Some things were best left unsaid.
7
KLAUS
“Did you get the money?” Frank asked as I slid into the back of the SUV.
“I never fail,” I replied as he pulled onto the street.
After Matteo’s meltdown in his office a few days ago, he’d sent me to collect for him. Typically, this was a job our sons did, but since the real falling-out with Dominic, it now fell to Alessio and me. We were the last line after Matteo sent in his first round of collectors.
Sometimes we had to kill people to make a point to pay what was owed, but that was just how this life was.
I wiped the splashback of blood off my face with a cloth square from my pocket as Frank drove us through the city.
A diner caught my eye, making my heart jackknife in my chest.
“Stop!” I shouted, Merv’s diner passing on our right.
Frank brought the SUV to a halt and looked back at me as cars honked behind us. “What the hell? What is it?”
“Find a parking spot. I’ll be back.” I got out and went to the sidewalk as I stared at Merv’s a few storefronts down.
“Fucking Sylar,” I murmured, looking at my watch to see it was late afternoon. Had he been any other little cretin Matteo kept around, I’d have not bothered with his rhymes, but the little shit was never wrong.
And… I was curious.
Fuck me for that.
After fifteen minutes on that sidewalk while people walked past me, I finally decided to go inside.
I opened the door and found the place bustling with customers. It was a seat yourself situation, so I took a seat in one of the booths and waited for whatever magic Sylar had in store for me.
I stared down at a plastic menu, noting the highlighted blueberry muffins.
“Sylar,” I muttered, shaking my head.
“Hey, what can I get you?”
Confusion flooded me at that sweet, familiar voice. I stared from her pretty legs all the way up her ugly, yellow mustard-colored uniform to her beautiful face.
Big green eyes. Long lashes. Full, pink, pouty lips. Skin so creamy and flawless.
“Hummingbird?” I frowned. “What are you doing here and wearing that god-awful uniform?”
“Um, I’m working,” Rosalie replied, pink tinting that flawless porcelain skin of hers. “This is the uniform. Yellow isn’t really my color.”
“It’s not.” I looked from her face to the ugly uniform. It fit her a little too well, and I didn’t like the way it made my heart thrum. Her tiny waist cinched in that short skirt and those fuck-me eyes…
Her cheeks darkened further, and I realized I may have come off as insulting when it hadn’t been my intention. I did not like the uniform, but only because I knew other men would. Knowingthey likely drooled over her made me irrational, I suppose. But truly, the color was awful.
“Why are you working?” I asked, wanting to change the subject from her distracting uniform.
“Because I need a job.” Her answer was to the point. I liked her fire. In fact, I was drawn to it the first time I’d ever spoken to her.
“Isn’t Anson taking care of you?” Anson lived and breathed for her, or at least he had before his recent engagement to Bianca.
“No offense, Klaus, but Anson is my friend. His job isn’t to pay my bills.” She tapped her foot, letting me know she was annoyed with my line of questioning. It amused me, but I didn’t let it show.
