Page 72 of Doubts of the Egoist

“Why did you let him do that?” Yugo swept his gaze around the room again, then sunk his fingers into his hair. He was definitely too sober for this shit.

“So he would understand. Didn’t you want that?” Even without looking at his subordinate, Yugo knew Greg had shrugged.

Yugo’s hands relocated to the pressure point on his neck,rubbed, and the vertebrae under his fingers snapped in place. Pain surged, followed by searing relief and fatigue. “It’s useless, and you know it. A wasted effort, an unwanted reminder. Take it down.”

“It’s not useless if it made him stay. You’re a big boy, you’ll survive. Besides…” Greg hesitated, then added, “Having an open-minded approach isn’t a bad thing. Look,” he tapped on the question mark above his own photo card and grinned, “I’m willing to see where it takes him.”

“Only it didn’t make him stay,” Yugo enunciated every word. For some reason, Kuon’s refusal to sleep in his bed offended him more than his leaving did. This… He glared at the mattress. This felt final. “Tell Rudolph to send a few boys over and take this down.”

Yugo turned to leave when Greg grumbled, “But it did.”

“Yeah? Then why the hell can’t I see him?” Yugo scoffed, amazed at Greg’s stubbornness. If he didn’t know the man better, he would think Greg did his best to get on his nerves.

“Maybe because you brought Mio?”

“Mio? How’s—” Yugo stopped short, crossed to the window and scrutinized the handprint again.“Turn off the light.”

Greg slapped the switch, and Yugo fell forward, hand against the window. He pressed his cheek and nose against the cool glass, squinting at his car, parked further to the left.

“Fuck my life… When did he leave?” Yugo asked.

“Fifteen minutes after your arrival.” The light flared, turning the window into a black mirror. In it, Greg glanced at his watch. “Just over two hours ago. Security said he took a car.”

“Why the hell didn’t you stop him?” Yugo growled, turning from the reflection in the window to the man. Blood rushed into his eyes, staining the white room red.

“For what? To prove he’s a prisoner here who can't trust what I say?”

“Fine, but why didn’t you send a car to follow him?”

“You can hear a car a mile away at night. What would he do if he suspected he was being followed? Freak out, hide in the woods, and get lost?”

“So you did nothing.”

“Well, not nothing. I gave him space to cool off and come back.”

“Fuck you, Greg. He can barely see, yet you let him drive?” Yugo snapped, shouldering him on his way out.

“His eyesight isn’t that bad. At this hour, the road is empty.”

His surroundings blurred as Yugo darted to the stairs and reached the door in three leaps. Short shouts reached him from behind, but they drowned in the loud thuds of his heart. He got in the car and started the engine when Greg blocked his way, leveling him with a look of silent astonishment.

Yugo lowered the window and growled, “Move!”

Greg didn’t budge. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Are you an idiot? I’ll fucking fire you.”

“You’re drunk.”

“Then you drive.” The asphalt creaked under his foot as Yugo stepped out of the car and jerked his chin toward thedriver’s seat.

“Is that wise?” Greg sighed. “You reek of alcohol, cigarettes, and sweat, and he’s hurt. No matter how reasonable your words are, he won’t listen to you. If you go now, you’ll have another fight. Go take a shower, shave, change your clothes, and when you look like a decent human being again, I’ll drive you. It will also give you time to sober up.”

“Did I ask your opinion, or did I order you to fucking drive?” Yugo slammed the door.

“Give him space. He’ll cool off and come back. The tracker said he didn’t go far.”

“He won’t. It’s been two hours. Don’t you know how stubborn he is?”