"You slept all day baby, you must be hungry."
I'm not hungry, but I feel the weakness in my body normally associated with a lack of eating.
"Yeah, I'll get something before we head out."
A lock of his slick black hair drifts over his eye when he tilts his head to the side and regards me with a riveting stare."No. I'm going to cook you something amazing, and you're going to stay here today.Cory will watch you. I won't be gone for too long.We have one of those special meetings I need to attend."
That sounds like the same type of meeting Massimo needed me for too.I usually take the minutes and note down anything important they discuss.I definitely have to go.
"I want to go to work today. Dominic, I need to be at that meeting too if it's of the special variety.Besides, I haven't left the house in days."
With his lips pressed together, he continues to stare at me and I know he has questions about my sudden strange behavior.
"Is there any chance you're going to tell me what's wrong with you?I know you aren't okay. Are you worried about the Richard Fenmoir situation or what I found regarding your father and uncle?"
I ignore the quiver of nerves that flutter in my belly."Yes. Yes, to all of it. I get like this sometimes and it's the first in a long time I've had to think about the past." There was no part of that explanation that was a lie.I just haven't told him everything.
"Okay, will it help to go to work?Massimo is cool if you need time off.I told him you weren't feeling well."
"I want to go, and I like helping you guys."
He dips his head. "Alright, well I'll go cook while you get ready."
"Thank you."
* * *
We get to work at nine and prepare for the meeting.
Massimo has it scheduled for half an hour's time.
When I got in with Dominic, I was grateful neither Massimo nor Tristan looked at me in any way that made me feel bad about the auction.Because I was so embarrassed, though, I made myself scarce and headed straight up to the meeting room.
I get everything ready. The room we use is small.It's on the top floor of the building and used to be a storage room.
Inside there are no cameras, no phones, no windows, just the door.
There's nothing in here that can be used to spy or listen in.The meeting room the Syndicate meets in is similar, just bigger in size to accommodate the members.I am not allowed in those meetings for anything.While Massimo may trust me to do this, it's not expected or required for the others to do so.
I've never complained because, to be honest, those guys make me nervous.Not that anything is wrong with them.It's just who they are that unnerves me.
At nine-thirty, Massimo, Tristan, Dominic, and Aiden come into the room and sit around the little table.I always sit next to Massimo.
The only equipment we have here is a computer that's not connected to the buildings' Wi-Fi, and an overhead projector.
"Okay, guys, let's begin," Massimo says, and I pull out my notebook."It's been nearly two weeks since we learned about the Order, and since then a few things have happened."
I have no idea what or who the Order is but I start taking notes.My job isn't to ask questions.Often I piece things together and try to figure out what might be happening from there.
"Today I want us to start by looking at everything we have so far and assess what we might be missing," Massimo adds.
At that Dominic switches on the overhead projector.The computer screen on the wall that's linked to it comes on at the same time.
"These are our guys," Dominic says, and the screen starts populating with men who undoubtedly look like criminals.
One picture after another comes on.Each man has that look that screams beware and stay the fuck away.I can tell from the same look that they aren't like the men I'm in the company of.There's nothing honorable in their eyes.Just a hardened, soulless gaze.
There are four of them on the screen so far with their names under their pictures.Kazimir, Karl, Bradford, and Federico.When the fifth man's image populates the screen and I recognize him, sheer, black fright sweeps through me and seizes my heart.