Chapter 6

"Thomas Nordin, I have told you a million times to not open the damn door like that. Show a bit of consideration to my neighbors. Well, that would suggest that I have neighbors." Said Andras with a smirk as he stood by a pillar close to the entrance of the kitchen having left Mallori to wait and having instructed her to not move one step out.

Upon seeing Andras with disheveled clothes that were probably from the night before and his bad mood, Thomas smiled widely knowing fully well that his friend had just gotten up from his sleep and something must have happened to him the day before for him to have slept in for so long which is so out of character for him. He replied to Andras, "Don't go saying my full name like that. You sound like my mother. If you had any neighbors, I wouldn't even be here."

"That settles it then, I will move to the city."

"If that happens there will be nothing left of the city."

Then looking at each other they both smirked widely and said in unison, "But dead bodies." And went on to laugh at their little inside joke.

Between laughs Thomas said, "You would be giving the homicide unit too much work if you do that and then it's going to all come up on my desk and you know I'm the lazy type. Don't go bringing me work since I have an obligation to help the people as I get paid by their taxes."

"That's why you should just come back and get back in the business with me. You are your own boss. Actually, I would be your boss's boss. But you know I'm the cool type of boss."

"Thanks for the invitation, I'm keeping it as my backup plan when I'm exposed as a dirty cop."

"Which will be never."

Thomas nods his head with approval and replies, "It's because you have my back." Andras' eyes softened as he looked at his old friend standing in front of him and replied, "And you have mine." Then there was silence. Just when it was about to be awkward, Thomas asked, "So what happened last night?" Andras replied, "What last night?" Thomas arched his eyebrow and said with a voice filled with suggestion, "Look at you. You are wearing last night's clothes. Have just woken up. Your hair is all messy. Andras, you are the incredibly controlling type especially about your own life and appearance, what has made you lose yourself to the point that you've actually turned out to look like this?" Andras put on his poker face and replied, "Nothing much, I just ended up taking a rather weird erasing contract. So I ended up thinking about it so much that I just fell asleep early morning when the sun was rising."

Thomas knew that his good friend was lying, but knowing that pressing him to tell what had taken place wouldn't work as he had already put up his defenses, he decided to slowly uncover them himself. After all, he was a detective.

The pair moved to the living room and an hour or so was spent just talking when suddenly the conservation shifted from the messiest killing experiences to the Mallory family.

"Have you heard that the old Madame of the Mallory family died this early morning?" Thomas asked as he took another bite out of the sandwich he had brought over to eat in Andras' house knowing fully well that the man lacked hospitality manners as the host. Andras carefully worded his answer as he replied, "I had not heard. I don't get newspaper service this far out."

"You could just use your phone to check the net for the news, I have no idea what is up with your random old fashioned traits that come out of the blue."

Andras did not bother defending himself as this wasn't the first that Thomas had called him old fashioned. He continued, "Apparently she had been sick for a while and this morning seemed to be just the time for her. Who knew that even the rich succumbed to death."

"I'm sure she just couldn't get a good deal with the reaper," Andras replied with a smile in his voice. In his mind, all he could think of was that now that the Madam was dead nobody would ever know that he had decided to keep Mallori for himself. How lucky was that! He was even thinking of getting rid of the madam himself if it came down to it. He really had to thank the Grim Reaper for this one. Thomas having known Andras for quite a bit had come to understand his facial expressions a bit more than others even though he mostly had a plain expressionless face that didn't let anything show off. Just now to Thomas, it looked as if he was slightly happy about the news of the death of Madame Mallory. Searching in his memory he couldn't find any reason that would make Andras this happy to hear such news. He was just about to voice out a question regarding the topic of his sudden happiness when Andras suddenly sighed heavily and said, "That reminds me, I have to head to work today."

"It seems having your own business doesn't mean you get to slack off every day at home."

"If I did that, I would certainly be dead by now. Dead."

"You mean killed right?" said Thomas back to a joking Andras. After a quick look around the room, he got up from his seat and without glancing back to Andras he simply said, "Then I will show myself out since my break is almost over too." Waving his hand in a lazy manner, he walked out of the living room. Andras let out another sigh and was about to reach inside the cupboard of the living room that stored his liquor when he heard Thomas's footsteps going the opposite direction of the door and that normally he should be out by now, but there had been no sign of the entrance's door being opened by him. Stiffing up a bit, but then in one swift movement, he turned and ran towards the kitchen, knowing fully well that Thomas was heading for the kitchen. Had he done something to give it away?

As an ex-killer Thomas Nordin felt that Andras had noticed his sneaky movements even though he had done his best to conceal all sounds, it was either that he had become rusty or that Andras was just too quick-witted. Thomas clicked his tongue in the annoyance of being discovered and made a run to get to the kitchen. When he had run into the kitchen, he hadn't expected to find someone just standing absent-mindedly in his path, but with his quick reflexes, he was able to stop himself from colliding with the girl head-on.

