Page 19

“Because…” Fuck, why couldn’t I think of a reason. “Because it’s not normal.”

He shrugged and relaxed back in his chair. “You’re in different world now. My world. What’s normal to you isn’t going to be normal here. Best get used to it, pretty boy.”

No way. No fucking way.

“Did Charlie say anything you about a ledger?” Damyr asked, as if he hadn’t just turned my life upside down.

“No.”

He’d kidnapped my cat.

“Did he give you anything?”

“No.”

He’d packed all my things.

Fuck, I hope he hadn’t found the things in the bottom drawer of my bedside cabinet. That would be embarrassing.

“Well, what did he say?” Damyr growled impatiently.

“Nothing much. That he worked in finance and regretted doing something, but didn’t know how to fix it.”

“What did he regret?”

“I don’t know!” I cried out. This really was the worst day of my fucking life.

“But you two were talking at the bar for a long time.”

“It was just small talk; I don’t even remember half of what we spoke about. He seemed really nervous, and from the way he was talking I assumed he was about to break up with someone. I tried to be a decent person and help calm him down. Then Byron and some elfin looking dude turned up and he freaked. Told me about regrets and how he wished he hadn’t done something. Next thing I know, I’m staring at Byron and having a massive sense of déjà vu. Images of my lost afternoon flood my mind, and I grabbed Byron’s waist to prove to myself Iwasn’timagining things and then bam, Charlie had disappeared.”

“You touched Byron’s waist?” Damyr said through gritted teeth.

“Seriously, dude? Out of everything I just said,that’swhat you take away?” God, this guy was a piece of work. “I knew Byron had been shot, and I knew it was above his hip. All I did was touch him to see if I was having a hysterical episode, or if what I’d seen had actually happened. Where is that blue-eyed maniac anyway?”

“Why?”

“I kind of want to punch him in the face for strangling me.”

Damyr snorted. “And you say you’re not a violent person.”

I blanched. I had said that.

Damyr stood up and frowned at me. “Besides, I wouldn’t be violent around Byron. He thrives on it and will probably think it’s foreplay if you hit him.”

“Jeez, the guy sounds like a psycho,” I muttered.

“I think he prefers the term ‘creative’ but yes, he is a psychopath. Among other darker things.”

“Creative? Really?”

“Yes,” Damyr said with a shrug. “Byron is the kind of monster you send to kill other monsters. I’d recommend steering clear of him. I also don’t like that he has a pet name for you already.”

“Why?”

His ocean blue eyes held mine with an unblinking stare that had my squirming in my seat. “Because a pet name implies that he’s interested in you and trust me, you don’t want him interested in you. The last person to hold his interest, ended up in a ditch in pieces. Stay away from him.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice. I already knew what it was like to have him hold my life in his hands, I wasn’t about to go back for seconds. I nodded in agreement. “I’ll stay away. What about the others?”