Page 15 of Shadow Of Sin
“You’re eating here,” she says in a low voice.
“I live here now.”
Her eyes narrow. “Since when?”
“This morning.”
“You moved into my neighborhood like a fucking stalker.” She lifts an eyebrow. “Not creepy at all.”
“Your neighborhood is incidental.”
“Incidental.” She snorts. “You broke into my system from God knows where, showed up on my stoop, and now you live down the block. But sure. Let’s call that incidental.”
“It makes things easier.”
“For who?”
“Both of us. You don’t have to travel far to bring me what I need. I don’t have to travel far to keep an eye on your brother.”
Or you.
But I leave that part out.
“You make it sound so simple.”
“It is simple.”
“Nothing about this is simple, Wolfe.” She glances at my glass. “Is that ginger ale?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t drink?”
“No.”
“Of course you don’t.” She shakes her head. “Clark Kent over here, with his ginger ale and his glasses and his secret identity.”
“I don’t have a secret identity.”
“You don’t have a last name. That’s basically the same thing.”
Something loosens in my chest. She’s fast, she’s sharp, and she’s not trying to impress me. She’s trying to knock me sideways, and it’s working in a way I wasn’t ready for.
Sal comes back with two plates. He slides one in front of Eva and puts the other next to her.
“Who’s the second one for?” she asks.
“Your friend.” He nods at me.
“He’s not my—“
“Your neighbor, then. Whatever. I made extra.” He turns to me. “Wolfe, you want seconds?”
“I wouldn’t say no.”
“See?” Sal points at me while looking at Eva. “Polite. You could learn something.”
“I’m plenty polite.”
