When I put my key in the lock of my door, it flies open and Sylas is standing on the other side.

“I didn’t know if you were going to be here,” I say, dropping my keys. He bends down to get them and then straightens to give me a kiss.

“Where else would I be?” His eyes are intense and I can tell there’s something he wants to talk about. Leo runs out of the bedroom and starts twisting himself around my legs and rubbing his head on my ankles.

“Are you okay? Did something happen?”

“I just talked to your father today. He laid out what he wants me and the rest of the guys to do. It took some convincing. They’re not exactly the best at taking orders.” I can imagine. Granted, I’ve only met Cash, and seen the others from a distance.

“Am I ever going to meet them?” I don’t mention my meeting with Cash. I haven’t contacted him since we met at the coffee shop, but I probably should. Just to let him know that his advice worked.

Sylas closes right up.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?” I say, even though I can name a thousand reasons it’s not a good idea. I want to know what his reasons are.

“For one, they still think of you as an enemy. I haven’t told them that I’m here. They’ll probably find out anyway.” I know the feeling.

“They’re going to find out eventually, right? I mean, I’m a part of your life and so are they. You can’t split yourself in half, Sylas.” Although I could see him trying. He’s stubborn like that.

“I know, I know, I just… I need more time, Saige. I need more time to figure this shit out.” There goes the hand in the hair and the mood has shifted again and it’s my fault. Damn.

“Hey, we don’t have to talk about it now,” I say, putting my hand on his arm and leading him to the living room. “How about I actually make us dinner and we watch whatever awful movie I owe you for watching the one last night.” That seems to cool him down, but he’s surly for the rest of the evening. I consider getting down on my knees and putting his cock in my mouth because I’m sure that would snap him out of it, but I’m tired and my eyelids start falling closed not even halfway through the movie.

“Come here,” he says, pulling me into his lap. I lay down and he strokes my hair until I fall asleep with Leo perched on my feet.

The next few days are much the same. Sylas stays the nights with me and when I come home he’s always there to open the door for me. I don’t ask him about what he’s doing for my dad and he doesn’t offer any information. We’re so comfortable around one another, but then there are conversational landmines that have the potential to blow both of us up.

I’ve barely talked to Dad, mostly because I’ve been avoiding him. It’s so much easier to lie to him when I’m not standing in front of him, or talking to him on the phone.

We have another visit with Lizzy on Saturday and I’m only excited this time. Not nervous. I Skyped with her once during the week and I discovered that there are some of my favorite movies that she hasn’t seen yet, so I’m packing up some DVDs to take to her, along with some more books.

“That’s really sweet,” Sylas says.

“It’s the least I can do. I don’t really know how to do the sister thing. I’ve been an only child my whole life.” I wish there was a class or something I could take.

“You’re doing a great job so far. Just keep doing what you’re doing,” Sylas says, brushing his hands down my back and squeezing my ass.

He can’t seem to get his hands off me and I definitely don’t have a problem with it. He loves it when I lay on my stomach so he can look at my tattoo. It works in my favor because then I get to do all the looking at his tattoos that I want.

He wears short sleeves now. It still shocks me when I see the exposed ink on his arms when we’re out. There are a lot of appreciative looks from other women, but I shoot them daggers from my eyes and they look away pretty damn quick.

“I’m just scared I’m going to say the wrong thing and she’s going to get upset and hate me,” I say, confessing my worst fear where Lizzy is concerned.

“Lizzy loves everyone. Literally. Everyone. Lizzy would probably give Hitler a hug.” Sylas wraps his arms around me and I laugh.

“Hitler probably wouldn’t hug her back, though.” I turn in his arms to face him.

“He doesn’t impress me as a hugger, no.”

My phone rings and it’s another call from Dad.

I ignore it.

“Your father again?” Sylas asks. He knows I’ve been avoiding. One of the downsides of being in love with someone who notices everything.

“Yeah. I’ve never avoided him like this before.” Sylas rubs my arms.

“It’s not just about you, though. It’s about what I want from my life. I don’t want to do what he does. I want to work with art and study it and learn and see the world. I don’t want to have to keep remembering what my alias is, or where my weapon is so I can defend myself if I have to. I want to live a normal life.” I’ve been wanting to say this to someone, anyone, for a while now.

“Oh,” Sylas says, stepping away from me. It’s like being hit with a blast of cold air.

“What?” I say, and then it dawns on me. By rejecting my dad, I’m rejecting Sylas, since they’re basically doing the same job.

“Sylas, wait,” I say as he tries to get away from me.

“Just because I don’t want to do this, doesn’t mean I don’t want you to. I know how much this means to you, Sylas.” He lets me turn him around.

“That’s… that’s not it at all, Saige.”

“Then why are you upset with me?”

He shakes his head.

“I’m not. Listen, before I did the job with you, I was thinking about getting out. I’d just had enough, but I didn’t know how to end it. I had the guys depending on me and I couldn’t just bail on them. And then there was you and all I wanted was to be normal for you. To be a regular guy with a regular job.” I want to start laughing. We both want the same thing.

“So what you’re telling me is that neither of us wants to be in the con game anymore.” He shakes his head again, a bemused smile on his face.

“It appears so.”

There’s just one problem and his name is Grayson Beaumont. My father.

“Do you think you could talk to your father? Ask him if he could let us go? Maybe we could sign a contract and have it be a specified amount of time?” I’m surprised he didn’t. All his minions have contracts. Guess this was a different situation, seeing as how he has the blackmail material and whatever the thing is that Sylas wants. I can’t ask Dad what it is, because I’m not supposed to be talking to Sylas.

“I wish I could, but I said I’d stay away from you.” And I can’t tell him I want to get out because it would break his heart. I only love a few people in the world, and I can’t hurt Dad.

“So we’re fucked, basically,” he says and I nod.

“Pretty much.”

He sighs and pulls me into his arms again.

“This is why I don’t believe in fate. If fate were real, we wouldn’t have anything standing in our way right now.”

Now I’m shaking my head.

“Fate isn’t easy. That doesn’t mean it real.”

He kisses me on the nose.

“You’re such an optimist,” he says. I’m not really. I just believe in things that he doesn’t believe in. That’s fine. He doesn’t have to believe.

“I’ll talk to Dad. I’m going to tell him. Mom’s getting back on Sunday,” I say, making a face. It’s been nice having her gone.

“I’m guessing I won’t be invited over for dinner anymore,” he says.

“Probably not.” At least not right now.

We’re interrupted by my phone ringing. I go to grab it and see that it’s Cash. Shit. I send it to voicemail and will call him back when Sylas isn’t around.

“Who was that?” Sylas asks, and I bite my lip. I promised to be honest.

“Promise you won’t get mad?”