Chapter 4

Flynn said quietly, but Michael noticed the man still glanced around to see if anyone had been too close to overhear. They were alone, but Michael couldn’t just tell him he could sense or hear if anyone approached, so he only said.

“Yeah, I know,”

“Okay. So whatever he asks, you do it, yeah?”

“Noted.”

Flynn paused before opening the door and straightened his shirt- Michael could swear the guy seemed nervous if he didn’t know better.

“Right. Let’s do it.”

Flynn pressed the handle and they got in. The first thing he noticed was that the bureau opposite the door was surprisingly empty. He scanned the room and saw three men standing up. There was also someone in the armchair nearest to the door, but the men were blocking his view. The men seemed to be discussing something very eagerly, Michael had heard them even before entering, and they continued talking, not caring about the newcomers in the least.

The men were wearing suits - the usual dark colors and even though they were criminals, everyone who was close to the higher-ups was always perfectly dressed. With the way they looked, no one would ever think they were involved in anything illegal. At all.

Michael was an exception, naturally, but then again he wasn’t one of them. Besides, he was posing as the new efficient debt collector and muscle man, no one would look at him twice.

At least not yet. Flynn closed the door behind them and one of the men turned to face them and took a step to the side.

And that’s when Michael’s whole world tilted.

***

If the information about some of the men working for Richard had been very little, it was now proving to have been entirely and completely wrong. Or at least what he’d thought about them, or imagined they looked like was far from the reality.

And far was an understatement. If Michael had expected to see gruff guys, murderers, or criminals, basically anything that a man from those circles could be, those men here were anything but that. Yes, this wasn’t like any other criminal society.

Yet… Yet, the man sitting in the armchair was the most beautiful person Michael had ever met.

And that went without argument. He was suddenly reminded of his early teenage years when his peers would gather and look at porn magazines secretly and choose a favorite to worship her.

Or when they’d tear the page of the model or actress they liked and keep it somewhere secret, or stalk her everywhere, they could find her and see all the movies they could get their hands on.

Michael had never done this for no other reason but the simple truth - he’d never really been that attracted by anyone. But it was right then and there, miles away from the world he knew and the people he was used to, that he realized if he ever had to choose one person to look at in secret, and who was the embodiment of all the things Michael wanted to touch and taste- this was the man sitting opposite him in the armchair.

The man was almost his age or perhaps a year or two older.

His dark black hair was slightly longer but neatly put back and his cold blue eyes made anyone whom they landed on shiver. He was slender, not bulky like Michael himself, but it was evident the man was in good shape. Most likely, his choice of sports wasn’t boxing, and it was something more elegant, but Michael found himself oddly interested in finding out what it was and everything about it.

His eyes met the cold examining look and Michael could swear he felt goosebumps rise on his skin. He quickly averted his eyes and that’s when Flynn spoke.

“This is the new guy I was telling you about.”

The younger man crossed his legs and leaned back on the armchair, looking at Michael with the same intensity as the one from the first few minutes Michael had set foot in the room.

“Are you a cop?”

The older man, standing close next to him, asked the question directed at Michael. Flynn opened his mouth to reply, but Michael was faster.

“I was.”

Flynn gave him a disbelieving look, partly because Michael had so readily offered the information he almost startled himself too. The other part of the confusion came because, obviously, those people didn’t waste time in idle chit-chat. Everything was straight to business, which was something Michael usually liked. He’d usually prefer it now too if his mind wasn’t a mess, so Michael decided to focus on the other men and not the black-haired guy.

Regardless of what he and Flynn had agreed to before coming today and the tale they’d decided to tell, one look at the older man was enough for Michael to assume the guy was someone who had either been on the force too or could very easily see through the lie Michael was just someone’s bodyguard. To confirm his assumption, the man nodded at him.

“Thought so from the moment I saw you. There’s this air around people like you. I can never mistake it for anything. What happened?”

“I wanted to be a bodyguard.”

The older man and his companions snorted while the young man tilted his head silently and rested it on his palm. He was so effortlessly seductive that if Michael didn’t know better, he would swear the other men here were noticing it too.

The blue eyes and the handsome face were just very difficult not to be looked at. Michael felt both very attracted at the same time, observed that he had the sudden need to flee the room. Maybe his wolf was playing some very weird tricks with him and he didn’t like it at all.

“You’ll come with me.”

The young man’s voice traveled to him and Michael looked up. He had been talking to him, and before Michael could ask anything, the older man said gravely.

“No.”

“And why not?”

The handsome man lifted an eyebrow and took out a cigarette box from his coat. He lit it and leaned back against the armchair.

He has such beautiful hands.

The thought startled Michale so much that he visibly flinched.

“I said no, Killian,” the older guy repeated, “Because for this task we need someone who hasn’t been here for a month or two.”

Killian.

The name rang so loud in Michael’s ears, that he didn’t even have time to think about the rest of the man’s words.

This was Killian.

Of all the people in the world, this was him. It had to be him.

No.

No, no, no.

This wasn’t happening.

No, he thought, that wasn’t possible.

Killian took a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly.

“I’m going with him and that’s it.”

“What?”

The men said together, and Michael almost joined them in their exclamation.

“No. This is absolute madness and everyone here knows it. Even the kid does. “

The older man pointed at him and Flynn made a step towards the small group. Flynn patted Killian lightly on the shoulder and smiled.

“I can come with you, Kil.”

Killian’s blue eyes landed on Flynn’s hand, casually resting on his shoulder, and in the next moment, Killian took another drag and stubbed his cigarette out in Flynn’s hand.

It happened so unexpectedly and out of nowhere, Michael didn’t have time to process it.

Flynn took his hand away immediately and dug it into his pocket. Killian got up and dropped the cigarette butt at Flynn’s feet.

“Next time you touch me, I’m going to cut your hand off.”

He said lightly and headed towards the door.

“And I’m going with whoever I want.”

The men exchanged a silent look, but Killian was already out of the room. The older man exhaled audibly and rubbed his forehead.

“I’m too old for this.”

He then turned to Michael, his tone back to being neutral.

“Welcome to the team, kid. Now, call someone to clean this mess on the carpet before Richard comes back. He hates trash.”

The man went out, leaving Flynn, Michael, and the two other guys just standing there.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if Michael admitted he had no idea what had just happened. He felt himself slowly relax once he and Flynn left the room too, and finally let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding once they were back in the car.

Michael had learned two things from his father and from the missions he’d been on so far.

One was to never be afraid.

Second - expect everything from someone who isn’t afraid of anything.

And Killian looked exactly like someone who was never afraid. Of anything or anyone. Because this is what lack of fear made out of someone - dangerous.

And one thing was sure-

Killian was as insane and dangerous as he looked handsome.

He was also most likely his mate unless Michael was confused, sleep-deprived, or drunk. Michael had no idea what meeting his mate would feel like- after all, it was different with anyone, but he was hoping this wasn’t it.