The Heart Wants What It Wants

♡ FORTY EIGHT ♡

❝ ᴛʀᴜᴄᴇ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀs. ɪᴛ ɪs ᴀ
ᴛʀᴜᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴏᴜʟ, ᴀ
ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴜᴄᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ
ᴏɴᴇ's ᴏᴡɴ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ❞

~~~

🇭 🇺 🇳 🇹 🇪 🇷 :

My finger draws a jagged line along the collage of pictures making up a map of the area Elijah now calls home. A secluded part of New York City. A place surrounded by people who could drown in their own money, and thieves who hide themselves well to steal said money those people swim in.

It's a place I'm sure Elijah's company—the one he used to share with my father— thrives on. I'm sure he requires all his assassins to kill the people those rich people loathe. If so, why is his best one here, with us?

And I think that's what Tony has been getting at. It's strange that Kazimir willingly came here to live with us for a little over two weeks. Even more so strange that he hasn't done anything to us.

He's been spending an odd amount of time with Theo, but I don't think I'm that concerned with that since she's had an attachment to him since we met him six years ago.

Besides, I trust her. I might not trust him, but I do trust her. If she trusts him, then so be it. If he thinks of doing something, she can protect herself. She's been doing it so well on her own.

My finger stops at a spot I remember Jason saying Elijah meets Kazimir all the time. I take a pin and pierce that spot. I run my finger downward toward a spot circled by Tony.

Possible kidnapping hideout.

It says, sprawled in his handwriting. I pierce that spot with another pin, moving my hand further down the map. I stop at Gaby's old house and mark that too, but stop in my tracing when I notice the asterix on the house right beside it. I try to recall what Jason or Tony said about the house but come up blank.

I rethink it one more time, but stop at the sound of my window opening. I turn, watching as Kazimir climbs into my room. He stands to his full height and meets my eyes. Too late, I realise how he's able to see the board behind me. I flip it over so that the blank side faces us.

“Not suspicious at all.” He says blankly.

I cross my arms over my chest. “What do you want?”

“To talk to you. Have you figured out who my siblings are yet?” He matches my stance; arms crossed over his chest, and legs folded at the ankles as he leans against the window frame.

I haven't even opened his journal since that night. I've been so preoccupied with Elijah drama and Gaby that it completely slipped my mind.

“No.” I say. “Is that what you wanted to talk about? If I found out who your weaknesses are?”

“You know who my weakness is.” He says, his eyes taking in my room. “She's yours too.”

He's right, and I hate that he's right. I stand a little straighter, watching where his eyes move.

“Then what do you want to talk about?”