Switchblade

Chapter 69: Guess What I Found Out

Killian came downstairs and saw Tati finishing breakfast in the kitchen.
She'd set the table already with glasses and utensils.

He walked quietly to her while she set the plates.

He stood behind and saw she'd made pancakes. His arms wrapped around her waist and he noticed she didn't flinch.
"Did you hear me coming?" he wondered.
"No. But who else's arms would it be?"
He chuckled and kissed her cheek before taking a plate.
"Wait! I didn't finish preparing it!" she said while he was walking off.
He sighed and gave her the plate back. "Go ahead, sweetheart."
She smiled and took it.

He watched her cut bananas and strawberries before placing them prettily onto the plate. He witnessed then looked at her face to see how hard she focused. He snickered to himself then observed as she drizzled the syrup onto the pancakes.
He had three perfect pancakes on a plate, laid out just barely on top of each other with sliced fruit and perfectly designed syrup. All thanks to Tati's obsession with pretty food.
She turned and handed the plate back to him.
"Oh, are you done now?" he teased.
"Yes, I am."
He took it and continued to the table.

She looked at him with a thought in mind.

She faced her plate to fix it the same way.

Killian ate a bite and just like always, he thought it was delicious.

Tati walked over with her plate and the gallon of orange juice they bought the day before at the grocery store.

She sat across from him and began to fill her glass.

"So..." she began.
"You're about to ask me for something." he said and ate another bite of his pancakes.
"Don't say it like that."
"Are you?" he chewed.
"Yes..."
He took another bite.
"Just...I made plans."
He looked back at her. "You made...plans?" he questioned.
Tati nodded.
Killian sat back in his seat.
"When you let me use your phone, I called Kolson."
His brows furrowed. "For what?"
"Plans." She shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough."
His eyebrows lifted at her audacity.
"I need to go shopping." she stated.
"What?"
"For clothes. For one I'm tired of only wearing lingerie. It's not that comfortable and I don't work in your club anymore. I want normal underwear. I also want more pants and more jackets. More regular sized shirts. I don't feel like being revealed 24/7, I get cold easily." He listened to her demands.
"And...I need a dress." she added.
"A dress?"
"A dress."
"For the plans?"
"For the plans."
"Hm." He continued eating.

Tati continued as well.

Killian finished his plate and wiped over his mouth.

"Go get ready." he instructed.

Tati smiled then got up and hurried to her room.

~•~

Segal sat in his office and rang a number.

"Hello?" Stone answered.
"Well, if it isn't my best pal." Segal smiled.
Stone hated that deep rugged voice. "What do you want?"
"I've found out some rather interesting information. Truly it's interesting for you. For me it's enraging. But with that comes a plan from me that can help us both."
"What is it?"
"Before we begin, I'd like to remind you...that I will murder you if these plans escape the two of us."
Stone took a deep breath.
"And everyone you love if that wasn't clear. I've killed bigger and more powerful people. Know that you do not scare me."
"I got it." Stone interrupted.
"Good."
Stone rubbed his forehead in stress as he kept the phone pressed to his ear.
"I've learned that this entire time...Cermak has had a secret weapon up his sleeve."
Stone's eyes widened in fear.
"A nephew that majority of us thought was dead. Has actually been alive this entire time and responsible for killing and threatening my men. He also seems to be the one who will be left in charge once Cermak either dies or retires."
Stone's hand fell to the desk as he sighed in defeat that Segal now knew about Killian. That was the one up they had on him. Killian was unstoppable because he was trained like a marine and no other organizations were prepared to handle him, especially if they didn't know he was out there. But now Segal did. Which Stone knew meant hell for Killian.

He put the phone back to his ear. "Is that right?"
"Something about your late response makes me feel like you knew this information long before I did. And you didn't tell me..." Segal questioned as he relaxed back in his seat.
"No," Stone lied. "I was surprised and thinking about it. This is news to me."
"Mm."
"How do you want me to handle this?" Stone asked.
"I'll tell you what. I've put you through a bit of a hell. I won't make you handle anything but finding more information about that nephew...Kegan? Kenan? Whatever his name was. Whereabouts, home address, wife, kids."
"And what will you do?" Stone wondered.
"What I do best." Segal smiled. "I'm gonna kill him."

Stone took a deep breath.
If Segal managed to succeed, he knew there was a possibility he and Cermak would be what and what. Equal grounds. No secret weapons. Just angry older men battling it out. And if Segal won...Stone didn't know where that would bring him but he assumed he'd be used as a monkey.

"Alright." Stone accepted. "I'll let you know what I find."
"Good dog." Segal replied and hung up.
Stone angrily slammed the phone to the receiver repeatedly before finally letting it rest there.

His fingers ran through his hair to fix it and he sighed in thought.

He picked the office phone back up and dialed.

It rang against his ear.
No one answered.
"ANSWER THE PHONE, YOU PLOTTING BASTARD!" he shouted and hung up. Then redialed.

Someone picked up after the third ring. "Yea?"
"Where's your boss?" Stone huffed.

~•~

The two had already gotten Tati's casual clothes at the places she liked the most but Killian ignored the options for stores Tati had given him when it came to buying her dress. He instead drove where he wanted her to get her dress from. He had one arm outstretched with his hand on the wheel and the other arm resting on his arm rest. The hand was relaxed on the gearshift. Tati sat in the passenger's seat watching the scenery.

"You passed it up!" Tati exclaimed and looked at him as he drove.
"We weren't going there."
"Why not?"
"It's cheap. I don't want you looking like that."
She just stared at him. Then sat back in her seat. "You're so annoying." she stated.
"You don't mean that."
"Yes, I do."
"Better than you saying you hate me." he smiled.
She didn't respond.
"You like me?" He teased and looked at her.
Tati looked back. "FACE THE ROAD!"
He chuckled and faced the road like she said. "Doesn't answer my question."
"No, I don't like you."
"Yes you do." He took his hand off the gear shift to rub his fingers over his lips in thought. "Wouldn't do what you do to me if you didn't." He looked back at her.
She looked at him. "Shut up."

He snickered to himself as he finally turned into a parking lot.

Tati looked at the building.

"This..."
She stared in awe.
"Killian, this is a luxury brand." she said as he parked.
"I know, mama." He got out of the car.

Tati kept staring at the building.

Killian noticed it was too quiet and turned around to see Tati still in his passenger seat with her mouth open in surprise.
He laughed fondly then gestured for her to come out.
She saw and hurried out of the car.
"Killian, this is a luxury brand!" she said again.
"You wanna be a rich housewife, don't you? Get used to luxury brands." He took her hand to lead her.
Tati continued staring.