“So I’m a shield for your girlfriend?” she asked.
Funny. She had no reaction to hearing how I orchestrated her housing placement.
“Yes,” I answered.
“And if they try to make a deal with my family and offer up your girlfriend to solidify that alliance?”
That could happen. It was a risk of war. Alliances would shift and adjust as the pieces would be placed and moved across the chessboard. But I just gave her a smile, knowing it was one that Blake would call my smile of death and promised destruction. “If that were to happen, I would enjoy peeling the skin from you that I would ship in a box to your brother.”
She braced herself as far back against the counter as possible. “I should gutyoufor that threat.”
That would be even more interesting. “Do we have an understanding?”
“Yes,” she clipped out. Not happy. “All this is null and void if I move out.”
That would inconvenience me. “You should not do that.”
There was no heated warning behind my words, but I smiled at her again.
One of her arms shook, but she tucked it farther to hide it behind her.
The conversation seemed to be done. We understood each other.
I left, only veering to the smaller sitting room where Levi had taken up residence. He was awake, lying on one of the couches with a blanket tossed over him. He turned his head at my approach. I could hear his amusement. “You’re like a giant fucking feral panther, and that was the equivalent of you dragging a hyena that you killed and bringing it to her doorstep as a gesture of respect. The problem is that she’s also a hyena and you brought one of her family members as a gift.”
“She’s a person. She’s not a hyena.”
He expelled a half laugh, coughing to cover it up. “It’s a metaphor.”
“I like hyenas.”
He laughed again, this time not trying to cover it up. “Of course you do. And again, it’s a metaphor. I could’ve called her a leopard.”
“Hyenas are misunderstood.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ, Creight. Let it go on the hyenas. I’m just saying she doesn’t realize that whole conversation was you trying to berespectfulto her, since she was here first and you not only are making your presence known, but you also put one of your own in her housebecauseshe’s here.”
“I put her here.”
He snorted. “Not making it better.”
“Blake likes hyenas too. She likes most animals.”
He settled further on the couch. “I know you don’t give a fuck, but I’m happy for you. Mom and Dad are finally together.” He laughed to himself. “Go to bed, Creight. Tomorrow’s going to be interesting.”
I texted Lassiter as I returned to Blake.
Me: Hold off on completing my order. The four gifts.
Lassiter: Taking or the other part?
Me: The other part.
Lassiter: Got it.
I sent another order to my IT guys.
Me: The night Blake was taken, she said Walden was having a meeting with another man in the alley between his building and Octavia. He handed him an envelope. Find out who that man was. Send me everything you can get on him.
