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Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

TAKESHI

The noise coming from down the hall was distracting. How the hell was I supposed to ignore their work if they kept up all that fucking racket?

I’d been avoiding the team as a whole, not wanting to see the pity in their faces. It wasn’t intentional. I knew it.

But those guys had some of the worst poker faces when it came to my injuries.

It probably didn’t help that I had such an obvious wound at my neck. People stared and whispered anytime I left the office to go out.

Their attention aggravated me enough to buy some scarves to attempt to cover the injury. I figured I could try to be fashionable about the change. Maybe get something to make them think I was someone not attempting to hide my neck. The outside world didn’t deserve anything else from me.

Each one I slid around my neck looked more garish than the one before it. Somehow, a forty-pack of colored material mocked me without even being sentient.

I was working on trying to style another when someone knocked on the door to my room. Part of me wanted to ignore them. If I did, then they might go away.

Although, if it were something important, I’d wind up feeling guilty for it later.

Resigned to my fate, I opened the door with the cloth still around my neck. The guys wouldn’t make fun of me for the fabric. They might raise their brows and question me outright, but they’d never poke at me about them.

Tank stood on the other side with a man I didn’t recognize. “Can we come in?” he asked.

I nodded to my boss, then shifted to the side to allow them into the room. It wasn’t like I could really say no. As much freedom as I’d been given to live here during my recovery, the space was still property of NightShade, which meant it was Tank’s.

The whiteboard I used to communicate was on the table. I wrote ‘what’s going on?’ across it, then turned it to them. Tank turned to the man beside him and gave him a look. I wasn’t sure what it meant, though I didn’t feel any better when they both focused their attention on me again.

Something about the stranger set off alarms in my mind. It could have been because he was one of the sexiest men I’d ever seen. In any other situation, I’d have plotted out a way to get to know more about him. I’d have wanted to take him to bed. Maybe more.

But him being here with Tank couldn’t mean anything good. Especially not when the team just went on a mission.

Could he be connected to the Gilded Ones? Was he good or bad?

Who was he?

“This is Archie,” Tank finally said, almost as if he were reading my mind.

Archie, as I now knew, waved shyly. “Hello.”

Erasing my board, I wrote more.

‘ Hi. I’m Takeshi. Why are you both here?’

I was thankful both men were patient enough to wait for whatever I had to say. Nothing drove me to anger as quickly as impatience these days. My ability to communicate was no longer an easy task.

This was yet another reason leaving this room left me with a sense of dread.

“Nice to meet you, Takeshi.” Archie looked me in the eye, letting me know much more about him than he realized.

There was kindness in his gaze. An understanding, really, that there was more to our exchange than met the eye. Not once did his eyes turn down toward the scarf at my neck. While I’m sure he wanted to ask, he didn’t.

Tank was not as cool about it.

“What the fuck are you wearing? That’s a horrible print for you. Orion would freak if he saw it.” Tank came closer, his hand toying with the edge of the fabric.

It was then his gaze went behind me. He saw the other pieces strewn across the table by the mirror.

“Ah,” he said. “We’re trying a new fashion statement. Well, then…”

I waited for whatever he had to say next. On my end, I couldn’t really ask anything else. These two clearly had an agenda. I could be patient enough to hear them out.

Tank motioned to the small dining table a few paces away. I took my board and marker, then led the way.

Because of the position of the chairs, the three of us wound up close together. Archie’s foot knocked mine as he sat down, which for some reason, made him duck his head as a slight blush touched his cheeks.

Tank began our chat with more details about Archie. He explained why the young man was in our building and what he’d done earlier in the night for the hostages they’d found.

I felt a sense of awe for how quickly he’d jumped in. Without question, he decided to help others without even negotiating pay or anything for himself.

That spoke highly of his character.

“After everything was done, I pulled Archie aside. We talked for a bit, and I came up with an idea to help you both,” Tank said.

With a raised brow, I motioned my hand for him to continue. Knowing my boss, there was no telling what he’d come up with.

He smirked at me, then looked at Archie. “Archie needs some help with his citizenship. He’s between jobs, and we think it might take him a bit to find something new.”

