Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

Charlotte Mitchell

T he elevator door dings, and my heart hammers because I know exactly how this is going to go.

The sun shines off every reflective surface in Nix’s apartment, having just come up over the city, and the aroma of eggs and bacon still lingers throughout Nix’s home.

I take a quick glance behind me, finding Nix leaning against the wall next to the hallway as he stares hard at the elevator door. He still doesn’t like this plan, having Miles come over to discuss how we’re going to legally proceed, but there’s nothing I can do to convince him.

I’m starting to get the feeling that he doesn’t like my partner, and I can’t say that I blame him. He left in a bit of a rage the other night when I was on the phone with Miles, discussing my new living situation. Miles said some things that would have pissed me off if I were in Nix’s shoes, so he has every right to be angry and distrustful of the man who basically adopted me after my parents died.

The elevator door slides open, and I turn back around to face forward. I’ll just have to deal with Nix afterward . . . if they don’t kill each other first.

Miles looks up, and I note a deep scowl on his face as he takes me in. And then his gaze hardens when it lands on Nix as soon as he steps into his home. “You two have a lot of explaining to do,” he spits.

I can hear Nix push off the wall and his almost silent steps as he comes to stand beside me. There’s a protective way that he hovers that doesn’t go unnoticed by Miles, and he takes it in, sweeping his gaze between the two of us.

“A lot of explaining,” he adds in the same tone.

“Miles,” I say as clearly as I can, even though my nerves are on fire. “This is Feenix. Nix, this is Miles.”

Nix grunts his greeting but says nothing more. Hatred rolls off him in waves.

“Look,” I begin with a sigh. “We’re both working for the same side –”

“Except one of us joined the dark side,” Miles interrupts, pinning Nix with a glare.

I hold up my pointer finger. “Momentarily, but that’s beside the point. He’s on our side now –”

“So he tells you!” Miles nearly shouts.

It’s my turn to glare, and I have a feeling Nix is doing the same thing, a united front against someone who is questioning us. “I trust him with my life.”

“How could you?”

“Because he’s done nothing but keep me alive.”

Miles clamps his jaw shut, but he doesn’t remove his attention from Nix. I move to stand between them in case Miles says something stupid that’ll tip off Nix. If it comes to blows, I know who will win .

“We’re all on the same side,” I say as Nix puts his hand on my hip, ready to pull me behind him if he has to.

“Minus the fact that only two-thirds of the room is sleeping together,” Miles grits out. “Or were you going to leave that part out?”

“What she does when she is off-duty is none of your business,” Nix says so dangerously low that I get goosebumps.

“When you’re undercover, you’re never off duty,” he retorts, taking a step in our direction.

Nix’s hand tightens on my waist, but it’s me who speaks. “It doesn’t matter –”

“It does!” Miles shouts this time. “It’s colored your way of thinking, I guarantee it.”

“So what if it has!” I yell back at him. “I love him, and I’m still doing my job!”

Nix’s hand loosens for a minute, and I don’t blame him because even I can’t believe I admitted it. But then he tightens it again, possessively, and I know then and there that I won’t regret saying those words in front of him.

Miles slowly slides his gaze to me. He studies me, really looks at me, and then whispers, “I knew you weren’t ready for something like this.”

“For what? Love? Or the job?” I cross my arms over my chest and pin him with another glare. “Choose your words carefully, Miles, or you won’t just be walking out of Nix’s home. You’ll be walking out of my life.”

He has the audacity to look shocked, and he steps back as if I had shoved him. “Charlie . . .”

I shake my head. “I’ve never minded you being protective, you’ve had to be, but when you start questioning every little thing I do, I do mind. I won’t put up with it anymore. Either you’re on my side, or you’re not. It’s your choice, but you’re going to make it. Right now. Right here. ”

He blinks a few times. I’ve never spoken to him in this manner; I’ve never made him choose between trusting me and my instincts and seeing me as that teen who needed a new dad because mine got himself stabbed. I’m not that girl anymore. I can take care of myself, and I can damn well do my job despite my personal life.

