Page 19 of A Thousand Cuts

As close as he was allowed.

Chapter 4

Fix

Aloud knock on his window made him jump straight out of his seat, his head hitting the roof and making his brain vibrate in his skull.

Swearing and cradling his bruised scalp and pride, he turned his head to look and found Midas staring at him through the glass, the gentle breeze ruffling his long, shiny locks.

“Stalking?” Midas signed to him, his mahogany gaze as dispassionate as every flick of his fingers. “Is that what we’re doing now?”

Fix sputtered, trying to find the words to respond, but in all honesty, there was nothing he could say that would make his sitting in his car in front of Liam’s building sound innocent. So he just slumped in his seat and covered his hot face, peeking through his fingers.

Midas walked around the front of the truck and hopped into the passenger seat, filling the air with the scent of spice. And then he stared at him.

Fix wanted to squirm, but he held himself still, dropping his hands and turning to face it head-on.

Midas’s eyes were as sharp as a knife.

“How did you find me?” Fix asked.

Midas gave a dismissive wave. “Please.”

“Were you following me?”

“No.” Midas dragged the sign out to elongate Fix’s humiliation. “That seems to be your new hobby.”

“I’m not stalking him,” Fix said, but even to his own ears it sounded weak, so he didn't think his hands were any better at conveying conviction.

“Sure.” Midas adjusted his chunky gold earrings so they hung perfectly again. “What would we call this, then?”

“He has several active curses on him and he wouldn’t let me break them.”

Midas looked…interested was too strong of a word, but his eyebrow went up a smidge and he looked vaguely present. “Several curses?”

“That’s what he said. I didn’t catch the rest since I stupidly didn’t bring my kit with me thinking I’d just talk to him. The one I broke was a scarf trying to choke him.”

“Choke? Isn’t that Black’s territory, not yours?”

“It was like a self-tightening cast gone wrong. Dangerous, but not deadly.”

“Why wouldn’t he let you break the rest?” Midas asked.

“He didn’t have the money for it.”

Midas nodded. “Makes sense.”

“No, no it doesn’t,” Fix argued, turning his body to face Midas completely. “He looked scared and tired and he needed help. I could have broken them all and he would have been able to live his life free from them. Money doesn’t matter. I just wanted him safe.”

“Is that why you’re here, then?”

Fix nodded, refusing to go into too much detail with Midas.

“I don’t think you sitting here staring at his building is doing much. Just to let you know.”

“He sent me away,” Fix said with a heavy sigh. “Not much I can do about that.”

“Not with that attitude.”