𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 | 𝟏𝟖+

21

The dices fall on the table and I pick them up again and roll them around in my palm.

"Are sure touching his things without his permission when we are here to meet him is the best first impression?"

I wave his concern away. "Don't be so scared. I know him. He'll try to act scary but will eventually help us"

I look towards Lorenzo who is clearly more tensed that he should be. His shoulders are stiff and he's analysing the office space carefully looking for any traps or exits if required. There aren't any. Even if we do escape we can't run away because this property is too big and filled with his people.

The only way is to negotiate with him and try to keep our calm and not let any situation escalate. That is the only thing that will help us get out of here alive.

"Calm down" I say a bit smoothly to help him relax. "You can't let him win by showing your nervousness. He needs to know that we aren't backing down unless he agrees to work with us"

I know he feels a bit helpless in this situation if anything goes wrong and that he hates it. He needs control in his life all the time. They took a bit of that from us when they took our weapons away before entering in.

He turns his head towards me and narrows his eyes at me "I'm not nervous"

I raise an eyebrow and indulge in this game when I see his frustration direct towards me. Good, at least this will help him relax. Anger is good, frustration is good. It'll drain his emotions into something he's used to. Fighting with me. It's safe, it's something we're used to.

"Of course you are. You look like a newbie in their first mission. Not someone who's been doing this for years" I challenge and I see the insult hit its mark when his hands flex and he holds them together as if trying to hold back

"I don't want to start a fight with you right now. You are arrogant, narcissistic and think you are better than every one else. This attitude will cause you to lose some day" he shoots back

"I may be all of that but I am always right" I take it a step ahead and lift my legs and rest them on his thigh and I see the momentary hesitation in his eyes at my action because this is unexpected. This is new. 

We've only started to feel as though we can breathe in the same room as each other but taking it a step further is dangerous. It's uncharted territory and even though I have no interest in being anywhere near him, the way my heart is racing is unexpected. 

"Maybe you should take a lesson or two from me" I lean forward and smirk. He grips my leg and pushes it off his lap but I know he felt the knife hidden in my trousers by the momentary surprise in his eyes. 

That's what I wanted him to know. "I am always prepared" I lean back and let him analyse me. I know there are cameras in his office watching us so obviously I couldn't openly tell him about it. I know he understood why I did it too and see him lean back in his chair.

Gone is the tension and burden from his shoulders. It worked.

A few minutes pass before I hear the footsteps echo in the hallway and get nearer to the office. Seconds later the doors open and I hear the footsteps stop.

I turn back the chair and watch as he stands there in a perfect dark blue suit and tilts his head when I don't stand up and keep lounging in the chair comfortably. He should know better till now.

He sighs and shakes his head with a soft laugh and closes the door behind him. His each step echos in the office and only when he comes to a stop in front of us do I stand. But he smirks and doesn't talk to me first and instead turns towards Lorenzo.