Angel and the Assassin

me what you are talking about, boy?” He tried to sound calm,
    but he was hungry and tired, he had not slept all night, and he wanted Angel to be
    happy to see him. He had expected him to be a little grumpy at being left caged so
    long, but he never expected to end up chasing him around the flat and shoving a
    gun in his chest. He had expected Angel to open his arms and be grateful to be let
    out of the cage like a good slave.
    Angel spoke quietly, but his gaze never wavered from Kael‟s. “The night we
    left Cape Cod, we stood in the kitchen. You said you wanted a glass of water.”
    Christ, he’s known all this time that I was going to kill him.
    “You came up behind me, and you had a scalpel in your hand. I didn‟t know
    what it was at the time, but I saw your stash in the box and figured out that‟s what
    it was. You were going to slit my throat.”
    “I never slit throats; it‟s far too messy.” That was a stupid thing to say . “And I
    didn‟t hurt you. I brought you home.”
    “Because you wanted to fuck me?”
    “Actually you‟re not my type. I like men, not boys. I‟ve never been into twinks.”
    He watched as Angel shriveled under the words. His chin dropped onto his chest,
    and his pale cheeks grew hot and red. Kael could have kicked himself. He needed to
    shut up right now, but he hated being confronted. And Angel was right; Kael did
    want him. He just couldn‟t admit it. “I just felt sorry for you.”
    “Guess I should be grateful for that. I‟m still alive.” He wrapped his arms
    around his chest as if he was suddenly embarrassed to be nearly naked and so small
    and skinny. “I don‟t need British citizenship. I‟ve got my US passport. I can leave
    anytime and go to my mom in France. She‟ll be relieved to see I‟m okay. That
    Conran dude was lying about her, right?”
    Kael wanted to take Angel in his arms and rock him until he felt better.
    Instead he stood there like a big ape, doing nothing. “Yes, Conran lied about your

    Angel and the Assassin
    153

    mum. He can be a mean bastard. But you can‟t leave yet, not until a few things are
    sorted out. Let‟s get some food. I‟m starving.”
    Angel stood up as though nothing had happened. He forced a cheerful tone.
    “I‟ll make you a sandwich, Sir. You want a sandwich?”
    “That would be fine.”
    In the kitchen Kael sat on a stool at the counter watching Angel take food from
    the fridge. The boy grabbed a bottle of water from the cupboard and set it in front of
    him. “Sir,” he said, like a waiter in a restaurant.
    Kael grasped the bottle. “Angel.” The boy watched him but carried on working.
    “In Cape Cod you saw something you weren‟t supposed to see, and because of that
    your life has been in danger. That‟s why I have been keeping you indoors, to keep
    you safe. I had to blackmail Conran. I videoed that scene in the dungeon, and I
    threatened him with it to get him to make things right with the right people to keep
    you safe. I‟m responsible for you. I won‟t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”
    Angel‟s eyes met his. “Were you supposed to kill me that night, Sir?”
    “Yes, because you were a witness,” Kael said very quietly. “But I couldn‟t. I‟d
    never hurt you. Don‟t ask anything else. I have already told you far too much. I
    promise you, I will never, never hurt you.”
    Angel placed a smoked salmon sandwich in front of him, and he began to eat.
    Half an hour later, completely exhausted, Kael went into the bedroom. His
    diary was still in his pocket, and he tossed it into the bedside table drawer before
    stripping and falling into bed. Angel came in quietly.
    “I have to sleep; I was up all night.” He could go for long periods with no sleep
    when he needed to, but when he crashed, he crashed. “Promise me you will not do
    anything stupid. Do I need to put you in restraints? Restraints you can‟t get out of.”
    Angel sat cross-legged beside him, holding his blanket in his hands, fingering
    it. “No, Sir.”
    “How the hell did you get out of the cage? That was a really good combination
    lock. It needed eight numbers.”
    “I saw you open it when you brought my cookies and bananas, remember, Sir?”
    “But I opened it only once, I did it fast, and you were looking from the opposite
    side. How did you remember the numbers? How did you even see them?”
    “I pictured it in my head. I‟ve always been good at that kind of thing,” Angel
    said.
    “Really?” Kael looked at him.