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Asa’s chin jerked slightly and Zara figured it was because it was the first time he’d heard Devan speak.
“Yeah. A motorcycle,” Asa replied, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, indicating the alley behind the house.
A motorcycle? That was kind of awesome. Zara hadn’t been on a motorcycle since she was a kid and her uncle Leo had gotten one after getting really into Steve McQueen.
Devan nodded and then gestured for Zara to get in the SUV with her.
Zara flashed Asa a smile. “I think that means you have to follow us.”
“What’s the address?” he asked, flicking his eyes to Devan. “Just in case we get separated in traffic.”
“Oh. Of course.” Zara pulled out her phone and texted him the address. Just as she hit send, she wondered if maybe she didn’t have the right number and that was why he had never replied. But the thought had barely finished forming in her head when his phone dinged with the received text.
Ouch.
Okay.
Their eyes met and she almost asked him. But she didn’t know if she was ready to hear the answer yet so she kept her mouth shut.
“See you in a minute,” she said and got into the SUV with Devan.
ASA
The house was easy enough to find. For some reason he expected a fortress of sorts but it was just a really nice four-story home tucked into East Lincoln Park surrounded by houses very similar to it. No yard, obviously. Chicago was too crammed for those sorts of amenities.
Cas was waiting for him in the alley behind the house. He waved him down the short ramp into the underground garage that opened as he approached.
Was this really fucking happening? Was he really moving in with Zara Lorna?
His stomach threatened to be very upset about the entire situation but he ignored it.
The garage was a lot larger than he expected. It held both SUVs and his motorcycle easily. A large workbench sat empty against the back wall next to a door with a security panel.
He killed the engine and took off his helmet.
Cas gave him a look and motioned for him to follow him into the house.
Asa knew his eyes had to be nearly bugged out as he went through the door that led into the house. Zara and Devan were sitting on a low bench opposite the door. It had a shelf below it meant for shoes.
Zara gave him that smile again. The one that made his limbs tingle and want to make bad decisions.
“Cas is going to make you go through orientation,” she said. “It’s pretty great. Not to ruin anything for you but he rhymes verified with terrified and I laughed until I choked.”
Asa chuckled and nodded.
Cas started his tour/orientation immediately after that.
Asa followed along as the large man walked him through the house and talked about what was and was not allowed. He taught him how to use the security panel and gave him his own code. More than once he mentioned his background and specific skillset. Asa felt adequately threatened.
Everything Cas went over was a strange echo of things his father had taught him growing up. Double check locks on doors and windows, extra sensors hidden inconspicuously in addition to the obvious cameras, blackout curtains that were to be closed at night.
When he’d been younger, he’d taken for granted the overabundance of caution his father had forced him to practice. But it sure was coming in handy now.
They visited three of the four floors. The house had a personal elevator that had a regular door with a handle on it instead of thesliding doors like in hotels. The fourth floor was Zara’s room and Cas made it clear that it was off limits to Asa.
Meanwhile, Zara followed along with the tour making silly faces every time Cas made a new threat.
“If you don’t stop doing that, he won’t take me seriously,” Cas finally said, exasperated.
