Stoking the Fire (Salus Security #1) - Teodora Kostova Page 0,44

a stubborn frown.

“Sure. Around eight?”

Adri yawns before answering. “Yeah, that works.”

“Go to bed. You sound like death warmed over.”

He chuckles weakly. “See you later, Zach.”

When I end the call, Alec turns to me. “Any plans?”

“I’ve decided to make your life easy today.” I sip from my coffee.

He arches an eyebrow. “You don’t say.”

I ignore his jab. “I have to finish grading papers and then need to do some research.” Alec’s eyes are locked on mine, but he doesn’t speak. “And then I’m going to Adri's later.”

“We.”

“Hm?” I take another sip of cooling coffee.

“We are going to Laskin’s.”

“You don’t need to come. We’ll be inside the whole time. A car will drop me off. I’ll be perfectly fine.”

Alec’s smile is twisted, like a villain finally getting what he wants. He takes a step in my direction. “We are going to Laskin’s.”

I can feel the quiet in the room like a tangible object hanging between us. Desperate to free myself from Alec’s intense gaze, I look at Evie and Felix, who are watching us with the same wide-eyed expression on their faces.

“Fine. But take a book or something because you’ll be bored out of your mind.”

Turning away from him, I rinse my cup in the sink, my heart trying to beat out of my chest. The thought of Alec and Adri in the same room together is making me more anxious than I’m ready to admit.

Chapter nineteen

When Adri opens the door, his smile is so wide that his cheeks dimple. Then his eyes travel to the man looming behind me, and the welcoming smile dims, his brow furrowing.

“Um… Hi?” he says, his eyes moving between me and Alec. “What’s going on?”

“Hey.” I step into his personal space, and when he doesn’t move away, I hug him. My body relaxes when his arms come around me. “I’ll explain everything when you make me a drink,” I say when he releases me.

Adri sighs and waves us in.

Inside, Adri's studio looks like it always does—too tidy, as if nobody actually lives there. The only clues that he’s been home for a few hours are the suitcase and duffel bag lying on the floor, half opened, clothes and toiletries spilling out.

“I have bourbon and tequila,” Adri says, looking at me over his shoulder, a kitchen cupboard opened over his head.

“Bourbon on the rocks, please,” I say, making my way to the sofa.

“Alec?”

“I’m good, thanks.” He moves stiffly, his eyes scanning the apartment as if he expects someone to jump out and attack us, even though there’s nowhere for anyone to hide.

Adri's studio is even smaller than mine, with a double bed hidden behind an intricate Japanese art partition on the left and a sitting area on the right. The tiny open-plan kitchen consists of a few cupboards, an oven, a fridge, and a breakfast counter separating it from the sitting area, two stools tucked underneath.

Adri brings two glasses, the ice cubes clanking inside the amber liquid.

“So, how have you been, Alec?” he asks when he walks past him. “It’s been a while.”

Adri’s too smart to not have already figured out why Alec’s here, but he keeps pretending we’re all friends, just hanging out.

“Good, thanks.”

With a curt nod, Alec swerves past Adri and sits on one of the stools, as far away from us as he can get in the tiny space. The stool creaks under his weight, and for a moment, both Adri and I watch in fascination, half expecting it to crumble under the assault. Unperturbed, Alec takes out his phone and very deliberately starts ignoring us.

Adri raises an expressive eyebrow at me, takes the few steps to the couch, and sits down, handing me one of the glasses.

“So, you think hiring your ex to be your bodyguard is a good idea, Zach?” Adri says quietly after we take a sip.

His hazel eyes are tired, dark circles shadowing his cheekbones. It seems like he’s lost weight, and his already slim frame looks even thinner, the t-shirt he wears hanging loose as if it belongs to someone much bigger than him.

“I absolutely do not.” I run a hand through my hair, leaving my glass on the coffee table. “But my father apparently does.”

“Ah.” Adri's tired eyes light up as if the last piece of the missing puzzle fits in nicely.

The whole story pours out of me in bursts of chaotic ramblings. Adri listens, without interrupting, nodding from time to time, his hand resting on my knee as we sit facing each other on the couch. I