Page 66 of Peacemaker

Chapter Twenty-One

Two birds, one sledgehammer

“Just think about it,” he called, his voice full of laughter, as I exited the room. The mayor was having a good time.

I, however, was not.

“Trinity?” Al asked quietly, walking at my side.

“He scared me,” I admitted.

“Don’t beat yourself up,” he said. “He’s the master of the city. He’d have to be a little scary.”

“He was stuffing his depravity down my throat, and I was choking on it.” I blew out a quick breath and tried to laugh. “I was scared by the mayor.”

It should have been laughable. It wasn’t.

“He’s going to try to take you, Trinity,” Al said, almost gently, as though he thought I’d burst into tears if he weren’t careful. “If he gets the chance. He wants that control.”

“I know.” I bit my lip and then turned, my eyes narrowing as Delaney and Crawford walked out of the office. I straightened my spine and schooled my features, hoping no one could see my worry.

Crawford gave me a nod as he, the mayor, and the mayor’s muscle strode by us. Delaney didn’t so much as glance at me. “He doesn’t believe us about the rifters. He doesn’t care about the demons. He’ll never retract those regulations. There was no purpose to this meeting,” I murmured, watching them go.

“There was,” Al disagreed.

I glanced at him. “Yeah? What?”

“He wanted to give you a choice, and he wanted to get your measure. And now he knows you better than he did. He’ll act accordingly.”

“How do you know what’s in the mayor’s swollen head?”

He smiled. “Because I know the mayor.”

“The way Crawford knows Jade Noel?”

“Oh, no. Not like that. Jade and Crawford have worked together. They’re acquaintances.”

“And you and the mayor are what? Friends?” I scoffed. “Family?” And then I threw my hands in the air. “And how do you know what’s between Frank and Jade?”

I drew a few glances with my loud attempt to blow off some nervous energy and frustration, but neither Al nor I cared.

“Jade has been my best friend since I was fourteen years old.” His eyes crinkled as he grinned. “She was the one who recommended me to Rhys as his…” He shrugged. “His human assistant.”

“Most of the time I feel like I don’t know any of you.”

“You don’t have to know what we’ve done to know how we make you feel. You know who to trust. You know who has your back.”

“Does Crawford have my back?” I asked him, without meaning to. “Can we trust him, Al?”

He was silent for a few seconds, thinking. “The captain is a good man,” he said, finally. “But he is not without his faults, Trinity. So I guess it depends. Will he help you, protect you, date you? Yeah. He will.”

I felt heat climbing my cheeks and looked away. “Can the supernats trust him? That’s what I’m asking.”

“I’m not psychic. I’m just good at what I do. And one of the things I do is read people.”

“And…”

“And the captain is a good man.”