I lick my teeth and hold back my snarl. “Adjustment has been slow, as expected, but it’s fine.”
“Is she being any trouble?”
I could be honest, but I don’t like this guy. Don’t trust him. Never have. We may be ruthless, but Drago’s a different kettle of fish. He’s got this untrustworthy air about him. Maybe because I’ve assisted him in a lot of backstabbings. He’s got his hand dipped in countless honey pots on the dark web, and once someone upsets him, he effaces their business – and them – from the planet.
I know how easily he switches. It’s constant eggshells with him. If I dare tell him I can’t handle my woman, he may just take her away from me. And I haven’t given myself a fair shot to admit defeat yet.
“No. She’s reserved, sure, a little tentative, but overall, it’s been… nice having her here.”
“You’re pleased with your betrothed?”
I nod with my lips pressed into a tight line to hold in all the complaints I have about my betrothed.
“Good. Well, if all’s well then I’m satisfied. I have a new job for you this week. I’ll wire the details through.”
My heart plummets. Dismembering and trafficking is one thing, but this man – the only other person in my life I can’t fucking say no to – he makes me do things the Devil himself wouldn’t.
“Sure, on it.”
“Good boy.” He ends the call and the room fills with a thick silence at the patronising praise.
It doesn’t take long for Fiz to start his little snickering.
“Don’t.”
He comes over to me and speaks in the same squeaky voice he uses on Bob. “You’re such a good boy, Cadie.”
I catch his wrist as he reaches to pat my head. The urge to put him on his ass is almost impossible to resist, but I won’t.I’ll never hurt him. He’s as much a Blackwood as I am. To me, anyway.
“I’m on a fucking hair trigger right now, Fiz, don’t test me.”
He catches the strain in my voice, so he holds his free palm up and says, “You got it, boss.”
I huff, walking back out the office.
Fiz follows, saying quietly, “I think I’m starting to feel a little sorry for what Elodie’s going to have to put up with when she loses the bet.”
I push the hair out of my eyes. “No, you’re not.”
He chuckles. “No, I’m not. I can’t wait to hear that beautiful voice scream this house down.”
CHAPTER 19
ELODIE
Alfie’s body is a work of art.
Yesterday in the gym, I could barely focus on what he was asking me to do. He’d dressed in a pair gym shorts, baring those ridiculous huge thighs and bulging calves. And they’re covered in tattoos too. More animals and mythical beasts, hours upon endless hours of pain to transform himself into something worthy of being displayed in a gallery. Then he took his top off halfway through the session, showing his back with the same black shaded ink. His whole back is a landscape piece of a wolf standing on top of a cliff, howling to a full moon; the entire left side of his back is full of trees and mountains. It’s incredible.
It’s impossible not to gawk at him. Every dip, bump, and curve of him has been finely carved over years spent in a gym, lifting weights I couldn’t even begin to think about ever lifting, even if I trained for the rest of my life.
You can tell his gym is his sanctuary. He knows every piece of equipment intricately, explained the exercises and their connections to our muscles with passion. So much so I even wondered if he’d taken some sort of sports science course.
I was an abomination in there, to no surprise. What was surprising was Alfie’s patience with me. I must have made a mockery of the training world, must have looked an absolute fool to someone so in tune with the activity of physical exercise. But not once did he show any disappointment, irritation, exasperation. Not one second. He walked me through everything, offered so much praise after every failed or successful rep.
With someone like him training me, I feel like I could eventually lift the world.
He’s officially perfect. He’s done everything possible for me. All the nurturing, the care, the tenderness. I still can’t believe he’s related to that monster. But that’s the thing. He’s too good to be true. Caden told me he abstains from other things. Alfie didn’t elaborate. He’s an addict.
