She laughed, and the others joined her.
“Do your job and we won’t have to get friendly again,” Alverez said through dwindling chuckles, while Sam fought to take a deep breath with Shaw’s arm still pressing on his throat. “You’ll get your cut. Five percent.”
Sam coughed and wheezed when Shaw released him. “It was… supposed to be ten.”
“Consider it an inconvenience fee,” Fitz said. “Take any longer and the next thing we’ll be cutting into will be more personal.” He pulled a switchblade with a jarring snap.
They laughed again and moved for the door, Alverez making a point to step on the pie box along the way. Fitz left last, barely bothering to hide his knife before passing a bystander in the hall.
Mim. Shit.
If Sam hadn’t locked eyes with her, he would have stayed in the men’s room longer.
“Five percent?” she said once they were alone, Sam having kicked the pie box into the hallway, too upset to pick it up.
“Five of what Ed has is still retirement money.”
“Sam—”
“I’ll handle it.”
“You keep saying that, but then why do you look like you’re still having doubts?”
Because he’d just been threatened by a knife, and Ed would have no idea how to handle people like that. Sam wasn’t filled with doubt; he was filled with resolve. If he didn’t finish the job, the Cramers might send those three.
Besides, Sam used to think he’d do anything to get out of Riverside and live easy, but he’d do worse to keep his life, even if it meant betraying a good man.
“He’s decent. Sweet. Just isolated. I can’t help feeling bad for him.”
“You be sure and tell that to Bonnie and Clyde’s cronies when they’re breaking Gerry’s legs.”
Sam winced.
Then sighed.
“Sammy, you can’t.”
“I know. I just wish things were different.” He finally bent to pick up the pie box. “Guess I should throw this away.”
“What is it?”
“Coconut cream from the oblivious neighbors.”
“Gerry will eat it.” She offered a wry grin, and Sam chuckled despite himself.
“Come on. Instead of the quiet evening I promised him, I have two days to convince the world’s biggest homebody that he needs to go out Friday night.”
“Out? With you?” Ed blinked at Sam, forgetting tact or subtlety whenever Sam flirted with him—which was often—but especially when he stood close, eyes flicking down and up his body with promise.
“We can still talk myths when we get back.”
“I-I….”
“Please?”
Oh, that word was unfair coming from Sam. “I suppose I do need to get out more.”
“Really? I mean, great! I thought I’d have to drag you kicking and screaming.”
“It’s not that I don’t enjoy going out, I just… feel safer at home.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” Sam grinned at him.
Ed blushed at the promise, though needing protection wasn’t the problem.
“We’ll do something simple with minimal forced mingling, I promise,” Sam said, holding Ed’s tablet with his calendar open.
They were in their chosen chairs in the office again, where Sam had been helping Ed move his entire datebook to digital.
“How about a movie or a show? We can get cocktails first, with a late dinner afterward. I’ll keep my own drinking to a minimum and even DD.”
“You mean drive us? On your bike?” Ed leaned back, torn between excitement and concern at the thought of holding on to Sam during the trip, feeling his pulse thrum beneath his hands and through their connected bodies.
“You’ll love it.”
“I… guess that could be fun. Okay. It’s a date.”
Sam startled, and Ed worried he’d said the wrong thing. He knew they couldn’t be more than what they were, that he couldn’t give in to their flirtations beyond a night out, but was it so wrong to want to pretend for a while?
“I-I’m sorry. I meant—”
“A date,” Sam said. “Definitely.”
Sam handled everything. Cocktails planned at a bar near the theater, A Midsummer Night’s Dream playing, which was one of Ed’s favorite plays, then dinner at a nice restaurant down the block, all close together downtown so they could walk between locations and easily escape when they were ready to go home.
Sam even chose something for Ed to wear.
“Are you sure I don’t need a tie? It’s the theater!” Ed said when he came out of the bathroom the next evening dressed in black slacks, a green button-down, and a charcoal gray sweater. With the black-and-gray peacoat, it was all very fashionable but still seemed too casual for a night out.
“No tie,” Sam assured him. He looked sharp as well, in dark jeans, a blue sweater, and a heather-gray blazer.
For their date.
“I can’t believe I’m finally going to see you eat,” Sam said.
“I… eat.”
“Never in front of me.”
“Well… tonight will be a first for many things, then.”
Sam gazed at Ed like he was trying to memorize how he looked. “Come here, Eddie. We have time yet, but there’s something I’ve been wanting to do.”
He grasped Ed’s hand, and for a moment, Ed thought he was going to kiss him right there in the bedroom, but then he pulled him into the hallway and tugged on the cord for the ladder up to the widow’s walk.
“Sam….”
“Here. I grabbed these from your dresser.” Sam handed him the sunglasses he’d given him. “The sun should be mostly set by now anyway.”
“It’s not only that. I really don’t—”
“Just this once. I promise I won’t let you fall.” Sam grinned, and Ed scowled at him for the jab but allowed himself to be led up to the roof.
The light was still a little much, making him grateful for the sunglasses, but the sun had dipped low enough below the horizon that it cast beautiful colors across the sky. Since they stayed near the hatch, he didn’t have to look out over the side but simply watched the sunset.
“Once upon a time,” Sam began, making Ed’s chest grow warm as he realized what was about to happen, “Hades was on Mount Olympus for a yearly council with his brothers. On his way home, he took the long route along a winding path down the mountain. He liked the gardens there, mostly because no one else ever frequented them, so he could enjoy their color and beauty without anyone gawking at him.
“No bloom he’d ever seen, however, was as beautiful as the goddess he found there that day.
“‘What are you staring at?’ she asked, completely unafraid of him, but also unaware of who she was speaking to. Persephone was in a foul mood after having a fight with her mother, who’d forbidden her to leave home. Willful and proud, she’d snuck out to the gardens anyway. She was all grown up and wanted freedom, but her mother still treated her like a child. She wanted to run away for good but had nowhere to go. She told Hades all this, still not knowing his name, just needing someone to listen to her.