His eyes held doubt. “Let’s say I wanted to be a doctor, I just got accepted into the school, it’s my first year. What now?”
I thought carefully about it. “You take our classes and fill the rest with med classes.”
“You fill in the blanks?”
I nodded.
“Hmm,” he pondered. “Okay, there may be a few holes to fill in, but the overall idea is good. Powerful people in powerful positions, working for us. It’s good.”
I took another long drink of my coffee. “Come on,” I told Beckett, “we’ve got a few customers coming in this afternoon.” Beckett was intrigued, but it was just an idea on paper right now. We’d see how it panned out. He wasn’t the supportive type, not really. He was quiet, harder on us than Malachi was, despite the fact that his training was less than his brother’s. I was actually shocked he liked the idea. He usually turned down anything that required a massive change in the dynamic of our Family. Which was why he hated the idea of the Claim. Why he refused tointroduce himself to Emily or speak to Rae unless it was life and death.
“When is Malachi coming back?” Beckett asked as we continued down the sidewalk.
I shook my head. “No idea.” Azrael’s been on the run since Greyson was shot, and other than that phone call between he and Rae, nobody had heard from him since. Malachi, after coming back to The Springs to meet with Olivia, or Rose as she introduced herself as, left again to go search for him, but I had a hunch he would return shortly. He wasn’t one to be too far off when we slipped into a long assignment like the Kingsmen’s, not to mention that Mary Lemont had set it up where Malachi would meet with Olivia every two weeks, and according to the date, that had yet to happen.
She hadn’t even questioned it, her mother cancelling on her on behalf of Malachi. I suppose she may have expected it, I couldn’t quite be sure on that one.
“And Azrael is still AWOL?”
I nodded. “There hasn’t been a word since he and Rae called me.”
“Eventually, he’ll have to stop doing that. Unless you’re going to allow it when you take over.”
It wasn’t for certain, me taking over, but it seemed the most likely after these last few years. “I think it would be irresponsible of me to assume I would have any more control over him than Malachi does.” But I would do my best if that’s how it worked out. Especially if there was any real substance to my plan coming to fruition.
Afterall, they didn’t call me the heir for nothing.
Beckett sighed. “Alright, let’s get back to work then.”
15
Olivia
May 11th, 2022
Thedoor wasn’t locked when I got home, causing me only a moment’s pause when Lucy started growling under her breath.
I closed my eyes for a moment, hand on the doorknob, trying to prepare myself for whatever was about to happen. I had my fresh air, a moment of uncomfortableness with that girl who was asking about a club with no name and an old bar, but I was fine now.
That girl had hit a nerve with me, but other than that, it just seemed like she just had a dick boyfriend too.
Now I had to deal with mine.
I really, truly needed to leave him. I had to leave him. I couldn’t keep doing this anymore, I was tired. Exhausted. I just needed to leave. Fuck, why couldn’t I leave?
I inhaled deeply and pushed open the door, finding Steven at the island going through my purse.
I didn’t even have it in me to feel angry or irritated, I just felt tired. “What are you doing?” I asked, my shoulders falling.
“Getting some money. You got paid Thursday, you owe me.”
I unclipped Lucy’s collar, scratching her head before straightening. I forgot that I ‘got paid’ every other Thursday. It was how I set it up when I got that job at the café, but since I hadn’t been working there for months, I had forgotten.
But Steven didn’t know I had quit that job yet. He forgot everything else though. Anniversaries, planned dates, birthdays, but my paycheck schedule? God forbid he ever forgot that.
I set my keys and bag on the counter. “I don’t have much after I paid bills.”
He sighed and shoved my bag away. “Can I borrow some money?” he asked, either not hearing me or not caring.
