TENACITY

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Leander's apartment

They shared a look, then turned to Leander. Mitch neared Trey to whisper, "I told you we should've left. This was a bad idea." He kept his eyes on the man they'd come here for.

"You're talking like we had planned on sneaking in to search the place or something. We wanted to meet the guy and there he is," Trey hissed back, turning to him. "Stop talking."

"He's right, you know," Leander said from where he sat, addressing Mitchell with a wry smile. "Please, sit. I don't bite."

Casting one last look at Mitch, Trey went first, settling on the couch next to Leander. Hesitantly, Mitchell followed, his eyes never leaving the man they'd come for.

Leander sat up. "I don't have much available, but would you like something to drink?"

"So, you can spike it?" Mitch said, glaring at Leander.

The latter stood. "Trust me, if I wanted to kill you, I'd have done that a long time ago—and not through poisoning. It's too easy." Trey kept a stoic face, refusing to think of the things the man was capable of.

The man in question walked to the open kitchen on the other side of the living room where they could still see him. "Tea or something else?"

"Just water would be fine," Trey replied before Mitch could.

"Alright." They watched Leander grab two glasses from a cabinet and rinse them thoroughly, brows raised at Mitchell. "Would you be okay with tap water? I have bottled water, but I don't want your friend to think I poisoned you."

"No problem. It's fine with me," Trey murmured, making himself more comfortable.

Leander brought the glasses over, went back to fetch his, then sat with them again in the small living room, drinking his first. "First things first. How did you know we were looking for you?" Trey asked.

"I didn't know. I was just hoping you would, and tried to make it easy for you," he answered simply.

"Weren't you scared of getting caught?" Trey asked again.

"Not many people know about me here," he told them, looking out the window behind him. "We have to be quick about this."

"What does he have over you?"

Leander paused, an emotion Trey thought was pain flitting over his eyes, but it was gone the next moment. "You guessed it right. I'm a softie when it comes to her. I saw you go there last night. What for?"

"For help to find you," Trey said slowly, setting his glass down.

"You do realize that you put them in danger, right?" Leander said, his eyes going hard. Mitch looked alert, ready for anything. "That is what you did, and now all I've done would be in vain."

"We sent them out of the country this morning—for protection," Trey answered, relieving the guy—if the huge exhale was anything to go by.

"Okay. Good," he muttered, not believing he'd let himself get angry that easily. He wasn't going to let his daughter pay for any more of his mistakes—she'd suffered enough ridicule.

"Why did you kill so many people? Just because you wanted to?" Trey asked, a bit of confusion present in his tone. He looked genuinely curious—not judging. But still, it hit a nerve.

"No," Leander answered sharply, receiving a glare from Mitchell. He cleared his throat and collected himself before speaking again. "I do not and never did kill anyone for fun. I was grieving."