I watched as Archie frowned down at the table. It looked like he wanted to speak up, but he sat surprisingly still despite Tank spilling so much about him.

“That’s when it hit me. Archie could get married and get to stay here. With his skill, he’d be great to have around. Plus, with the two of you living together, he could teach you ASL. I want him to teach us too, though that can wait a bit longer if need be. You’re most important.”

My mouth opened at his suggestion. Before I could think of it, I went to speak.

I froze as the reality of what I was doing hit me. It had been weeks since I tried to say a word. Yet here I was ready to raise my voice at my boss for his completely ridiculous idea.

Not only was Archie and I getting married a terrible idea, but I’d also explained to him I wasn’t ready to learn ASL. I wasn’t ready to do anything. It’s why I was still holed up in this place seeing Fabian a few times a week despite being cleared to go back to my own home.

Before my injury, the quiet was my friend. I could sit around and let my mind work for hours. I’d do puzzles or plan various ideas for the team while I went about my day.

Post shooting, it’s become my nightmare. I no longer wish to sit in the silence. Being at home means having to accept the quiet. I have no doubt I’d drive myself mad in a matter of days.

Sure, I could put on music or a movie.

I doubt either would distract me enough. My issue was internal. There was a hollowness where my energy used to lie. I couldn’t seem to get past it.

Tilting my head, I waited to see what Archie would say. I kept my gaze on him, the board in my hand gripped tight to reply when it came my turn.

He cleared his throat, then said, “I’m not really sure about this. Mostly because I don’t want to get in trouble for fraud. I also told Tank I couldn’t just marry some guy I didn’t know.”

Deep down, I felt a sense of pride for him at that statement. He might have been desperate enough to consider the idea, but he wasn’t too deep in it to accept blindly. That was good.

“Also, I didn’t know how you’d feel about any of this. I don’t even know what happened to lead you here,” he admitted. His eyes went wide. “And I don’t have to know. I’m just saying — I can’t agree to marry you without getting some kind of information. Last name. Favorite food. Do you snore? Stuff like that.”

I almost laughed at his random series of questions. It shocked me enough I let out a silent laugh.

Archie’s smile widened at the movement of my shoulders. He was attuned to me enough to notice my amusement.

‘Last name: Wan. Fave food: Korean BBQ. Snoring: Not currently.’

I wrote the answers out, then turned the board his way. He nodded, then turned to Tank.

“Marriage still isn’t a yes for me, though I’m willing to spend more time to get to know him. I’d like for he and I to discuss it more if that’s ok with you.”

Tank beamed at him. “Of course! I think this is great. Either way, I’ll help you as best as I can, just like I mentioned before.”

There was something else there. A promise Tank had made Archie. I would have to wait to find out what it was. Maybe Archie would tell me after my boss left.

A chime echoed through the room. Tank pulled his phone out, then smiled down at the device.

“Are you good with him sticking around for a bit? I need to make a call,” Tank said. Before I could answer he added, “Oh, and his background check is clear. Memphis just emailed the green light. No TGO ties.”

I appreciated him adding the last part in. With the recent issues regarding Sinclair’s past, we’d started vetting everyone we came in contact with for extended periods of time.

Since Tank was hoping I’d marry Archie, it was no surprise the background check was expedited. Archie wasn’t as easygoing about it.

“Background check?” he said slowly.

Tank nodded. “Those people you helped tonight, they were put there by somebody. A few of them actually. And we have to be sure the people we’re working with, no matter at what level, are not connected to them. It’s a matter of safety.”

Archie frowned, though the worry in his expression cleared. “Makes sense, I guess. I’m still not too keen on the idea.”

“We don’t dig any deeper than necessary. Besides, like I said before, Sinclair vouched for you. He’s one of ours now. We trust him.”

That was big given how recently shit went sideways because of the person coming after Sinclair. Then again, none of that was his fault. The bad guys weren’t always the scary looking man who was obviously out to hurt you. A lot of the times, they came dressed in nice clothes, with a disarming smile.

As Tank left the room, I erased the board in front of me. I had questions of my own to ask, and I hoped Archie was up for an interrogation.

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