Artifice - Man x Man - Book Six

Chapter 48

I put an icepack on the man's forehead as Verando returned with a towel, tossing it to me before placing one on the floor to clean up the water. He already knew exactly how I felt about his actions, it was clear enough on my face. 

I place the towel over David's shoulders, and he thanks me with a chuckle. "Sometimes, I forget how dangerous these are. They look so much like us." 

I hesitate, pulling my lips into a thin line and glancing towards my breakfast longingly; what if I had just let him drown? I'd be enjoying a lovely breakfast and none the wiser. 

"Comments like that make me feel less bad for you." As someone who came from a time full of racists, it wasn't jarring to me that he felt lycans were less than him. "Mr.Malcom, if we're going to continue a working relationship then we need to establish some respect. Verando is a very accomplished veteran, as I'm sure you've now come to realize. You are only alive because he was doing me a favor. Now, try to keep that in mind in the future. Understood?" 

After some deliberation, he nods. "I think I remember having this conversation before."

Verando scoffs, and I shoot him a glare. 

"What are you doing here, Mr.Malcom?" I press on. The quicker I get him out of here, the faster we can get on with our work. 

"I'm here to find you. We hadn't heard from you since the hurricane; I was worried something had happened to you. Your friends said you'd been missing, though seeing as you're here I'd say they probably knew exactly where you were. I was hoping I'd find ya workin', not- whatever this is?" 

"Breakfast," Verando tells him shortly. "Something that you rudely interrupted. So if you don't mind, I'd like you to leave. You've seen he's alright; he'll contact you shortly." 

It's one of the first times I've seen David Malcom look slightly sinister as if he were capable of things such as resentment. He didn't even look unnerved that the man had tried to kill him. It's almost as if the whole thing had been a test, curiosity to see just how in control I was yet how could he have known I was going to come to his rescue? 

The slight smile curls onto his lips, watching the annoyed lycan. 

"I get under your skin, don't I? It's interesting, you know when we did your 'testing', nothing seemed to bother you. Nothing triggered this reaction; for weeks, we poked and prodded, shocked and jolted, cussed, and... just about everything we could think of to piss you off. Now, look at you. Is it because I sold ya?" 

I frowned, uncomfortable with the conversation. "You told me it was out of your control. Are you saying you authorized it?"

Not even bothering to look at me, he exhales. "No. I didn't. It came from over my head, but that doesn't mean this one isn't blaming me for it."

"The amount of value you give your person is laughable at best; you mean very little to me. I left you in a closet to drown in solitude; if you mattered to me at all, I would have given you the decency of looking into your eyes as you died. No, I left you in a snare, like a rabbit. An insignificant, fragile little rabbit." Verando retorts sharply, placing his hands on the counter calmly though I can feel the heat emanating from him.

 I don't think this conversation is going anywhere healthy, frankly, I was unprepared for someone like David to challenge the man who just tried to kill him.

Turning my attention off my warlord and to David, I take a calming breath. "Mr. Malcom, I think it's best we talk about this later. Please do not stop by here again, I have a phone-" Somewhere. "I suggest you call me on it in the future if you wish to speak." 

He nods, standing to leave and I put my hand on his back to usher him to the door. With a final glance over his shoulder, he spots Marisol, who has appeared from around the corner.