Page 113 of A Shade Too Far
“Nothing.” Naveen crossed his arms.
Laurent was still pissy about something, so I continued to ignore him and finished my talk with Naveen.
“Good,” I said, “because everything worked out. No one died, the dybbuk familiar is no more, we didn’t make Zev go all Four Horsemen on us, and we even proved that those gloves have no magic powers.” I spread my hands wide. “I’m not your enemy. In fact, if you’d let me, I’d be a pretty good ally.”
He was silent for a bit, then he pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. “I’m pissed off that I spent all this time chasing something that wasn’t a danger to anyone. And because I could have endangered my family. Badly.”
I just nodded.
He looked up at the ceiling, then stuck out his hand. “Naveen. My friends call me Nav, and you just earned your way into that highly sought-after circle. Treasure your position.”
I shook it, a giddy smile on my face at hearing the words he’d spoken when we first met. “Miriam. My friends call me Miri, and likewise.”
Our moment was short-lived, Naveen already turning away to make a call and heading for the exit. “Clea? Where did we get the intel on the Torquemada Gloves?”
One day I intended to meet this Clea and see their Batcave.
I slid off the stage, headed for the parkade. No point keeping Tatiana waiting any longer, especially to hang around and beat my head against Laurent’s anger.
Laurent grabbed my shoulder and spun me to face him. “What was that crack about ‘despite my feelings’?”
I shrugged. “I’ve apologized, and I meant it, but I can’t make you forgive me. Or not hate me.”
He raked a hand through his hair, causing his hoodie to rise and expose a sliver of olive skin. “If I hated you, then what was last night about?”
“Huh?”
“Sharing your thoughts and fears. Being so concerned about me. You think I’d have stuck around for someone I hate?”
I turned beet red, gaping at him. “You were asleep.”
A bitter huff escaped his lips. “Guess again.”
“But our fight at Chester’s? You were so angry.”
“What did you expect? I was grieving. Killing dybbuks…” He made a frustrated noise. “It’s given my life purpose.”
“Since you left the pack?” I said carefully.
Laurent fidgeted with his hem. “Yes.”
The seconds ticked by without him adding more.
“When did you and Naveen decide to steal the gloves?” I said, still reeling that he’d been awake. I would never have confided in him if I’d known he was listening. “Was it before last night?”
“No.”
“Was it pity?” I clenched my teeth.
“Is that really what you think?” he said sadly.
Was it? I replayed our conversation at the hotel, biting on my bottom lip. Once again, Laurent had my back. He’d heard what I said about not letting him have Frances’s death on his conscious and done what he could to keep it off mine.
Thank you seemed so inadequate.
Unable to stop myself, I rested my hand on his stomach, my thumb lying against that strip of naked skin.
Laurent flinched, his gaze equal parts hurt and longing, and I curled my fingers into my palm, ready to apologize for invading his personal space. He gave the tiniest shake of his head, reached out ever so slowly, giving me the chance to stop him, and brushed a feather-soft fingertip over my cheek. His touch was warm, but the intensity of his gaze scorched me everywhere it landed.
“You coming?” Emmett thumped into the room.
Laurent’s expression shuttered and I pulled away, hurrying over to the golem.
“Miriam.”
I froze, my back still turned, hating the sound of my full name on Laurent’s lips instead of his nickname for me.
“We were always okay,” he said softly. “If you didn’t know that, then Nav wasn’t the only one with tunnel vision.”
