Page 76 of Doubts of the Egoist (Egoist #3)

“As I said, I have nothing personal against your Puppy. It’s all in your imagination.

” Tobias smiled again, but it looked tense, even angry.

His next words confirmed that Yugo had struck a nerve.

“Also, you give Mio too much credit for doing such a sloppy job. It’s not that difficult to find out where Puppy is registered.

If I can access the security footage from Kainz’s district, he can too.

You don’t need to be a genius to figure out what happened there between the two of you.

Yes, using my gun to kill the man who laid his hands on your property wasn’t a bad idea, but the execution? ” He waved his hand from side to side.

“Be careful, Tobias.” Yugo’s honeyed baritone deepened and grew vicious. “Your assumptions may inadvertently offend someone. Take some good-natured advice and keep it to yourself.”

“The same goes for you, Yugo.”

The air of hostility rose between them, and Yugo nodded slowly.

Fighting Tobias wasn’t in his best interest. He needed him to talk, not snarl, so he explained, “Fair enough. But it’s hard to understand you.

You hate Mio, yet you cover for him. You say you have nothing against Kuon yet you never pass up an opportunity to mess with him and me.

You don’t seem eager to explain what’s going on. What’s bothering you, Tobias?”

“Many things. I’m amazed nothing bothers you .” Tobias twirled a forefinger at his temple, and his hissing voice, filled with drawn-out sibilants and nasal sounds, rustled through the room. “Wasn’t Puppy ssstraight?”

“What are you trying to imply?” Yugo did his best to suppress his irritation, but his voice rattled with rusty metal.

“Oh, I’m not implying anything; I’m pretty sure I’m very ssstraightforward, just how you like it.

” Tobias wrinkled his nose in a mischievous grimace, obviously pleased with his pun.

“We all know the story behind your ‘meet cute’. It’s hard to call it romantic.

And Puppy… How many times did the doctor check on him during your ‘honeymoon’?

So many injuries. Even a seasoned masochist would struggle with such…

passssion. He doesn’t strike me as someone who’d easily forget such an experience.

He doesn’t look like a masochist to me, either.

He tried to kill himself to get away from you, so it’s only natural to wonder why such a righteous man would sssuddenly change his ways all over a…

well,” he wrinkled his nose, “no offense, you and whatever you have to offer.

“I’ve heard about your… erm, bedroom talentsss, but I don’t think they’re magical enough to work such a miracle.

” Tobias’ face lit up with a smile so wide that Yugo wanted to slam it against the desk to dim it.

But instead of confronting his guest, Yugo sank back into his chair, thinking that Tobias’ words echoed his own fears and what Kuon had told him in the small surveillance room.

“What’s his agenda, Yugo? Please, don’t start with the love crap.

Love between men is already a very ephemeral, fragile, and rather fruitless thing.

Besides, people like him don’t change just like that.

” He snapped his fingers to emphasize his words.

“So you see, I don’t hate him. I’m cautious and want him out of my quiet, well-ordered anthill.

I’m a very territorial and private person.

I don’t like not knowing, not understanding. ”

“Are you saying he’s here for revenge?” Yugo managed a small, condescending smile. Whether Tobias’ words had any ground or not didn’t matter at the moment because Kuon was Yugo’s business, and Yugo hated it when someone interfered.

“I didn’t say that. You did.” Tobias lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug and took a small sip from the bottle.

“You’re being paranoid again. Anyway, how do you know about Kuon’s injuries?” Yugo glanced at Greg, whose face darkened with Tobias’ every word.

“People talk, Yugo.” Tobias shrugged his shoulder again, then added, “And Mio… I only help him because it’s in my contract.

It’s no secret why I dislike him. He doesn’t care about anything in this world except you.

If he did, he would never have touched that rifle.

Maybe he tried to set me up; maybe he didn’t.

Who knows? But he stole my rifle because he was blinded by hatred but too scared to confront you directly.

Instead, he chose to kill an innocent guy.

How does that warrant any respect? You’re wasting your time if you think Mio would ever make a good successor.

You’re also wasting my time on him, but as long as we maintain this profitable deal, who am I to complain? ”

“Don’t exaggerate. He cares about things. That’s why no one died. He just needs to learn some self-control and strategic thinking; that’s why you’re training him.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but the rifle has a knocked-off sight. Even if you fix it, the sight wobbles every time you pull the trigger, so your aim will always be off. You have to shoot the rifle many times to figure out what’s wrong with it.

