Chapter 10: The Contract

Lu Chen did not sleep.

He lay on his back in the lake house bed with Su Ye's head on his shoulder.

He watched the ceiling go from black to gray.

Nothing happened.

No footsteps, no cold air, no man in a black robe at the window.

At six, Su Ye stirred and stretched his good arm over his head.

"Morning," he said in a rough voice.

"Morning."

Su Ye turned onto his side and looked at him for a long moment.

His blue eyes were very clear.

"I had the strangest dream," he said.

Lu Chen went cold.

"What kind?"

"A man came and sat on the end of the bed. He wore black, with his hair tied back. He had gray eyes."

Su Ye frowned at the wall.

"He was very polite."

"What did he say?"

"He said he could show me something. Something about you."

Lu Chen could not feel his hands.

"And?"

"And I said no."

Lu Chen stared at him.

"I said I'd rather hear it from you," Su Ye said. "When you're ready."

He rubbed his eyes.

"He asked if I was sure, and I said yes. Then he smiled and went away."

He laughed under his breath. "Dreams are stupid."

"Su Ye."

"Hm?"

"Why did you say no?"

Su Ye considered it.

"Because you've been trying to tell me something for a week," he said.

"And every time it looks like it costs you everything. I'd rather wait than take it from a stranger."

Lu Chen's eyes burned.

He didn't trust his voice.

He pulled Su Ye in by the back of the neck and kissed him, hard and long.

They drove back to the city that afternoon.

By Monday the wind had changed in the Su Group tower.

Ma Rui called him from a stairwell at nine, whispering.

"I did it. I filed the audit query, with all the invoice numbers."

His breath rattled down the line.

"The finance committee froze every payment to Harbor Line at eight this morning."

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