Page 13 of Be My Vengeance

“Yeah, opened a few months ago.”

He looked around. “It’s nice.”

It had been so long since Alex had been to my house. Before Mila, we’d crash at each other’s homes depending on where the night had left us. After he’d met Mila, that didn’t happen anymore. I wasn’t mad—I understood, but I’d have been lying if I’d said I didn’t miss him.

“Come on, I’ll buy you a coffee and a Danish.”

He smirked. “You know what I like; I’ll grab a table.”

I did know what he liked. I knew everything there was to know about Alex Walker. I wasn’t obsessed; I didn’t stalk him or anything like that. I’d just loved him from afar for so long, I’d simply absorbed anything about him that I could.

As we sat at the small table overlooking the water, we drank our coffees and I allowed myself to pretend, for just a brief moment, that Alex was mine. Because there was no question that I was his.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Alex

As soon as we got back to Danny’s I showered, dressed in more of my clothes he had, and told him I needed to get home to put on a proper suit before we met with Gideon later to discuss all the information the brothers had given us last night and what that meant. Since I came here in Danny’s car, I’d called a rideshare to take me to mine.

“I’ll come with you,” he said as I opened his front door.

“You still need to get your suit on.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll be a minute, and I’ll go with you.”

I shut the door and faced him. “That’s ridiculous; you need to bring your own car. I’ll meet you at Gideon’s in like an hour and a half. I’m just going to have an Uber take me to my car.”

He waved me off and went to his bedroom. “Just gimme five,” he shouted.

“Fine, but you have to take me to my house to get my car so we both have ours. Who knows if you’ll need it?”

“Nah, Gideon has us working together.”

Danny was acting weird. I wondered if it had to do with the nightmare and how he’d had to wake me. When I’d come to, that emptiness and ache that accompanied those terrors was there, but for the first time since I’d woken from them, the fear and loneliness hadn’t threatened to consume me. I wasn’t stupid; I understood that it was because for the first time in over a year, I hadn’t woken up alone—my best friend had been there.

That said, I had a feeling I’d scared him…or that he was scared for me. I’d put him through hell this year, but I wouldn’t apologize for hunting these people down and making them die as horribly as I could. But maybe it was getting to Danny.

“I’m fine, Danny. You don’t need to drive me to my car.”

His bedroom door opened; he was adjusting his tie. His golden curls were styled perfectly, and his blue eyes wouldn’t meet mine.

“I know you’re fine. It’s just best we stick together is all.”

“Why?”

“Because with us killing two of Ivanov’s men, there’s strength in numbers.”

I narrowed my eyes. “That’s ridiculous, but I don’t want to be late, so let’s go.”

We drove to my house, where I made quick work of changing. When I stepped into the living room, we had half an hour to get to Gideon’s. Danny was staring at a picture of Mila and me that had been taken at her birthday party.

He didn’t turn around, but he knew I was there. “I know you don’t want to hear this, and you may even get mad at me for saying it.”

“Great, I can’t wait.” My sarcasm was heavy.

“I don’t think you should keep this house, Alex.” He faced me.

“You want me to sell my home?”