They were hard at work getting the rest of everything together for the fresh meals business and off the ground. We already had a few customers like Ellie and people we knew. I discussed what I learned with them, and one of my elder cousins, Patsy, jumped all over the idea.
She immediately outlined some specifics and the next morning we were sitting in front of Ellie before her normal working hours.
“We’re not asking for this to be some sleezy push towards a friend’s business, but there are medical practices that have preferred vendors,” Patsy said to Ellie as my former stepdaughter flipped through the rough proposal on the tablet. “I saw itconstantly. We’ve seen it time and time again.”
“Yes, it’s a heartbreaking issue,” Ellie muttered.
“But one we could bring light to now that there can be a solution,” Patsy pushed. “Let us work with one of your nutritionists. You have that fertility expert. We could design menus for women who are high-risk pregnancies and not getting the support they need. Even if they do not buy from us, it’s a meal plan that your doctors can use.”
That intrigued Ellie because there was so much information out on the internet and too much of it was wrong. And that upset her, but getting the correct information took time and was always expensive. Her people didn’t always have the time to get it all done, and the reach to manage it was difficult too.
“It could even be shared with trusted restaurant chains to have a special menu item with higher nutritional needs,” I suggested.
They both shot that down because most couldn’t be trusted to not substitute with cheaper ingredients or warp something to their advantage. It made sense and they were polite in how they phrased it, explaining it well to me even.
But there were a lot of ideas and plans to consider for sure.
Creed was pacing when I arrived at the house we were still using. The air around him was tense, but he was trying to swallow it down.
He wasn’t doing a good job of it, but he was trying.
“I want to know what this is for my own knowledge even if I understand you’re trying to control it,” I told him.
He flinched. “It’s not jealousy. It’s how long you were gone and we don’t know where. It’s just—too long.”
“Thank you for explaining,” I accepted. “I will do my best to add more details in the future.” I smiled when he relaxed some.
Then I was in his arms being kissed. “I am trying. We are. I swear it.”
“I believe you. I feel it.” I rubbed my hands over his chest and told himmostof what happened. I left out my side mission to afew of the powerful witches who worked for ASH that I now had a relationship with.
I was keeping that in my back pocket since I was pretty sure I would need it.
“That sounds awesome, and I’m glad more people are on board with your vision for the company,” he praised when we were eating. “I’ll work on some preliminary contracts and maybe—you received some more requests to do interviews and more.” He nodded when I glanced at him. “I know it’s hard and too much on you, but it’s a chance to bring light to victims.”
“And a limited chance,” I mumbled, nodding that I heard him.
I wasn’t sure I could do it though.
But I wanted to. I wanted to do what I could for other women who had suffered—were still suffering.
And especially the ones who could be saved from suffering in the future.
I thought about it a lot the next couple of days while getting more and more set up with my cousins and extended family. The sale was finalized with one of the properties I was purchasing for them, and now that more had happened with my family and the European government, some of them had retained other attorneys and were suing… A lot of people.
Like alotof people.
The Graves family, their in-laws, others involved—the list was long and all were committed to getting their pounds of flesh.
And I worked a lot on my mating. I was able to instigate better and that helped Creed and his lion. I couldn’t do much besides tell him that I wanted him to kiss my body.
But he seemed happy with that, especially how often I wanted it. Plus, I was touching him more.
And the backsliding stopped. I felt… I stopped crying about how he was treating me. It was still trying and we had work to do, but it was better.
We were the team again.
Which was why I felt the fool when I realized that Creed had been pushing me to leave, not because he was showing me that we were making progress, but because he was up to something sneaky. Two of the guards who were supposed to be at the house with him were suddenly helping us make deliveries.
