He winces. “If it keeps her quiet and away from me for the next few days, it’s more for my benefit than hers.”
He’s such a liar. But that’s his prerogative. I bet I know which book he gives her too.
These two would make such a great couple.
CHAPTER 34
ALFIE
Iget back after dinner, sack full of evidence slung over my shoulder.
It’s been a gruelling couple of days, and that’s taking out the sheer terror at nearly losing my cousin. I’m drained beyond comprehension. Sending me into a den of nitties to dispatch was not my idea of relaxing before The Hunt. And then having to take a detour and get back Drago’s property that Caden “failed” to get last night. What did Russell expect him to do? Get stabbed and somehow still retrieve the stolen goods? Knowing Russell, that’s exactly what he expected. Luckily for me, the house was empty when I arrived. I simply walked straight in, got the gold, and got the hell out of there.
I feel like I’ve spent all my pent-up energy. This is when I’d usually come home, get sucked off until all my taut muscles seep into the bed and then pop a pill to float off into oblivion for a couple of days. But no. Stupid fucking sobriety.
I go down to the basement and dump the clothes and videotapes that need to be burned and haul myself back up before seeking anyone out. I’ve stressed over Caden all day, but weirdly, I’ve been more worried about El. It was a strangerevelation, finding myself eager to get home to see her. I know Caden’s incapacitated to do anything, logically anyway, but I know him. If she managed to piss him off, he’d still do something stupid. Fiz being here brought no comfort, the bastard would probably join in.
I allow myself a moment to assess the possibilities I’m about to walk into on my way to Cade’s bedroom, carrying a new packet of biscuits I picked up on the way home. If he’s done something, I get to play hero and have those sad, grateful blue eyes pinned to mine. Or it’s been impossibly civil and I get to sit with her for a while and soak in that weird solace she gives me.
I find her in her usual spot on the floor, and to my surprise, she’s got her head in a book.
It’s a bike mechanics manual.Caden’sbike mechanics manual.
I stare at it blankly for a moment, trying to process exactly what I’m seeing.
When I can’t, when my brain can’t fathom it, I say, “What on earth are you reading?” Crossing my ankles, I lower onto the floor by her feet.
“Caden gave it to me. It’s the most boring thing I’ve ever come across.”
I note how deep she is into the book. “But you’re already halfway through.”
“Because I’m waiting to find the subliminal message hidden between the nuts and bolts.”
I chuckle, a warmth creeping up on me that I haven’t felt since last night. “And what subliminal message would that be?”
“Why the fuck he gave me this book in particular. Must be a threat hidden in these pages somewhere. About how he can unscrew and uncap me until I’m nothing but a pile of bones.”
My chuckle grows into a hearty laugh that fills the quiet room. “You know he could do that without threatening you, El.”
She huffs, closing the book. “I thought he was being nice by giving me something to read, but I see his torture tactics were still in play. Reading about motorcycle mechanisms is worse than watching paint dry.”
I nod. “It was still nice he gave you something to do, though. How did that come about?”
She blows out her cheeks. “Honestly, have no idea. I did my transaction today, moaned about being bored and he just… offered to give me a book.”
I give her a raised eyebrow look that says,See, he’s not that bad, is he?
She levels me with an unimpressed glare. “Alfie, giving me a fucking bike manual doesn’t erase the shit he’s done to me. He still won’t give me any of my own clothes, for crying out loud.”
I raise my palms. She rolls her eyes, and I find myself grinning.
There’s something that feels like home with Elodie. Coming home here is comforting, but coming home with her here brings me a solace that I haven’t really filtered through yet. I don’t know her, but I do. I see a lot more than she knowingly lets me.
This girl wants to be taken care of, but she doesn’t want to seem weak. That’s screamed in the way she always fights back, but contrasted by the way she lets me tuck her hair behind her ear, or the blushed cheeks at every meal I prepare for her.
I don’t know what it is, really. I know we’re already connected by being in the same underworld. A place that is only truly understood by few. But it’s the tortured look in her eyes that matches mine sometimes. I don’t think she’s ever been addicted to anything like me, but the grief is there. She mourns the life she had when her brother was alive. I mourn the life I had before things got out of hand. When I actually felt like a functioning human being.
She wears it on her face more than Caden does. He just gets on with it, buries it down deep. But Elodie clings to the memory of having someone care about her, having someone who made the bullshit of life a little more bearable.
