I sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, you know, the normal quandaries that come with abruptly being locked away in a tower. My landlord posted an eviction notice, and I didn’t have the chance to get my things before I came here.”
Charles frowned just as Theo strode up to us.
“That’s bullshit,” Charles said.
Theo slid an arm around his shoulders. “What is?”
“Beau’s about to lose his belongings, since his landlord’s evicting him.” Charles’s brows drew together, and the indignation on his face made me like him even more. He was the best person I’d met here so far, and I latched eagerly onto any connection I could.
“Well then, we go get them,” Theo said with a shrug. “I’ve got some free time later.”
Charles stared at his boyfriend, an adoring look in his eyes. Jealousy flared through me. Fuck, what I wouldn’t give for someone like that—a protector, someone who lifted me up and saw the real me…and accepted it. I’d been searching for so long that the prospect felt wearying and futile at this point. And with my next decade to be spent locked up in a tower, I wouldn’t stand a chance at finding anything that resembled love.
Not even a good fuck at this point.
“Thanks,” I said to Theo as we meandered over to the tables.
“Don’t thank me for basic decency,” he said. “It’s uncomfortable. Anyway, I ordered a few sandwiches for the table, so you can all pick what you like.” He plunked into one of the steel-framed chairs facing the four-seater pine table. The vibes here blended neon and loud casino noise with the chill ambiance of a lounge. The lighting was low, the back part of thedeli featuring a stretch of red vinyl booths while the tables lay in the middle area.
“Cillian won’t be upset if you grab my belongings?” I asked. I didn’t want him getting angry at them over helping me out with this.
Charles snorted. “What will he do? Brood at me?”
Theo mussed his hair, a rueful grin on his face. “You’re trouble.”
“That’s why you love me,” Charles responded. My heart twisted tight. Their relationship was exactly what I longed for.
A server brought over a tray laden with sandwiches and placed them on the table. Theo had ordered a feast, which shouldn’t be a surprise from the resident chef upstairs. He and Charles didn’t hesitate to dive in, and I nabbed what looked like a roast beef sandwich on a crusty roll and dragged the plate in front of me.
“Do you need us to tell your neighbor to back off too?” Charles asked, talking as he chewed with his mouth open.
I shook my head. “It’ll be a non-issue. Don’t suppose he’ll be bothering me for the next ten years.”
The mood dampened at the statement, like I’d splashed black paint across the table.
“Damn, that really sucks,” Charles said. “What you did for your dad, though—that was pretty selfless.”
“He’s all I have.” I took a bite of my sandwich and savored the tang of the horseradish, the savory taste of the meat. “My mother passed away when I was a kid, and he worked hard to raise me on his own.”
“Still a selfless act,” Theo said, his demeanor a bit more serious. “You could’ve just walked away. You had a choice.”
“For me, there was never a choice.” The resolve settled in my bones all over again. I couldn’t imagine letting my father hang.
“No wonder Cillian didn’t want to send you to the Pits,” Charles said. “I was surprised he took you as personal assistant, though. He hasn’t had one since Olivia—”
Theo elbowed Charles in the side. “Which is his personal business.”
Charles wrinkled his nose. “Right.”
Who was Olivia? I filed the name away to memory, to dig into later. I’d started researching some of the businesses and names that had come up during meetings, ones that Cillian purposefully avoided or had a strong reaction to. Everyone danced around certain subjects for his sake, and I had a feeling those secrets were a pivotal key to understanding what was going on around here.
“Did you hear about Jessica, one of the dealers downstairs?” Charles asked, switching to gossip that wasn’t about his boss. I nodded where needed but mentally checked out as my mind percolated with the information I’d received. I needed to do a little more investigation.
Given all the free time I had after Cillian finished needing my help each day, I’d been putting more and more effort into trying to untangle the web of secrets around the Spires. As well as avenues of escape.
The idea of running out of here and never turning back burned like a beacon in my mind.
Sure, I might be separated from my father for a spell, but if I were in a different country far from Westia, somewhere like the Lyrelands, he could find me. We could be reunited somewhere safe, somewhere far away from Peregrine City.