Mio is a good enough sniper, but he is trained to use modern rifles with little to no recoil.

He only fired three rounds, as he usually does when adjusting his aim to hit a target.

If it were any other rifle, you’d be looking at a dead body. ”

“Fuck…” Yugo got up from his seat and turned to the window, gaze fixed on the pink dawn edging the forest. “Where is he?”

“I’d be looking now, but, well…”

Yugo grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the windowsill and fumbled through his pockets for the lighter.

He cursed when he couldn’t find it. As he turned to face his guest, Tobias flashed a toothy grin and dramatically spun his trophy between his fingers before double-tapping the lighter on the armrest.

As Yugo took a threatening step toward his guest to reclaim the lighter, the door swung open, nearly hitting Greg’s shoulder.

All three men turned their heads toward the intruder.

Tobias’ hand moved to his ankle, Greg’s to his armpit holster.

Only Yugo remained still, watching as Kuon lowered his stubborn chin and entered uninvited.

With clinical detachment, his dark, tenacious eyes searched each man in the room as he moved past Tobias toward Yugo.

Questions were etched on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but his gaze swept over the desk, and the words never left his parted lips.

His pupils flickered from side to side as he absorbed the information on the papers.

He blinked in disbelief, his chin moving in denial.

“Funny. I was told the bullet never made it to the lab. Looks like my source was wrong.” When Kuon looked up, an ocean of raw pain and disappointment splashed inside his dark eyes. Yet his voice was void of emotion. “Say something.”

Blood drained from Yugo’s face. He knew exactly what conclusions Kuon was drawing, yet his lips remained sealed. He doesn’t trust me. He never will.

As the seconds ticked by and Yugo failed to defend himself, Kuon nodded, chuckled, shook his head in an inner dialogue with himself, then stormed out.

Yugo didn’t move even when two pairs of eyes bore into him with amazement and curiosity.

Tobias’ words had hit their mark. Kuon’s voice echoed in his head, “How am I supposed to know when I don’t even recognize who that is?

You did this, so why won’t you tell me? What am I feeling?

Is it just a capture-bonding afterglow? Because what you did to me should be unforgivable, and yet… ”

The snake-like hissing broke the silence. “He obviousssly thinks you did it, you know?”

Yugo glared, unwilling to engage in the provocation.

“Sucks to be you right now.” Tobias said, revealing his crooked teeth in an amused grin. The chair creaked as he stood up, snatched up the printed sheets, and waved them in the air. “I’m confiscating this.”

His back filled the doorway when Yugo growled, “Keep your damn phone on, Tobias. Call me when you find Mio.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Papers rustled as Tobias tucked them under his arm and slammed the door behind him, leaving an empty plastic bottle and a water ring on the desk.

Greg turned his dark gaze from the door back to Yugo. “He’s got a point.”

“What do you expect me to do? Tell Kuon the truth? He won’t believe it.

Even if he does, what good will it do? If he thinks it was me, he won’t snoop around.

If he finds out it was Mio…” He shook his head.

“Who knows what will happen then? Better the devil we know. Speaking of devils, change the household staff. Keep only the people you trust, and make sure no one ever talks about what happens in this house again.”

With a clipped nod, Greg slipped out the door.

Glowering with confusion, Kuon stormed up the stairs. He entered the bedroom, tore his sweat-soaked T-shirt off his overheated body, and threw it onto the tall mirror. Unsure of what to do next, he froze.

Should I stay? Leave? Neither option felt right. Without a clear understanding of the situation, both options felt unproductive and would lead to the same outcome.

His nerves stretched tight, vibrating, urging him to move. His fingers twitched, the vein under his eye pulsing as his lungs struggled for air. In the dead silence of the morning, a piercing sound rang in his head. An elusive notion, like a pesky mosquito, swirled just out of reach.

“I don’t get it…” he mumbled to himself, hoping that saying it aloud would help catch the elusive ‘mosquito.’ “Why didn’t he deny anything? Did he really do it? Why else have the files? Why else did the police records vanish? Did he lie to me?”

Shivering with a chill of disappointment, Kuon kicked off his soaked running shoes and peeled the socks from his calloused feet. Excuses, each more elaborate than the last, rushed through his mind as he struggled to justify Yugo’s actions.