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On the surface, it was a high-end yet fairly standard office building with offices on the lower floors and apartments on the higher ones.
You wouldn’t think of it as a front for the Armenian mafia, or at least I wouldn’t have.
But now, my eyes knew better.
Knew that Gohar, the kindly looking older woman sitting at the receptionist’s desk, could kill without blinking.
Knew that the two custodians were packing submachine guns.
Knew, that at least for a while longer, this was my home.
I paid a portion of the commissions I earned for doing deals like today’s back to Elias for accommodations. Giving him anything annoyed me to no end, which was exactly why he charged me.
But the rent was cheaper than anything else I could find on the market, and staying here made it possible for me to put all I could toward the debt.
But I didn’t go to my apartment now.
Instead, I went to his office.
I didn’t bother to knock on the door, just walked right in.
I felt a twinge of discomfort at being rude but then reminded myself who I was dealing with and what he deserved from me.
Which was exactly nothing, least of all consideration.
Elias was standing looking out of the windows.
I swallowed when I looked at him, my irritation at him fading ever so slightly as I took him in.
Even though I hated him, I found it impossible not to be struck by his presence.
A presence that was overwhelming to say the least.
He was tall, at least six-five, and huge, thick-limbed and thick-chested, almost burly, though I knew his body was all muscle.
His black hair, which was long enough to brush his collar, though it was usually shorter, was slicked back, which told me he hadn’t been running his fingers through it, something I knew he did when he was annoyed or on edge, which was most of the time. And he still had the shadow’s growth of beard that seemed perpetually with him.
I only saw him in profile, but that was more than enough.
Was almost too much, if I were being honest.
I couldn’t help but think back to Todd, who had always been cute, handsome in a friendly, familiar way.
Elias wasn’t that.
He was overwhelming, all-consuming, alluring, even though I knew the only place he would lead me was destruction.
Which was why I kept my distance and tried my hardest to stay inside the lines.
Pushing him today hadn’t been smart—definitely wasn’t in my best interests—but I couldn’t bring myself to regret it.
In fact, I was glad I had seen Todd.
Seeing him had been grounding, had been a reminder that my world was more than Elias and his family, no matter how much he might want it to be.
“You wanted to see me?” I said after two or three minutes of his silence.
I knew this game well, knew that Elias was upset, angry, and would thus make me speak first.
