“I said I would.” She’s uncomfortable, shrinking into herself.
I gently coax her toward the table. “Good girl. Yours should still be hot.” I guide her to a chair on the empty side opposite Fiz.
“You’re late,” Caden mutters.
“But she’s here,” I snap before El can retort and the two of them can go at each other’s throats before she’s even sat down.Let’s not scare her off again, Cade, I’m trying to do you a favour here.
Cade makes a grumbling sound of disapproval and returns to his steak. I walk back to the other side next to Fiz, who’s got a stupidly smug grin on his face.
“You’re looking a lot better, princess,” he says.
I watch El’s reaction carefully, willing her to keep her cool.
She looks at me, then back to Fiz. “Thank you.”
I blow out my breath silently and go back to my plate.
“You’d look a lot better laid out on this dinner table feeding us dessert.”
I swing my arm and give him a backhand on the shoulder. He flinches but keeps on laughing.
To Elodie’s credit, she ignores him. Instead, she turns her attention to the meat and veg in front of her and starts poking a piece of broccoli. “You’d look better with your head on a pike.”
Fiz’s jaw drops. Mine drops too, but with a bellow of a laugh. Caden doesn’t react.
I shouldn’t encourage it. Fiz is a live wire, we all are in our own ways, but I can’t help but feel the pride swell in my chest. She can hit back with words, there’s no reason these two should have egos fragile enough to crack under a little insult or dig.
Fiz gathers his jaw back up and resumes his sly grin at her. “I happen to have a pike, if you want to try it. If you fail, I get to shove it up your cu–”
“Nope,” I cut him off. “We’re not doing this, thank you.”
I can’t take another meal of Fiz’s morbid sexual fantasies. Not with my dick walking a tightrope to keep from exploding.
There are a few moments of silence and awkward fidgeting from around the table. Thanks to Fiz’s commentary, I think all three of us could agree that we now can’t stop picturing ourselves lined up in front of this girl laid out naked on this table, indeed taking it in turns to be fed our dessert. Great, now I’m rock hard.
El breaks the silence first. “So, with your work…”
This should be interesting.
She looks at me, although I know the question is directed at Cade. “Is it all criminals you… get rid of?”
I look at Caden and raise an eyebrow. He just shrugs, so I roll my eyes and say, “Yes. Anyone who gets off too easy for the nature of their crimes. No mercy. I thought you’d know this?”
She nods slowly. “Oh yes, I’ve heard there’s no mercy with this family.” A quick, sidelong glance at Caden. “But no, I don’t look into the people. I just get their locations and move the payments. I don’t like diving too deep into it.”
Interesting, indeed. Our little Valor has a conscience. Cade hides his surprise well, but I know he’s thinking the same thing. We did our research on the drug lord’s family when Caden’s dad told us we’re merging. We didn’t find out anything we liked. Valors are known to be heartless, no humanity. They don’t care who they hurt, betray, kill. But it seems Elodie doesn’t live up to that reputation.
“In case you find someone innocent you’re sending to their death?” Caden asks, unveiling his mask of indifference.
She lifts and drops one shoulder slightly. “I guess. I know I don’t have a choice. It’s my job. And I’ve sent innocent people to their death before, but… the thought of playing a part in an innocent person’s death is something that’s always weighed on my conscience.”
“Newsflash, sweetheart,” Fiz chimes in, “no one’s really that innocent. Everyone sins, everyone does things to hurt another person in this world. There’s no such thing as pure innocence.”
She scowls at him. “That’s a very cynical way to view the world.”
He stuffs a heaped spoonful of mashed potato into his mouth and speaks casually around it. “When you’ve had the lives we’ve had, it’s hard to be any other way.”
Her eyes flicker to Cade, making me wonder what she’s thinking. But they don’t linger there, they drop back to her plate. “It doesn’t matter what you go through, it’s a choice to still have faith in humanity.”
