“No human or sex trafficking,” Walden spoke up. He was staring me down. “That’s a nonnegotiable for us. And our loved ones are safe from you as well.”
“How about we agree that neither party harms the other as long as we have this truce in place? If that’s broken, then we’re back to square one. I don’t think any of us want that.” West gave Walden a meaningful look, who settled in his chair again. “We keep the territories how they currently are divided. You keep what you’ve already taken.”
“That’s fine with me.”
West turned to me, and his eyebrows lowered. He expected some sort of emotion from me? There was none on my face. At this point, I didn’t know why he was surprised. “I don’t care about peace like you do. I enjoy the fighting.”
Walden snorted. “He only cares about Green. That’s literally all, Trace.”
“He’s right. Blake’s all I care about.”
“Well, Miss Green made it clear that she cares about peace. She also cares that you couldn’t go after our loved ones anymore—”
“That’s not true. I can’t go after anyone innocent or good. Just bad or guilty people. Those types are fair game. She won’t be upset about that. We’ve talked about this. It’s our form of compromise.” Though, that wasn’t altogether true anymore. I had to get her permission on how I could harm someone if they harmed her. And she wanted me to learn the difference between a small slight against her and a biggerslight. They made no difference in my mind, but that bothered Blake. Normal people world.
But according to those terms and what was being laid out, I could still go after Walden. Neither he nor West had included himself in the terms. Just their loved ones. I liked that loophole.
I said quickly, “I’m okay with those terms.”
“I—” West opened his mouth, but shut it and gave me a blinking look of confusion. I had surprised him again.
Walden was the one who understood me the best, and he hated me. If he could string me up and take a butcher knife to my gut, he would. I respected that. West would never understand me. He was too human of the two. He could turn savage and ruthless, but he didn’t have to. Walden did that for him. I hoped he appreciated his best friend for taking on that role for the two of them. Though, that didn’t mean Walden was the most like me. No. He cared. He loved. In a way, I wondered if he cared and loved and felt more than West did. He was crueler, but if he’d been forced to be ... If so, what would the repercussions from that be in the future? Would it erode their friendship? Would it build resentment between the two of them?
I’d gone back to studying them, and when a psychopath took on a questioning appraisal, it made anyone uncomfortable. The two glanced at each other.
I was making them uncomfortable.
Levi was indisposed for a few months. Lassiter, I didn’t know when he would return to the fold. And Blake ... That was a stay-tuned moment currently. So maybe I felt some sort of nostalgia for these two. Either way, if we were going to stop trying to threaten each other, I decided to offer them a gift. “I will help you protect this city.”
They shared another look, this one longer than the others. They were uncertain about my offer.
I huffed, just a bit to myself. “It’s my gift to you. If another criminal entity tries to push into the city, I will help eliminate the threat. I won’t do it alone, though. You cannot ride my coattails. It will be a teameffort. Partners, in a way. I will also promise that I won’t use their attack to launch my own on any of your territories. I’ll hold the treaty if either of you are weakened.”
Walden grunted. “Good of you.”
I tried for a normal-looking smile. Normal people world.
He winced. “Ugh. Don’t. You’ve tortured me, remember? I’ve seen your true self.”
Right. I relaxed, enjoying that. I let the mask fade again.
“Never mind. I can’t decide what’s worse. Put the fake shit back on.”
I gave him a deadpan look.
“Okay.” West broke in; his eyebrows rose as he took in our slight exchange. “We’ve come to an agreement. Correct? Loved ones are safe. Territories remain the same. If the city is under attack, all of us work together and we don’t capitalize on it against each other. Are we all agreed?”
Walden scowled at West before he gave a reluctant and stiff nod. “Yeah. Fine. Agreed.”
Both turned my way.
I was disappointed, but I hid that from them. It was small and fleeting. I thought there’d be more bloodshed. “I already agreed. Yes.”
West’s shoulders noticeably relaxed. He gave both of us an appraising and perhaps somewhat approving look. “Good. We’ve all agreed.”
They seemed happy.
Blake would be happy ... A sobering thought hit me because, no. Blake wouldn’t be happy to hear from me. She’d be happy to hear about the peace, but not to hear from me.
