Page 12 of Emeric

“You can’t be serious. Do you think I can see through your body to what the code is?”

He faced ahead again, punching in the code, then opening the door. He held it wide for me with a grin in place. “I was fucking with you.”

“Asshole,” I muttered as I walked past.

His chuckling sounded behind me as he followed me inside.

I stopped as soon as I came to the main room at the front of the house. The windows I’d seen when we drove in were even more spectacular from inside. After staring at them for a moment, I turned and took in the rest of the room. There was a staircase fit for a movie. Cherry-colored wood with a matching railing that had an intricate curl at the bottom. It appeared to be carved by hand, but what the hell did I know about stair railings? A burgundy carpet runner ran down the center, blending with the wood. Across the large room were other spaces that opened into this one.

The only way I could describe it was as a large living area. It was more formal than that. This wasn’t a space I’d feel cozy sitting on the couch and watching the snow fall in winter. Maybe I would with different furnishings. These were more Come in, but don’t sit for long. We don’t want you to stay. Maybe it was for show. Couches with wooden legs and thinner cushions didn’t scream Put your feet up and let the world drift away.

“Hello,” I heard a small voice say, drawing my attention from the interior to a man standing just inside a doorway.

Sylvan was slender, with a clean-shaven face, sandy-blond hair, and a slight blush on his cheeks.

“Syl,” Oleander breathed, almost as if it was a relief the man was in front of him. He walked forward and didn’t stop until he was within a foot of Sylvan, his body effectively blocking him from my path. “Doing okay?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. I told Jordan this didn’t need to be taken care of today.”

“That asshole threatened you with a lawyer. Of course we’re going to handle it.”

Sylvan leaned to the side to look at me. “Emeric?”

“It’s nice to meet you.” I walked toward them as Oleander slid to Sylvan’s flank. I held out my hand when I was close enough.

Sylvan shook it, his hand trembling ever so slightly in mine. “It’s nice to meet you. Your sister was with me when I closed on this place. That was years ago, and the only time I’d seen her.”

“It’s a good thing you’ve only met her once and me never. Not that it’s not a pleasure to meet you. It’s just when we’re brought in, there’s something wrong.”

He nodded. “Like my neighbor.”

“Yes, him. Can we sit? I’d like you to tell me about him.”

“Sure. Is the kitchen okay? I can make tea or coffee. I have some scones I baked yesterday if you’d like them.”

I smiled, hoping it conveyed warmth. There was no worry about Oleander in my mind and what he’d do to me; however, there was an urge to ensure Sylvan felt calm and comfortable. I couldn’t determine where it came from, considering I usually didn’t give a shit what people felt in my presence. Well, except for the other night when Oleander knocked on my door.

Shaking the thought away, I focused on Sylvan and followed him into the kitchen. He didn’t appear to be overly anxious, although I was aware people could hide it well.

As we sat at the table, I found I wasn’t taking in the room or the furnishings. I didn’t care about the kitchen at all, only the men in it. Fuck, wasn’t that something when I thought about it? I should be focusing on the task at hand, not the people in the room, except to help solve their issue.

5

OLEANDER

Emeric and Sylvan had settled into a conversation about the neighbor. Emeric had Sylvan recount past events to help him understand the pattern of behavior. The longer Sylvan spoke, the more relaxed he became. I’d seen him do it many times. He had to ease into talking to new people. There was something different about it this time though.

The smile Sylvan wore was sweet and warm. This perfect blend summed up who he was. He’d smiled at me that way before. I wasn’t sure how to feel about him doing it to Emeric. Then I glanced at Emeric and saw how easily he spoke to Sylvan. How he softened his tone and buffered his words. It was another side to the attorney I hadn’t seen before.

I probably should have been paying attention to what they were saying. The problem wasn’t something I was overly concerned about. Did it need to be handled? Yes. Was it worth my getting involved and threatening the neighbor in question? Not yet. I spoke the truth when I told Emeric the guy was an asshole with too much time on his hands. He wasn’t threatening Sylvan’s life. The fucker needed a hobby so he would stop obsessing about matters no one cared about but him.

“Ollie?” Sylvan said.

I blinked a few times, clearing my vision. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

He chuckled. “You don’t say.”

“What’s up?”