He Kills For Me, I Kill For Him

: F

older than the r

n temperature, it was war

ean, the atmosph

tles in your ribs before

hing's about to go wrong,

h

ng at all. Just opened the door, pointed at the chair, an

s just me

under m

Clean. Empty except for one

t o

i

no secon

thought it was suppose

y. I let them rest wide, and grounded, like I belonged in the r

hey've got cold. And cold eats your i

ck

ck

houghts. Even my own heart pounded like it

the time, jus

then...I

s. Not breat

sh

atmos

he predator ent

h

e enter a ro

ust as he had

tteo D

ened just enough to show skin that wasn't soft. Not bodybuilder muscle but the ki

ven notice it at fir

... with

ng like he expected me

g related to the bar he

n his eyes was

ou worth, and how

he seat at the h

the one

more than i

t the silenc

assed. Then fi

n the glass. I swallow the lump

posed to curt

dn't

r? "It's hard to know the etiquette when you're summoned by a man who

th

t, I'l

razor, "it's so nice to finally meet the man they

ept

I'm literally piss

tilt of his head, like something ab

n it came, fucking

to. It was... calm, really quiet, but there was someth

e time in the world. Like he'd seen everything alre

mouth on y

... observation. Like he'd already undr

. well, none that stood out but the way he dragged the syllables, smooth and gosh

storm. The eye of it, the silence

ed. Like it hadn't been warne

ether, I t

voice felt too

speak like he didn't j

n who could snap my

k like you're

ng in the air

dead, I wouldn't have made it past the gate.

ticked

tting so

a man in gloves brought a plate. Veal, rare. Truffle crea

the plate.

prove it's not po

er. He just picked up the kn

d. "Rom

e. Deep red. I noticed

t offer

self for me, and pushed it across the table with two fingers. Not looking

sh

didn't d

d. Of cou

didn't

I took a bite. Then

cker of someth

avy silence. Unti

ow why you

s every man who's ever as

let the silence hang u

"So

de. To silence a ghost. To put a leash on some

N

u in your boring house."

hey're not sure whether to hide yo

ack. "P

ctic

ich are you

my gaze. "I

pull the

finally

in

the

older. Like the walls h

t answer

t nee

both knew i

her

rnail on the stem of the wine glass. "I'm startin

ut something in h

ead. "You lik

len

ou should've pi

sto

like

st. Not ev

ke he'd alrea

didn'

d the table. St

t one, I felt the bre

my head

n't to

here's a bracele

kno

it. Or

does i

st a breath from my

mean

ea