurt you, he doesn’t go after women or children, but it’s important he doesn’t see you as a threat to our legion.”
I tilt my head to the side. “I still don’t understand why Sergei works with you three, sponsors you, whatever. Surely there are moreestablished people he wants to team up with—not just a few vigilante college students.”
Dorian shrugs. “He’s taking a slightly altruistic but mostly strategic approach. The entire world sees him as a threat, so most people would be reluctant to join his operation. Only the bad apples would want to be part of his empire. My legionaries are young, ambitious, and extremely good at what we do. By getting us to join him now, he’s guaranteeing that he’ll have a hand in our future plans, and we have a lot of future plans. I’ve always been clear that I’m aiming to be above-board after school, but Connor and Seamus are looking to start a very substantial, very large operation that spans the entire East Coast. Sergei will have a direct link to them, and they’ll owe him their loyalty—as will I. It’s a smart move.”
“He must really believe in you.”
Dorian glances away. “Yeah. He’s one of the only people who ever has.”
I reach across the table, taking one of his hands in mine. “I believe in you.”
His eyes brighten as he locks gazes with me. “Yeah?”
I nod. “Definitely.”
He grins. “Good. Keep up with that attitude, and you will bethoroughlyrewarded.” He interlinks our fingers. “Watching you shoot today was hot. I hope you know, I’m going to fuck your brains out at the hotel.”
