Ezra turns to face me, his eyes wide. “I don’t understand.”
“Consider my apartment an upgraded cell until I deal with Gabriel and you can return to whatever you were doing before you broke intomy company. Take what you want from the fridge. Go ahead and shower, too.”
Shutting the door, I don’t bother locking him in this time.
Right now, I’m the only thing keeping Ezra safe, and for some fucked up reason, that makes my stupid internal animal rumble with satisfaction.
CHAPTER NINE
EZRA
I’m stunned in place as Cain leaves me in his home.
Why would he ask me if I broke in here just to give me free rein of the place?
Once I shake off my confusion, I don’t waste time settling in. These are new waters to explore, and Cain’s apartment is beautiful. A bit cold like him, with concrete floors and exposed ceilings and no real personal touches.
I get the feeling that he keeps everything and everyone closed off. He’s probably never had to deal with someone so faulty like me.
Sweeping from the entryway to the living room, I put my hands on everything. I try on his glasses sitting at the edge of a granite island, checking myself out in the bathroom mirror. I flip through the business books stacked on a circular gold end table beside a cream plush couch facing a glass wall of windows.
Naturally, I snoop in his bedroom. Excavating a black ring from his dresser, I hook it on the inside of my pants pocket with a safety pin tugged free from my ear. It’s all I find for valuables.
I take a long shower in the glass and stone enclosure, humming in satisfaction at the punishing water pressure. Then I steal one of Cain’s t-shirts and a pair of sweats from his large closet. I have to tie the strings on the pants extra tight to keep them up, which makes me giggle.
After cooking up a meal with items I scavenged from the fridge, I manage to make a cup of coffee without breaking anything and sink into his couch, pretending like I’m actually going to read one of his books.
A knock from the front door startles me upright. I jog over to the front door, checking the security monitor beside it. The camera reveals Rev standing on the other side with his hands tucked loosely in his gray slacks. He paired them with a pastel geometric sweater that would look ridiculous on anyone else.
I crack open the door. Will Cain be notified somehow through the security system that I opened it? How much trouble will I be in later when he sees what I’ve done to his apartment?
Rev looks me over with a cocked brow. Leaning sideways, he peers into the kitchen where I’ve caused absolute chaos. I think I dirtied up every pot and pan, making an omelet and potato wedges. At least, that’s what I was shooting for. I’ve only watched a few cooking shows in shelters. If Gordon Ramsey were here to judge me, he’d be screaming, “This is fucking raw!”
“Oh, Cain’s going to have a fit when he sees you.”
“Shit.” My face crumples. “I’ll clean everything up. I promise.”
“I said when he seesyou. Not the kitchen destruction.”
I glance down at myself. “Should I change out of his clothes? I didn’t have anything else...”
Rev chuckles. “You are too cute, you know that? Completely innocent. When Cain finally accepts that, you’re going to set fire to his world, pretty boy.”
I blink back at him, kneading the loose fabric of Cain’s soft t-shirt in my hand. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Rev just cracks a sly grin and struts into the apartment. “Cain ordered me to question you about some things. Apparently, he believes this is adequate revenge for him having to deal with the HR issues you caused this morning.”
I run my hands up and down the fabric over my thighs. “Ah, yeah. Sorry about that.”
“No worries, Ezra. The drama was very much welcomed after a disappointing mission last night. Our boy Gabriel abandoned his warehouse.”
My shoulders droop. I can’t help the hitch of panic in my voice when I ask, “Is my friend safe?”
“We have security detail on him. We’ll put a bullet in Gabriel and shut down his business soon enough.”
I trail him into the kitchen like an eager puppy. “Can I help?”
“That’s what I’m here to find out.” Rev moves over to the stove to examine my food concoctions. “What is this supposed to be?”
