The moment Carlos stepped through the balcony door, McBride rose to his feet, his smile an unruly thing, refusing to obey the stern discipline of his face. Carlos closed the distance with two measured steps, a predator�s grace wrapped in civility, and extended his hand with a businesslike charm that felt almost theatrical.
�Good evening, Honourable,� he said, the title rolling off his tongue like smoke�soft, but carrying an edge that tasted of mockery rather than respect.
�Good evening, sir,� McBride replied, steadying his voice as his eyes followed Carlos across the room. The man drifted toward the chair opposite, the one near the entrance, and sank into the leather with an ease that spoke of ownership. The whisky glass never left his grasp.
As he settled, the housemates of 607 abandoned their quiet perches and moved briskly toward the exit, each one cutting cautious path just inches from the gravity of the most dangerous man they�d ever share a room with. The door swung open. Two of the four men who had been stationed on the balcony slipped out behind them. A muted thud followed as the door closed, leaving the apartment�and its heavy silence�to three men.
McBride�who had remained standing beside Lesley as Carlos sank into the couch�finally lowered himself into a chair the moment the door clicked shut. Carlos let his gaze settle on him, holding it for a beat too long, the kind of stare that stripped away pretence and left only raw awareness in its wake. It was hypnotic in its stillness, a quiet dominance that required no flourish.
�Let me commend you for the good work you�re doing here, Honourable,� Carlos said at last, the title curling from his lips like an ill-fitting garment�sounding less like respect and more like a private joke.
�We�re doing all we can, sir�thanks to Mr. Black�s guidance,� McBride said, threading Lesley�s name into the sentence with deliberate precision, a quiet reminder that, despite Carlos�s presence, the chain of command remained intact.
�Good to hear,� Carlos replied, his voice smooth, almost languid. Then he paused, letting the silence stretch just long enough to coil tension around the room. His gaze shifted, locking onto Lesley.