Page 69 of Five

Beautiful, Bez moans.

I stare menacingly into his beady eyes. “My threats are never empty, and there’s nothing fake about me. Mr. Boone will have this apartment for the next three days, and if something happens, anything at all, I’ll come back and use you as a bladesharpener for my vast knife collection. Are. We. Clear?” My tone is low but filled with warning and intimidation.

He tries nodding but has to halt the movement to avoid skewering his head on the blade. I move the knife and shove him backward, making him stumble until he crashes into the hallway wall. My callous stare stays on him as he hurriedly straightens, and with a hand against his throat, walks backward, finally reaching the stairs and descending them, tripping and slipping, until he finally disappears.

“Nice knife. Didn’t know coercion was part of a lawyer’s job.” I turn around, closing the door as I hear Lori. He’s standing, looking cute as fuck with a pout on his lips, a hand on his hip, and a bare foot tapping on the floor. “I can bloody take care of myself.”

“I know,” I reply dismissively, taking my handkerchief out of my vest to clean the blade slowly and meticulously. “Bathroom?” My hands feel dirty after I touched the sweaty landlord.

He points at the only door in the room, and I walk toward it. When I open it, I’m immediately attacked by a winged fluffy black bird wearing…a white feather wig. It pecks at my ankles, and when I move to the side to avoid the black beak, it dashes out and into the room, not clucking but…screeching.

“What is that?” I ask Lori, as he crouches down and tries to calm the agitated, black menace with a cooing voice.

“She is Wednesday, my hen.”

“I’ve never seen a hen that looks quite like that.” Thehenis staring at me with her red eyes barely visible among the cloud of feathers covering her head.

“Come off it! And stop sayingthat.She’s a Polish hen, at least Ren thinks so. She was found half dead in a field. Her syrinx was damaged, that’s why she makes that high-pitched sound.” He lifts Wednesday in his arms and starts petting it like a cat. If there's one person who can tame such a creature, it is Lori.

“You took her from the pet shelter.” I know Lori volunteers at the Pet Palace with the triplets.

“Yeah, one look at this cute face, and I was a goner.” The baby voice is back as Lori gazes at the odd short-winged bird with a total adoration I’ve only seen him gift Ollie and Sully.

A weird, ugly feeling stabs me in the chest. It’s dark and unpleasant.

You can’t recognize your emotions anymore, you constipated ox? It’s jealousy, Gabe, Bez boringly utters.

Of a hen,I deadpan.

We already stated that you’re a freak,he retorts.

“Hey, Gabe?” Lori’s call pulls me out of my inner conversation. His scrutinizing gaze has some confusion in the amber speckles. “Where did you go?”

“I’m here,” I say as I wash my hands in the tiny bathroom. “You won’t need any of this furniture.”

“I have three more days—um, thanks to you—to look for another place. Don’t know what I’ll need?—”

“I have a place. You’ll stay with me,” I cut him off, grabbing some duct tape to close one box, which is overflowing. I put the tape down and start taking things out to reorganize them.

His full laugh stops when he catches my serious expression.

“That’s bonkers! Us living together would end up in misery and disaster,” he says in a warning tone.

“Seems extreme,” I tell him. “Grab the essentials. Rague and Ollie will bring the rest.”

“Gabe, let's be real for a moment.”

“Let’s. If you remain here, your landlord will surely find a way to fuck with you. So, hurry up and get what you need.”

“Gabe…” he starts again, but my phone rings, and I let it without attempting to take it out of my pocket.

“Aren’t you going to get that?” he asks with a confused frown.

I always answer my work phone, unless what I’m doing is more important than the firm I built by myself. “I’m busy talking to you.”

“Bollocks, now I’ve seen everything.” His widened eyes are staring at me.

“Lori, for once do as you’re told and pack.”