Page 33 of Point Proven
“I told you,” Thorne grumbled at me with a sigh before addressing the man seconds away from putting a bullet in my skull. “Levander, he’s harmless. Like a fly.”
The insult stung. My kindness hadn’t been received as I hoped, and I flicked my attention to the floor. Opting not to tell him it was cookies, I kept my mouth shut.
“He’s very…open,” Simon added, maintaining his distance.
Levander stepped closer, his body pressing against mine. “Then enlighten me, littlefly.What’s in the fucking box?”
Biting back tears, I met his stare. “Macadamia nut cookies… I-I heard you like them. Well, at least when I researched, it said you did in the past...”
His hold on me loosened immediately. “You… made me cookies?”
“Yes.”
“Myfavoritecookies?” The shock in his timbre was palpable, as if no one had done something like that for him before.
“I… hope they are good. I made them from scratch, and sometimes I’m not the best cook. And hell, I’m normallyreallymessy in the?—”
“He’s a great cook,” Thorne interrupted, saving me from my impending spiral. “I’m sure you’ll try one and won’t be able to get enough.”
Returning his pistol to the holster on his waist, Levander pulled me away from the wall. “Forgive me for being soaggressive. I’ve just… never had someone bring me a real gift. It’s always a bomb, or well, a finger or something.”
“Jesus,” Simon interrupted, blanching slightly. “Did… Was it like,justthe finger, or the hand, too?”
“Fingers, hands, arms…” Levander stepped back, giving me room. “…heads, dicks… Honestly, you name it, I’ve probably received it.”
Simon whistled. “A dick in a box. Nowthat’soriginal.”
Levander laughed, the sound rich and full of life. “Yeah. Some people suck at discovering original material.”
“And some people just suck at sucking dick,” I added, dusting off my shoulder, a bit of life returning at Thorne’s praise.
“Oh hell,” Thorne groaned, glancing between us. “I suppose this is what I get for hanging out with twenty-something-year-olds.”
“Damn, you old fart.” Simon chuckled, finding a seat to sit down in as he massaged his upper thigh. “Sorry if I needed to wait. It’s… bothering me.”
“No need to apologize.” Levander cast him a friendly smile. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. I’m sure we have plenty to discuss.”
Taking a spot next to Thorne after placing the box of cookies on Levander’s desk, I trailed my fingertips along his arm. My gifthadn’tbeen a bad idea, but he was still right. I went against what he had told me to do, but it was just…somethingtold me to bring it, and I was glad I did.
Levander almost looked like a different man as he settled down across from us with a genuine smile. “So, I’m aware of what occurred last night, as Thorne gave me the rundown when calling to request my services.” Turning his attention to Simon, he continued, “Is there anything you wish to elaborate on since Graves wasn’t present in your home during the infiltration?”
Simon swallowed, staring at his hands before he took a breath. “I… didn’t see much, but I heard a lot. S-Stefan cornered Liam, and I heard… heard him screaming.” Wringing his hands, I thought he would stop, but he continued. “There were other men there, too. But… But it was strange.”
“Strange how?” he asked, snatching the box of cookies from where I’d left them before joining us in his seating area. “Before the man knocked me out, he whispered, ‘green, help me,’ and well, it doesn’t make sense.”
As soon as he finished, Levander and Thorne locked eyes, the latter cursing under his breath. “Fuck.”
“So, it’s exactly as we suspected…” Levander dipped his fingers beneath the lip of the box, popping it open. Snagging a cookie that was a little larger than his palm, he took a quick bite, and his eyes rolled back. “Oh, fuck me… These are fuckinggood.”
Pride swelled, and I glanced at Thorne with the biggest smile on my face. He offered me a mirrored expression, but the usual light didn’t reach his eyes. The corners of my lips twitched, drooping slightly at his false happiness.
“Thorne, you?—”
“What’s exactly as you suspected?” Simon blurted, darting between all of us. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on? This… This is my boyfriend we’re talking about.”
Speaking with his mouth full, Levander answered. “As you’re aware, Stefan runs a massive human trafficking organization. Those he chooses to keep as his favorites are either deemed mercenaries or are otherwise color-coded based on his desires.”
“What, like a sick fucking color palette?” I muttered, still absentmindedly running my fingers along Thorne’s arm.
