on a puddle, and he scooped me up in his embrace and carried me to my bed.
“This doesn’t change anything, Ty,” I murmured as he set me down. “So don’t get any ideas.”
My eyes didn’t open again, but I felt a depression in the bed as Tyler lay down at my side. He wrapped his arm around my waist, careful not to touch the bandaged areas. For a moment I felt unsure, like I didn’t know Tyler at all. His breath tickled the skin near my ear, and I relaxed against him. Cool and fragrant, his presence lulled me with all the things I liked about him. Taking my hand in his, he caressed the silver ring he’d given me years ago. “Everything’s changed, Darian,” he whispered. “You just don’t realize it yet.”
The next day brought with it a debilitating stiffness. Thank God Raif had granted me two full days of rest. Muscles I didn’t even know I had ached. I could only hope he suffered a little in turn, but that was a pipe dream. I smiled indulgently as I imagined what it would be like to lay him flat out on his back and stomp my boot into his throat.
A seldom-heard buzz startled me. I realized it had come from my doorbell. I sighed, wondering why Tyler would think now, after everything he’d said and done, was the time to show respect for my privacy. I stomped to the intercom and pounded down on the button with a closed fist.
“Hit the bricks, Ty,” I said into the speaker. “I don’t have the patience to deal with the us issue right now.”
“Um,” said a tiny voice on the other end. “I have a delivery for Darian . . .” He paused, and I could hear the shuffling of papers. “Sorry, no last name. I have a delivery for someone named Darian.”
I sighed heavily and wondered what it sounded like on the other end. “Come on up,” I grumbled.
After a couple of minutes, the grinding gears of the elevator lifted the delivery boy to my apartment. He didn’t move to open the life gate, so I opened it for him. Taking two timid steps, he positioned himself at the edge of the entrance. The six-foot-by-four-inch case he carried was supported by both hands and held aloft, like he was holding out a steak for a cougar.
“A-are you Darian?” he said.
“That’s me. What have you got there?”
“I don’t know!” he exclaimed, like I’d accused him of something. “I didn’t look.”
I laughed, hoping the sound would put him at ease, but I noticed his shoulders slowly creeping toward his ears. “I’m sure you didn’t peek,” I said, wishing I knew some motherly phrases to calm the poor kid down. “I guess I’ll just go ahead and take it.”
I reached out, making sure to keep my movements as slow and human as possible. The exchange went smoothly. As I reached to shut the lift gate and send him on his way, he remembered I needed to sign for the package. I took the clipboard and scribbled my name. He was pushing buttons on the wall as I slid the clipboard through the wooden slats of the gate. Apparently, he couldn’t leave fast enough. I laughed as he sank below my floor and out of sight. My charms didn’t work on everyone.
I carried the long rectangular box to my table. Three silver latches and a handle adorned the shiny mahogany container. I stood in front of the case, realizing it had been more years than I could count since I’d received a mysterious package of any kind, be it present, payoff, or threat. Could’ve been a bomb, though I doubted anyone would use a box so big. It might’ve contained a dozen long-stemmed roses. It was definitely too big for a necklace or pair of earrings, and certainly not Tyler’s MO. An AK-47, maybe? Only one way to find out. I threw caution aside and flipped the latches in succession before lifting the lid.
Wow.
Resting inside the black-velvet-lined case was an ancient katana. The preferred weapon of the long-extinct samurai, as deadly a weapon as there ever was. It could slice a body in half with surgical precision. I estimated the blade at two
“This doesn’t change anything, Ty,” I murmured as he set me down. “So don’t get any ideas.”
My eyes didn’t open again, but I felt a depression in the bed as Tyler lay down at my side. He wrapped his arm around my waist, careful not to touch the bandaged areas. For a moment I felt unsure, like I didn’t know Tyler at all. His breath tickled the skin near my ear, and I relaxed against him. Cool and fragrant, his presence lulled me with all the things I liked about him. Taking my hand in his, he caressed the silver ring he’d given me years ago. “Everything’s changed, Darian,” he whispered. “You just don’t realize it yet.”
The next day brought with it a debilitating stiffness. Thank God Raif had granted me two full days of rest. Muscles I didn’t even know I had ached. I could only hope he suffered a little in turn, but that was a pipe dream. I smiled indulgently as I imagined what it would be like to lay him flat out on his back and stomp my boot into his throat.
A seldom-heard buzz startled me. I realized it had come from my doorbell. I sighed, wondering why Tyler would think now, after everything he’d said and done, was the time to show respect for my privacy. I stomped to the intercom and pounded down on the button with a closed fist.
“Hit the bricks, Ty,” I said into the speaker. “I don’t have the patience to deal with the us issue right now.”
“Um,” said a tiny voice on the other end. “I have a delivery for Darian . . .” He paused, and I could hear the shuffling of papers. “Sorry, no last name. I have a delivery for someone named Darian.”
I sighed heavily and wondered what it sounded like on the other end. “Come on up,” I grumbled.
After a couple of minutes, the grinding gears of the elevator lifted the delivery boy to my apartment. He didn’t move to open the life gate, so I opened it for him. Taking two timid steps, he positioned himself at the edge of the entrance. The six-foot-by-four-inch case he carried was supported by both hands and held aloft, like he was holding out a steak for a cougar.
“A-are you Darian?” he said.
“That’s me. What have you got there?”
“I don’t know!” he exclaimed, like I’d accused him of something. “I didn’t look.”
I laughed, hoping the sound would put him at ease, but I noticed his shoulders slowly creeping toward his ears. “I’m sure you didn’t peek,” I said, wishing I knew some motherly phrases to calm the poor kid down. “I guess I’ll just go ahead and take it.”
I reached out, making sure to keep my movements as slow and human as possible. The exchange went smoothly. As I reached to shut the lift gate and send him on his way, he remembered I needed to sign for the package. I took the clipboard and scribbled my name. He was pushing buttons on the wall as I slid the clipboard through the wooden slats of the gate. Apparently, he couldn’t leave fast enough. I laughed as he sank below my floor and out of sight. My charms didn’t work on everyone.
I carried the long rectangular box to my table. Three silver latches and a handle adorned the shiny mahogany container. I stood in front of the case, realizing it had been more years than I could count since I’d received a mysterious package of any kind, be it present, payoff, or threat. Could’ve been a bomb, though I doubted anyone would use a box so big. It might’ve contained a dozen long-stemmed roses. It was definitely too big for a necklace or pair of earrings, and certainly not Tyler’s MO. An AK-47, maybe? Only one way to find out. I threw caution aside and flipped the latches in succession before lifting the lid.
Wow.
Resting inside the black-velvet-lined case was an ancient katana. The preferred weapon of the long-extinct samurai, as deadly a weapon as there ever was. It could slice a body in half with surgical precision. I estimated the blade at two
Similar Books
