I do remember him.
I don�t know why, but I do even though I�ve forgotten everything else. That�s what�s really annoying; it�s not just that I�ve forgotten, but I know I�ve forgotten everything except for who he is. Leads to this really annoying, nagging voice in the back of my mind that likes to wonder if I should know this or that or sometimes flat-out tells me that I should.
But that doesn�t matter right now. Maybe, since I remember him, being around him will help bring back memories. It�s a hell of a long shot, but I�m going to go with it anyway. What the hell, right?
That�s why I made some excuse to go stalking after him a couple days ago when talking with the Raidien president. I don�t remember most of what was said in the conversation since I was hardly paying attention to the man, but I think I was supposed to bring him in or at least report his location when I found him.
But, well, I have a dislike for being told what to do, so I�ll blame the fact I �forgot� on my selective memory. The one that lets me remember who I am and who Adel is, but nothing that I�ve seen or that�s happened to me over the past thirty-five years.
Nicholas doesn�t even notice at first as I fall into step beside him, but once he does, he panics a bit.
�Ara! What the hell are you doing here?� He laughs nervously and glances around, probably for an escape route, �Out running errands for Raidien?�
�We need to talk,� I say simply, �meet me at the coffee shop tonight?�
He stops, struck speechless because I haven�t tried to kill him yet, and I pass him before stopping a few steps ahead.
�I don�t know if you still trust me, but I can promise it isn�t a trap. Or, at least, I don�t plan on it. Raidien likes to interfere though, you know.�
�I�trust you�even now, I�� he says quietly, most likely not intending for me to hear. I�ll play along with that.
�You say something?�
�Nothing,� a quick shake of his head as he says this, and the faint look of sadness that was on his face disappears, �what time?�
�Whenever you want,� I assure him, turning to leave, �even if it�s closed by the time you show up, I�ll wait outside for you.�
�And if I don�t show up at all?�
�Then I come after you. Bringing a rain of bullets.�
He flinches at this, harshly reminded I�m not on his side and glances off to the side as he answers, �Fine, I�ll go.�
�Oh good,� I say, flashing him a smile before continuing on my way, �because hunting you down would be too much work.�
�What�s this? You�re being merciful today. I never thought I�d live to see that.�
�Figures they�d send the dog after me to make sure I didn�t kill him or whatever.�
Bladen pouts cutely (though like hell I�d ever admit that out loud) at this and reminds me for probably the fifty-thousandth time since we�ve met, �Wolf, not dog. I thought cats were supposed to be relatively intelligent.�
�Tiger,� I say just to contradict him, not necessarily because it�s true, though hell if I know what Raidien has been doing to me. �And a wolf is merely an unrestrained dog.�
He sighs in defeat, realizing he won�t win, and predictably changes the subject. �Is talking really all that you have planned? What�s that going to accomplish?�
�Luring him in,� I say simply, �he still cares about me.�
�He can�t help you escape, you know.�
I blink at this and stare at him, looking for any sign that he�s joking. But his face is completely serious. I decide I�d better be cautious about this.
�What�re you talking about?�
�Oh, come on!� He exclaims, shoving my shoulder, �You act like you�re so discreet. It�s so obvious that you remember what he was to you before and you�re trying to protect him. You tried too hard to prove you didn�t when he ran for it the other day. Got him once in the shoulder, then purposely missed.�
�You don�t know that,� I tell him, knowing I�m just proving him right by denying it, �you have no idea what I�m planning.�
�Please refrain from treating me like I�m the clueless secretary at the front desk. You talk about luring him in so you can kill him slowly but if you really wanted to torture him, those shots wouldn�t have missed. Sure, they wouldn�t have killed him either, but they would have hit. Caused him more pain than just a flash in his shoulder.�
Damn, he�s more perceptive than I gave him credit for. I suppose it is obvious, but with the way he acts sometimes, I still didn�t think he�d notice. I open my mouth to say something, then close it. Nothing�s going to save me now, all the proof goes against me and there�s no way to twist it. No soundly believable way, anyway.
