Fuck!
Exactly how was this happening?
Exactly how in the f**k was I standing in my bathroom, brushing my teeth, Tucker Fucking Creed at my back after I hadn’t seen him for sixteen f**king years, talking to me about partnering on a job with him and not groveling or writhing in pain after I kicked his ass?
I knew how.
Because that was then but that was over and this was now.
This was now.
That was over.
“Fine,” I agreed and watched a weird flare in his eyes but I ignored that, turned to face him and kept talking. “Got shit to do. We’ll meet with Knight, after, you’ll catch me up.”
“No, now we gotta get shit outta the way so, as we work, it doesn’t get in the way.”
“No shit to get out of the way,” I replied and moved out from in front of him and deeper into the bathroom.
This got me another eye flare which wasn’t weird. It was annoyed.
“Sylvie –”
I shook my head. “I don’t just work for Knight, you know. I got things I gotta get done. It’s late. I don’t have a lot of time. You wanna help out, you can feed Gun on your way out.”
“I ride along on your shit, we talk before the meeting which means after we can get down to it.”
This was, for anyone other than Tucker Creed, an excellent suggestion.
Since it was Tucker Creed, I shook my head. “Not gonna happen. I work alone.” He opened his mouth to speak so I finished quickly, “Except for this gig for Knight, I work alone.”
He didn’t move.
I did, to put my hands to the hem of my shirt and I did this as I asked, “You not moving, does that mean you aren’t gonna help out and feed my cat?”
“I know,” he whispered and for the first time in a long time I had to hold back a flinch.
But I managed it and kept the mask in place.
“No shit?” I asked.
“We need to talk, Sylvie.” He leaned forward an inch. “He told me –”
Oh no.
Fuck no.
I whipped my shirt off and tossed it aside. Creed stopped speaking abruptly and his eyes dropped to my torso as my hands moved to my belt.
“Learn this about me, partner, and I suggest you do it now,” I told him. “I do not go back. Eyes ahead. Feet moving forward. I don’t ever f**king go back. I don’t talk about it. I don’t think about it.” I undid the button on my jeans and pulled the zip down. “You were in my life a long time ago. I’ve lived two full lifetimes since then, each entirely different. I like the one I’m in now. I’m not going back to the ones before. I didn’t like them as much.”
His eyes shot back to mine and his lips whispered, “Sylvie –”
It was my turn to lean in an inch. “Deal breaker. You’re all fired up to discuss that shit, this is done. I’ll tell Knight to find you another partner. He’ll understand. We’re tight. He’ll give me that and not one thing will change between us. You keep your mouth shut about that shit, eyes forward, feet moving ahead, mind on the job, we’ll be fine.”
His gaze moved over my face and it took its time.
Then he said quietly, “You’re serious.”