Eureka

19

Victor opens the door and steps inside. Conversations pause at the leather and testosterone filled table in front of me. They'll lose interest soon when they see Vic as just another tourist. His faded denim jeans with his button up shirt with the sleeves rolled casually to his elbows give him the preppy out of town look. We could easily pass as siblings, both of us blonde with green eyes.

I stand up from my table slowly and give him a soft smile. I haven't seen him since I left the mansion five years ago. Time has done him a lot of favors while I was away. I'm soon enveloped into his tight embrace. I wrap my arms around his firm torso and breathe in his rich smelling cologne. His lips press gently to top of my head and I smile. My body deflates on a sigh of contentment.

I really did miss him.

I attempt to let go and step back, but Vic has other ideas and squeezes me tighter making me giggle. After a moment he lets go and holds me out at arms length to study me with a soft look in his eyes.

"Victor," I whisper his name as I stare into his sparkling green eyes causing him to smile at me. "Join me for lunch?"

Stepping out of his reach and towards the table, I swat his hand that was reaching for mine in his attempt to keep some form of physical contact. He is the most physically affectionate person I know. He chuckles as he moves around to sit across the table from me. I see him pause momentarily when he notices the group of men at the booth in front of me. 

"Red, you look good. Really good," He gives me a lopsided grin. His faint eastern European accent comes through as he speaks. I hum in response as my server delivers my sandwich to the table. Victor orders the same before the server walks off.

"So, why does my faithful handler decide now is the time to visit in person?" I ask as I take a giant bite of my sandwich. I offer him some fries while he waits for his food. He accepts and watches me eat as he starts to pull some fries from my plate with a smirk on his face. Taking in his handsome features, I see up close just how much he has matured since I saw him last.

I was around 20 years old when I left for the nomad life of a gun for hire. Opting to move around and go from city to city working assignments as opposed to working from our home base at the mansion-like facility in Las Vegas. After my friend Ivy was killed on a job, I decided that I wanted to see the world and explore.

Vic had finished up his training and showed an affinity for the technical side of things. Due to this, he was soon assigned to arranging travel and ensuring safety for me and the others under his care, making him a handler. He was barely 22 at the time, and still had some of his boyish charm then. The man in front of me is very much that, a man. He has clearly branched out from behind the desk to stay in shape.

"Would you believe me if I said I just wanted an excuse to see you?" He asks, leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his blonde hair.

I smile at him and shake my head. I could believe that, actually. But I know better.

"Nope, now spill. Is The Family... unhappy with me?" I ask him, all warmth gone from my voice as I drop it low. 

He nods his head side to side in response. Infuriatingly noncommittal. 

"No, not unhappy. Concerned. I'm here to ensure you're stable enough to continue as a nomad agent. It's easier to do in person. After I received word of what happened in Houston, I needed to see for myself. Crawford wants to pull you back to the mansion, and I'm here to assess if that is necessary," He says as he studies my face. I swallow down the lump in my throat and nod.

"How did you know what happened? All I said was that I relocated," I ask him. How many people know of my ridiculous drama?

He smirks at me and leans in to ask, "Do you really think they'd let you settle in for that amount of time with a man outside of our world without needing to put eyes on you?" He looks over my face again and leans back. "We'd known about your little relationship for some time. You were cutting it close there for a bit. If you had not taken the last hit I sent your way, they were going to force you back to the fold or face realignment. Your little play thing would have been dealt with. Still can be, if you need him to." His eyes flash with a deadly glint. 

I shake my head. Well this is embarrassing.

"My loyalties haven't changed," I grit out through clenched teeth, angry that they would think I would become compromised due to Bradley of all people. "How many others know what happened?"

"Just me, Crawford, and the guys we put on you." He stares at me for a while longer before saying. "That man was a fool to do that to you. If I was there, he would have been dead the moment he started even looking her way." 

I snort and shake my head. My focus still on what he said earlier. Depending on which Crawford he meant, that could spell trouble for me. I'm too chicken to ask for clarification because honestly, both are bad news for different reasons.

"It's like you said, it would have caused problems in the long run. It was getting harder to keep up with the job boards, and I was getting bored. He did me a favor. It's not like I loved him, Vic. He was a bed warmer for me," I say dismissively. I pause to take another bite of my sandwich as Victor watches with amusement.

With my mouth full, I continue, "When I really think back on it, he was more like a pet. Someone I fed and made sure was clean and had a place to stay in exchange for companionship."

Victors deep laughter booms out, making me grin in response.

"Still. You should have at least cut off his dick," He says, still chuckling. I scoff at that, wrinkling my nose up in disgust.

"Ew!" I lean over and smack his shoulder. "That would mean that I would have had to touch it. Now that I know where it's been, no thank you. I like blood on my hands, but that... that's too much." I shiver at the thought. Our laughter dies down and we sit in comfortable silence smiling at each other as the young server brings Victor his food.