Just then Andras had made his way into the kitchen as well. Seeing that Thomas was staring blankly at Mallori, he knew that had been a few seconds too late. After a really long observation of Mallori with no one in the kitchen making a slight sound, Thomas turned his head to face Andras and then gave him a questioning shocked look and said, "Now you are into minors" he followed this with a deep sigh. He was about to defend himself when suddenly he realized he really didn't know how old Mallori was. Seeing that he had nothing to say, Thomas was even more shocked, he never took his friend for this type.

"Minor?" suddenly asked Mallori as she tilted her head to the side quite adorably at least in Andras's eyes. Thomas shocked that the girl didn't seem familiar with the word went on to explain to Mallori as if she was a victim of a terrible crime, he had completely switched to his cop mode of talking. Andras couldn't resist the rolling of his eyes and thinking that this is the type of friend he has. Didn't he just say that he would have his back not too long ago?

Seeming to understand what Thomas was saying, Mallori nodded her head a few times and then holding up two fingers on each hand she made it clear that she wasn't a minor. Even though she didn't quite understand why it would be a problem if she was one. Thomas hadn't explained that far. Inwardly Andras was relieved to see that she was 22 not that her being a minor would matter to him, but it did help to not earn any resentment from Thomas in the long run. He knew that relationships are things that would change with time and his with Thomas was no exception.

It was quite hard for Thomas to believe that the tiny girl with such a clear and calm face with slightly distant eyes was 22. She looked to be at most 16. Not seeing any reason for her to lie about her age, Thomas let the matter go as it was cleared and then with a mischievous smile on his face said to Andras, "So this is what you were DOING last night." He didn't find a reason to reply to that statement and simply just put on his blank face. Seeing that he was not going to be explaining, Thomas just continued, "It's rare for you to bring home a girl, scratch that, you don't ever take a girl back home. You prefer the hotel room for such business do you not?" Getting annoyed by his questions Andras gave Thomas a glare. Thomas couldn't help but be bewildered, he was glaring at him because of a girl? He has been glared at for many things, but never because of a girl. Andras didn't even seem to bat an eye if Thomas had his way with any girl that he had his fun with previously.

Feeling a sudden boost of curiosity and courage-building up in his system, he looked at the girl in front of him wearing seemingly nothing but a thin white nightdress that hung over her loosely which didn't reveal what was under, but tempted the mind, he looked at her lustfully as he licked his lips with his mischievous playboy smile finding its way on to his lips as he asked, "What's your name?" Mallori stared back into his lustful eyes without a slight reaction on her face, she replied, "Mallori"

"Mallori do you want me to give you a ride back home?" Thomas asked with a soft but suggestive tone and reached for Mallori's hand that was hanging by her side. He grabbed her hand, but there was a slight shock on his face as he noticed that she wasn't grabbing his back, but wasn't resisting his hold either. He decided to ignore it and pulled her hand to get her to follow him. When he did so, he felt a cold metallic feeling on the back of his neck. Thomas knew that what was placed against his neck was merely a fork and nothing else. But he wasn't stupid enough to not know that regardless of the weapon, the one in possession of it decided the fatality of the weapon, not the other way around. Andras Mabuz was fully capable of killing him with simply a fork that is if he puts an effort but without any effort what so ever he was completely capable of paralyzing him at the very least as his spine was in full view.

Thomas let go of Mallori, but the fork was still pressing on to his neck, then slowly in a low cold voice beside his ear Andras stated, "She is mine." Thomas felt a cold chill passing through his body hearing Andras's voice ring in his head in all of its frostiness. Thomas held up his hands in defeat as he said with a laugh, "Gotcha gotcha was just teasing." There was a moment of silence, but then he finally put the fork down and threw it onto the glass plate on the counter which slightly cracked upon the impact.

Thomas turned to face Andras who still wore a deadly cold expression trying his best not to show any fear as it had been a long time since he had last seen this expression of his friend directed towards him solely as he smiled and said, "It's been so long since I have seen your business face." As if something had awakened him, Andras blinked twice and his normal blank expression appeared as the killing intent in his eyes cleared away. Seeing that he was back to what he usually is when he is around, he mentally sighed relieved, and then looking at his watch and noticing the time. He took another quick glance at the girl, Mallori, and then this time properly left Andras's mansion without another word.

Once again Andras and Mallori were standing in the kitchen all alone. A certain feeling made its way up into Andras's throat and started suffocating him. He looked at Mallori and the suffocation seemed to intensify making him unable to breathe. His silver piercing eyes dulled as if they were becoming foggy as he stared into her dark deep blue eyes that were as calm as a sea before a storm. As the suffocation intensified, even more, his slightly paled lips parted slightly and he slightly felt that his heartbeat had slowed slightly down. A heavy feeling sat on his chest and just as he was about to relax his stiff stance and let his shoulders fall, Mallori took a few quick steps towards him and closed the distance between them as she stuck her tongue out and ran it over his bottom lip before softly biting it. His eyes opened wide in shock as all of the things he was feeling disappeared into thin air, the only thing he could feel was the slight pain of his bottom lip being bit by her. She rested her feet on the ground again as she was previously standing on her toes in order to compensate for the height difference and then with a proud look on her face and her blue eyes resting on his bottom lip she said, "More color." As she watched his pale lips turn a few shades redder.