Chapter 84

The One With An Ultimatum

NATE

I must be fucking mad because I’m back at Ezra’s compound. However, when Langley texted from a burner phone that it was time to meet, it didn’t exactly give me much of a choice. That’s the thing, if Ezra decides he wants to meet with you, he will meet with you, one way or another. It was either I voluntarily take myself down here or someone would surely be by to haul my ass down here.

So yeah, I reckon I could be considered mad, but at the same time I’m not.

As I sit, waiting for Ezra to make his grand appearance, I truly don’t know what to expect. About the only thing I’m sure will happen is that Ezra Sullivan will threaten me in some way, shape or form, as he always does. The fun part is guessing how far he’ll go this time.

I’m alone in the room—in his office—but I know that I’m really not. They’re watching from somewhere. Observing my every move, which they decipher further, twisting each twitch of my eye, each fidget of my fingers as whatever they want.

As a more introverted person, it fucking sucks beyond words to be under a microscope.

If movies have taught me anything, it’s the key to survival when dealing with psychopaths like Ezra is mimicry. I have to be what he needs me to be. What he wants me to be. What he expects of me. I need to wear the skin of a snake, even though there isn’t a single drop of venom within me. If I’m able to make him believe in my act, he won’t come close enough to get bit, right?

After Arielle’s and my date the other night, it’s hard as fuck to come back to this fucked up reality.

We had the perfect date and that’s exactly what I wanted. What I planned for. After the doctor made it clear that Arielle is under a great deal of stress—when her period was late and we thought she might be pregnant—I decided she needed something to get her mind off all the bullshit that’s been going on. I wanted her to feel special, even if it’s only for the night.

I think I succeeded. She seemed to really enjoy herself. She seemed happy and that’s all I can ever wish for.

I’ve been feeling incredibly guilty ever since I confessed to her that Ezra is out of prison. I know it’s eating her alive. I fucking know that she wants to do something about it, but we haven’t exactly chatted any further about it. I think we’re both so exhausted that we feel as if we’ve over spoken the topic of Ezra and all his insanity.

Which is fine with me. I’m trying to keep her in the dark as much as possible. I don’t want to cause her unnecessary stress. I don’t want her involved with this sick, twisted, psychotic asshole and I’m doing my best to fulfill that.

We’ll see what he says to me today and then I’ll be under the burden once again to decide what to inform Arielle about. She’ll be mad at me—fuck, she’ll cut my damn balls off and feed them to me—if she finds out I’m keeping these things from her, but I think she’ll understand where I’m coming from.

I hear the sound of a door behind me, along with footsteps and then Langley’s voice, “He’ll be in right away.”

I don’t even glance at him, annoyed with his ass. The last time I saw him, he threw me under the Goddamned bus and I’m still not over it. It doesn’t seem to bother him, as he moves to stand in his usual place like Ezra’s fucking guard dog.

When I finally glance at him, I find that he’s already studying me. He looks the same as he did last week—tired, pale, off.

I want to snap at him, to remind him that I saved his ass and therefore, he owes me, but I know that it’s useless. For whatever reason, he’s entirely devoted and loyal to Ezra. I guess that’s why Ezra keeps him around. If he wasn’t loyal, he wouldn’t be paid what he surely is. He wouldn’t have the power and status that he does. There are pros to having Ezra’s cock shoved down your throat.

For a moment there last week, when I’d noticed him all twitchy and shit, I really thought there was a possibility that he’d crack. Just so happens that I tiptoed through that minefield incorrectly and hit something that triggered the opposite response I’d been hoping for.

However, when you’ve been in the darkness long enough, your eyes adjust and you start to see. You see who stands on your side and who doesn’t. You can notice a psychopath from the twitch of their blood hungry hands. Shit that would appear normal to others, you spot like a giant, blaring red signal.

I rub at a spot on my jeans that’s stained with wetness from the rain. It’s been raining lightly all damn day and I can’t help but feel like it’s a sign of what lies on the horizon.

When the door creaks again, it feels like the sound is actually my spine breaking.

I immediately know that Ezra is in the room. I can feel it in the way the air shifts and I suddenly feel like I can’t breathe.

“Ah!” He greets, “What a surprise to see you here.” He says it with a playful smile plastered on his old ass face, as if I’m supposed to force laughter at his ill-fated attempt at a joke. He stares me down, as if he’s studying my reaction, before he gives a wave of his hand and everybody leaves the room except for Langley, him, and I.

He clears his throat as the door slams shut behind the last man to exit, seating himself on the edge of his desk. I lean back in my chair, uncomfortable with him being this much closer to me. I’m used to him sitting at his desk, allowing me the space of his massive piece of furniture to be between us.

He sucks up all of the oxygen in the room. He screams class, money, danger, evil, and purely powerful things. I need that space to fucking breathe.

“It’s been a week,” he says it as if we’re the type to share casual conversation, “How have you been, Nate?”