The Dealers

Chapter 26 - Noah

Getting rid of the brunette with the pixie-cut wasn't easy. Before she left, she ran up my tab with a dozen cocktails while sharing some insight from Azrael himself. I humored her for as long as I could stand just to know everything she could tell me.

In the end, Jacob came out to the bar and helped me kick her out. I had gotten any and all information she possessed and it didn't paint a pretty picture for me. While I appreciated that Jacob kept his comments to himself as he watched me struggle, I could tell that he was judging me hardcore.

Azrael definitely knew about Lena and I was afraid she'd become his latest obsession. I had seen it play out before and seen how fixated he could get about someone—or something. If he were intrigued by me and my relationship with Lena, he might try to tamper with that—as was evident with Nora.

He sent her to stir up trouble between Lena and I. He knew that I couldn't tell Lena the truth about me so, he was making it nearly impossible for me not to. He was pushing my buttons and trying to throw me off my game.

Fuck, it was working.

Jacob gave me a sympathetic gaze as he rushed around catching up on drink orders. Clearly, wherever Lena was, she was still angry with me. Jacob just shrugged towards the back door as I got up from the bar.

Facing Lena was nothing like I expected. Once I got over the shock—and sheer anger—of seeing her sitting there with Dorian, I couldn't deflect her away from the truth. She had locked onto something and wasn't going to let it go.

Agreeing to meet back at her house to finish talking, I knew my time was running out. There I was, sitting in her driveway waiting for her to arrive. I knew she had told me to wait a half hour but, I went straight to her house and decided to wait there instead. I was anxious and I didn't know what the fuck I was supposed to tell her.

I couldn't back out without losing her. If I didn't tell her something truthful, she would leave me. I was sure of it.

The thought nearly brought me to my knees as I got out my car and leaned against the trunk. I couldn't sit down, I was too wound up.

I couldn't lose Lena.

She was everything to me.

But, at the same time, I couldn't tell her the truth. It would be dangerous for the both of us. I couldn't put her in harms way just because I was selfish and wanted to be with her.

She lived in a small town for a reason. She wanted simple. It suited her. But, me, I wasn't simple in any way, shape or form. I would rock her world, in more ways than one and I was worried she wouldn't be the same afterward.

Besides, I also had to consider what Azrael would do if he learned that I had told Lena about what I was. He already knew where to find her and it wouldn't be hard for him to discover that she knew about reapers and dealers because I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

Azrael might go after her and I couldn't allow that.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized the only answer was to leave Lena and Cedar Falls completely.

The thought hurt me deeply.

I couldn't leave Lena but, staying was the surest way to get her hurt.

If I left and never looked back, Azrael may get bored of his game and leave her alone. But, as long as I was with her, he would have her under a magnifying glass and she'd need answers that I couldn't give her.

Just then, headlights illuminated the gravel road in the far distance as I heard Lena's familiar truck rev up to the house, coming to a stop behind my Mustang. Cutting the lights and eventually, the engine. I could see Lena hesitate before she got out of the car and walked over to me.