“Let’s move this under the covers,” I tell her.
“So I’m not getting cockblocked after all?” She asks with a cheeky wink.
“Bed,” I tell her sternly. When her face lights up, I add, “To sleep. I don’t want you falling asleep cuddling me and getting cold. Get under the blankets and I’ll tuck you in.”
“Will you stay?” she asks once she’s under the blankets and they’re pulled up under her chin.
Fuck the rules. We’re practically untouchable now as Kalen would most likely say.
“Of course. But only if you agree to keep your hands to yourself. You’re too damn tempting.” I toss my baseball cap, pull my shirt off over my head and drop my shorts.
“No promises.” She laughs, licking her lips as she takes me in. I grin back at her.
“Play your cards right and I’ll give you something nice to wake up to in the morning.”
Chapter Thirteen
Amelie
Today I’m meeting with Baxter to help me choose some women to join The Order. He has a list of potential candidates. I’ve decided that I’m going to ask Elsie to join, and if she says no then I will take that risk because she should have a choice.
I sent her a text a few minutes ago to meet me in my room. I’m actually really nervous about talking to her. Right on time she walks through my door. She no longer knocks if the door is unlocked, and I love that about our friendship. I never expected to have a relationship like that with anyone other than Smalls and Aadi.
Typical Elsie, she is up, dressed and ready to start every day. I might have my uniform on, but I’m seriously dragging ass before coffee.
“Is everything okay?” she asks nervously. She usually has to bang down the door to get me to wake up.
“Hey, sit. I need to talk to you.”
She comes and sits at my desk chair and spins to face me.
“Can you say something? You’re making me nervous,” she whispers, picking at her nails. “Did I do something wrong?”
“What? No! Never.”
“Okay, what is it then?”
“You know when I first came here and there were so many mysteries surrounding me. I needed answers and you were brilliant at helping me with those theories.” She nods. “Well, I figured it out. Most of it.”
“I mean, that’s amazing. But I kind of figuredthatout by now.” She laughs. “The power suits and limitless credit card were a bit of a giveaway.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s amazing, but you’re right, it’s definitely been life-changing. I know you know some things. But I can’t tell you everything.”
“Okay…”
“But I want to. You know the guys belong to an organisation, and that suddenly I’m important to it. I need you to understand that if I ask you to join, there is no turning back ever. It's a lifetime membership.”
“Amelie, you are my only friend and if you’re in I’m in, no questions asked.”
“It’s not that simple. You canneverget out, it will change your entire life.”
“It is that simple. I know that you know what I did to be here and why. You had the files. And yet you still wanted to be my friend. Without you, I don’t have a family. Even those Knox boys have grown on me. Frost and…Jasper too. I feel like we’re already a part of something. So if that means that I am led even further into something, no matter how blind I am, I trust you.”
“There will be an initiation and it will target all your fears.”
“I don’t care. I’m in.”
I sigh in relief. She says she needs me, but I need her just as much.