After a good minute of tense silence, his shoulders droop, and he releases a breath he must have been holding. “I don’t want you to do this, Charlie.” He looks at me pointedly. “This party – I don’t want you to go.”

“Then you and Nix are on the same side, but it’s a side I won’t be joining.”

He only spares Nix a glance from over my shoulder before looking back at me. “The gala was one thing, but this . . . I have a bad feeling. You can’t tell me you don’t.”

“Miles! Either you trust me, or you don’t.” I don’t bother telling him that I have the same feeling, but I cannot pass up this opportunity. I have to go, and he knows it. They both do.

“Of course I trust you.” He puts his hands on his hips.

“Good,” I say, clapping my hands together before he can say anything else. I step aside so that Nix is more part of this conversation instead of the man who needs to protect me from the other. I swivel my gaze between the two. “So what’s the plan?”

“I want to add some undercovers,” Miles says defeatedly.

“No,” Nix answers in a deep tone.

“Why not?” It’s the first time Miles has spoken to him, and it’s full of exasperation.

“It’s invite-only,” I say with a huff. “No invitation, no entry, and if you tried, it would tip our hand.”

“There has to be other ways to draw out your boss,” he says to Nix in a pleading manner .

“I’m sure there is,” Nix begins, “And I don’t like this any more than you, but Charlie is the key. If we want him to come out of hiding, she’s how we do it.”

Miles looks at him with side-eye. “You really work for the Department of Treasury?”

“Call them and find out,” Nix says with a narrowed gaze.

“I’ll have to do that,” Miles grumbles before looking back at me. “And you’re sure he’s not setting a trap for you?”

I throw my hands in the air. “Miles!”

He holds up his palms. “Okay, okay.” His sigh is loud. “I want to track your phone.”

I scowl. “You already do.”

“He’s not talking about the one he gave you,” Nix murmurs.

“Oh,” my scowl deepens as the two of them have a wordless conversation, staring back at one another. “You two are talking about the phone the business gave me?”

“Can it be done?” Miles asks him, ignoring me.

“I can make it happen.”

“What about a microphone?”

My head ping pongs back and forth as they carry on a conversation without me, both wanting nothing more than to keep me safe.

He shakes his head. “They’ll find it.”

“Camera in the glasses?”

He shakes his head again.

Miles clenches his fists at his sides, flexing and unflexing them. “This is such a bad idea.”

“I’ll keep her safe,” Nix murmurs. “She won’t leave my side.”

“Will you have any protection on you?”

Again, he shakes his head. “It’s not allowed. ”

Of course it isn’t. The party will be full of the darkest of the dark kind of people I’d ever meet, but weapons aren’t allowed so no one kills who they aren’t supposed to. Of course. “Gotta keep the billionaires safe,” I grumble.

“Unfortunately,” Miles says distractedly.

“Wait,” I hold up a hand. “Wouldn’t we have to hand over our phones too? You know, to keep pictures from being taken?”

Nix scowls and pinches the bridge of his nose. A quiet, “fuck,” comes out of his mouth before he drops his hand back to his side. He hadn’t thought of that, apparently.

Searching the floor for answers, Miles eventually says, “Her shoe,” as his eyes stare at my bare toes. He points. “We’ll track her shoe.”

“My shoe?” I nearly laugh.

“Do you plan to take off your shoes?” he asks sarcastically.

“Well . . . no.”

“Then we’ll track your shoe.”

Nix nods curtly in approval.

“Good,” Miles breathes out. “I still don’t like this, but I’ll feel better if we have some sort of eyes on you two.” He turns to leave but, for a second, pauses. “I mean it. I still don’t like this Charlie, but I’m going to trust you because you’re right. If anyone can do this, you can.”

He presses the elevator button. “Where will you be during the party?” I ask instead of acknowledging his apology.

“Not far,” he answers. “If something happens, me and everyone else will be there, I promise.” And with that, he steps into the elevator with one last glance at the two of us before the doors close.