Page 54 of Tino
“If I told you the portals to Sutiner weren’t working anymore and you’d never be able to return, what would you feel?” Huh, I had no idea how to feel about that,relieved, which I shouldn’t feel, those people were my friends… but then why was I so relieved.
I sighed. “I feel relieved,” I admitted, knowing I could tell him the truth, even though it painted me as a really bad friend.
“Then you shouldn’t go.” He shrugged, like it was such an easy decision. “You never know if visiting will ruin the memories in your mind. And when you left, you never intended on ever seeing them again; you said you hoped to one day. But I know as well as you do, that you didn’t believe it would ever happen when you quit.” He was right. I had said goodbye and meant it as forever. Was that why I was so reluctant on returning? Because I’d somehow let them go mentally.
“Would you judge me if we didn’t go?” I asked, already knowing he wouldn’t. But I still needed to hear him say it.
“Never,” he replied instantly. “I’m not chasing down Emma’s location either. I knew before you came into the restaurant that Emma and I likely wouldn’t be seeing each other again, knowing she was moving away and was serious with her man. It wouldn’t do me any good tracking her down just for a few hours of chatting. It would only hurt much more letting her go after that.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.” The biggest reason I’d wanted to see Christian, had been for me to repay him. When Niam had toldus about Xari’s earthquake move, I knew instantly that I wanted to do something similar for Christian, just without the earthquake. “I want to leave some gold bars with Christian,” I finally decided. “We can go but not be seen. And since gathering money takes too much work and time, gold bars will have to do.”
“Okay. When do you want to leave?”
Wilston
We decided to travel at night, not because it wouldn’t be hectic at that time, but for darkness to help conceal us more, like leaving gold bars for a strip club owner was considered illegal.
“Did you at least write him a note?” I asked, looking at the box we’d filled with gold bars.
“Of course,” he sniffed. “And you’ll make sure he gets them.”
“Um. I will?”
“Yes. He doesn’t know you, so you’ll simply walk in there and ask for Christian and then show him the box and tell him it’s from me.”
“And you’re sure you don’t want to come with?”
“I am. Like you said, it’ll only be harder to say goodbye after and I need closure. This will give me closure.”
I guess I had a strip club to visit, then. While Silver hid in a diner across the street, I entered the humid air inside the club. It was rather easy finding Christian. After I’d located the bar, I’d simply asked the woman behind the counter where I could find him. She seemed to believe I was there to hook up with him, if her gaze that ran over my body and her wink was any indication.
She’d called a bouncer over who’d escorted me into the back where a few rooms were located, Christian’s office being one of them. The quiet bouncer left me just as I knocked on the door. Christian opened a few seconds later, looking pleased as he pulled me inside, quickly locking the door behind me.Fuckinghell.
Before his lips could crash down on mine, I sidestepped him and rushed out, “Silver sent me!” That had him pausing his advances on me.
“So, you’re not Steve?” I shook my head fast.
“Just a delivery man for Silver.”
He seemed disappointed by that and even pouted. I could see why Silver and him had been friends.
“So,” I said, getting back on topic. “The package was heavy so I left it outside. Silver said you usually got alcohol delivered back there, so I simply left it. Do you want my help carrying it in?”
“What’s inside it?” I could tell he was curious now that he knew I wasn’t here for a quickie.
“I don’t know,” I lied. “He just said he used to work for you and wanted to pay you back somehow. Said he’d gotten lucky one day and that was it.”
Christian followed me out the back door, and together we carried the heavy box inside his office. I didn’t want to be there when he opened it, so I left, walking as fast as possible through the club and outside into the fresh night air.
I hurried inside the diner, praying that Christian hadn’t followed me. Silver rushed over to me and pulled me into the booth he’d sat in while I was busy with Christian. I smiled as I saw two platesfilled with food. His with a burger and fries and mine with a club sandwich. My man knew me so well.
“How’d it go?”
“Good, I think. He thought I was a guy called Steve at first. And that I was there for a hook up.” That had him dropping his fork on the table.
“Excuse me?”
I laughed, then quickly explained. “He tried to kiss me but I escaped it, then blurted out why I was there. He seemed curious and together we carried the box inside. I think he was happy with it. I left just as he opened the box.”