Fuck, Bishop was good. His expression didn’t even flicker. James could still sense how invested Bishop was in James’s fingers under Kit’s chin.
Bishop had been into Kit from the start. James saw that as a threat at first. He didn’t want his prey snatched from his claws. But now James knew exactly how fun Kit was to share. That James could still possess him in his own particular way even as Kit formed different bonds with different people.
But Bishop excelled at restraint even better than Darius. Such a pity.
“What do you prefer, Kit?” Bishop asked, nonchalant and boring. “James’s place, or mine?”
Kit chewed his lip. “Your place would probably be more convenient for you to meet people for the SCU case, right?”
Darius cleared his throat from across the room. “If shit goes south, it’s better for Kit not to be here.”
He was being vague for Kit’s sake probably, but by Kit’s frown, he understood as well as any of them.If shit goes southmeant if Darius or James died.
Kit touched James’s hand on his chin. “You be careful, okay?” he said softly. He pulled out of James’s grasp to face Darius too. “I don’t want you two getting hurt over this.”
Very sweet.
“Don’t worry,” James said cheerfully. “Well, maybe worry about Darius. If he annoys me, I might push him off the roof.”
Darius muttered something that sounded an awful lot like, “Not if I push you first.”
Kit rolled his eyes. “Never mind. Whatever happens, I’m sure you’ll deserve it.”
30
“Are we dating?”
Darius usually only killed for money, but putting a free bullet through James’s brain might be worth it for some peace and quiet. The man had not shut up since they closed the apartment door.
The apartment overlooked the warehouse, with a good view of the debris-strewn backyard. Both buildings were empty, caught up in never-ending red tape. Zoning and bureaucracy issues. The most diligent environmental review of all time, starting over with any change in any other part of the process.
With an unusually cooperative business owner pulling all the strings. James owned both properties through a subsidiary, having purchased them from someoneelse’ssketchy shell company. Probably the Viper shedding assets, based on the timing.
There were advantages and disadvantages to planning crimes in places that could be traced to James. Control versus liability.
They chose control this time. Before settling into the apartment, they had already swept the warehouse, disabling all the usual cameras and installing James’s tiny, undetectable replacements. The prototype he didn’t offer as part of his company’s usual services. James had a full view of every cornerof the warehouse property—and access to most of the CCTVs on the surrounding streets.
The apartment was unfurnished, and they would be living out of sleeping bags for the next few days. James had no problem throwing money around, but he wasn’t stupid enough to have proper furniture delivered to an empty apartment building. No curtains either, so they had to move carefully around the window—but they’d boarded up the inside of the outer wall with bullet-proof sheeting.
It was definitely convenient not to worry about interruptions as Darius set up his long-range rifle in the window.
Except interruptions from his partner in crime.
“Are we dating?” James asked, leaning back in the camp chair. “You and me.”
Darius adjusted the tripod. “No.”
“You’ve kissed my boyfriend. We fucked my boyfriend together. We all had dinner at my place last night.” James sounded contemplative. “That sounds very similar to dating.”
“You’re an idiot.” Darius checked the scope and aimed the gun at the warehouse backdoor. “I don’t date idiots.”
“You’re so immature,” James said loftily. “I’m glad we’re not dating. I’d be too embarrassed.”
Darius sat on the floor to sort through his ammunition. The next three days were going to be long and cramped. While they had the entire building available to them, this apartment had the best view of the warehouse. James had his computers set up in the same room, and for all his stupid banter, James was focused on the job.
Made sense. James wasn’t like Darius, killing as a profession, or Bishop, killing for his self-flagellating sense of justice. Sure, James helped Bishop from time to time, but he onlyfocusedwhen jobs were personal. Kit had clearly slipped past James’s defenses. More than either of them probably realized.
James killed to avenge his family. Which meant Kit was family, now.
