29. Forever #2
One went up, and I moved in her direction. She was five feet nothing, fair-skinned, and covered in bruises. But her eyes were fierce.
She didn’t want this; she needed it.
“What’s your name?”
I stopped in front of her until the tips of our shoes touched.
“Odessa Morris.”
“Ms. Morris, do you have family?”
She nodded, head still high.
“Two younger brothers in the system.”
I hummed, satisfied that I’d found exactly who I was looking for. With two siblings in the system, joining ranks meant the state had to reward Odessa with guardianship after her first contract.
“You want them in your care, right?” I asked softly, only wanting her to hear.
“It’s the only thing I want.”
I took a step back and held my hand out, lifting it after Carmen placed the contract file against my palm.
“Congratulations, Odessa Morris, you’ve just earned your first contract.”
Low murmurs filled the room as I handed it off. Her target was low-risk, a basic elimination that would test her skills without throwing her into the deep end.
“You have seventy-two hours,” I added. “Success means your brothers come home with you early. Failure…” I met eyes with every initiate; the message for them as much as her.
“Failure means you aren’t cut out to be a subordinate of mine.
And I do hope everyone here understands that your life belongs to me now.
Everything you do and say, the rumors you speak and bring to life, is a reflection of the Broker.
Make me look bad and I’ll have every reason to make you look worse. ”
I could tell who’d spoken on the rumors about the hearing request and those who were smart enough not to engage in politics they didn’t understand. Still, none of them looked away or cowered, and I liked that.
Weakness wasn’t tolerated in our world, especially not where my word was law.
“Ms. James,” my uncle said, clearing his throat. “A word, please.”
He blew his whistle and announced a quick ten-minute break. I nodded to Carmen, who stayed behind to answer Odessa’s questions about the contract, and followed my uncle to his office just off the training floor. As soon as the door closed, he turned to me.
“Your father is livid.”
“I’m aware,” I replied. “That’s sort of the point.”
My uncle studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “Something’s different about you.”
It was so hard to keep a straight face.
“You think so?”
He nodded and rested against the front of his desk.
“Care to share with your favorite uncle?”
I snorted.
“You’re the only uncle I know well enough to like,” I quipped. “Just know things are about to change, and not in your brother’s favor. I’m hoping as your favorite niece, you’ll agree to something that’ll get you out of this basement for good.”
His brows went up, and I was certain no matter what I said, he’d be on board. And sure enough, after I let him in on part of my plans, he pledged his loyalty to the cause.
“Tonight, the initiates are having fight night. It’ll be mixed company. I expect you to show face.”
I pushed off the door and wrapped my fingers around the handle.
“You have my word.”
Having Etienne on my side would make the coming changes smoother, and more importantly, it meant I wouldn’t have to worry about him getting caught in the crossfire once shit started to shake.
I left him to do his job without my influence and met Carmen at the elevators.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” she blurted once we were back on our floor and in my office.
Something about the way she said it gave me pause.
“I’m listening,” I said, sitting in and rolling my chair closer to the desk.
Carmen stood in the middle of the room, gaze on everything but me.
“My entire life has been built on being your number two; it’s all I’ve known, but it’s not all I want to know….” Her eyes finally met mine, and it was like I was looking at myself, the version of me that was falling in love. “When this is all said and done, I want out.”
I regarded her closely.
“You want to freely be with Oliver?” I asked, and she nodded. “And he wants the same?”
Another nod.
I thought about it for a second, about how I had the ability to give her exactly what she wanted with the Fairchild’s decision-making power in my grasp.
“What about your parents?”
“They’ll get over it.” She shrugged and took a seat on the sofa, purposely avoiding the desk chairs. “I’ve been inspired to take back my life, or at least what little of it is still available. Even if Oliver wasn’t in the picture, this is what I would want.”
I joined her on the couch and we faced one another; for the first time in a long time, I felt that spark of connection we used to have. Back when we really tried to act as friends who weren’t forced together.
“Have we had this conversation before?”
She smiled, and it reached her eyes.
“We never got around to it. Once everything started to come out, I decided to wait my turn, but after listening to you talk about legacy, the urge to confess became too strong to ignore.”
I sighed and sat back, pulling a leg up and tucking it under the other.
“Being with Oliver means our lives will be intertwined in other ways. You okay with that?”
“I want us to be friends, Forever,” she said, leaning forward to meet my gaze. “Just without the sense of duty. That cool with you?”
“More than cool. Deep down, I think this is what I’ve always wanted, us being friends without the family baggage,” I told her, feeling a strange sense of relief wash over me. “You have my word that when this is all said and done, I’ll grant your wish.”
Carmen’s smile widened, a weight visibly lifting from her shoulders. We’d never truly had the chance to choose each other, always pushed together by our parents’ expectations. The possibility of a genuine friendship felt like something worth protecting now.
“Since we’re turning over a new leaf—”
“Lucien recruited me after I realized your memories were gone,” she cut in, answering the burning question before I formed it.
“At the time, I didn’t know Soleme was Demetrius’s mother, but Lucien was very clear that the Fairchilds wanted to know how far he would go to get you back.
At the time, I got caught up in uniting Everwood, the idea of us being free to live our lives how we see fit.
But over the last couple of weeks, I really began to understand the bigger picture.
It’s not about bringing everybody together, but giving them hope.
If the two of you can fall in love, what’s stopping others from doing the same?
From following their hearts, no matter where they lead? ”
I closed my eyes and really thought about what she was saying to me. Sure, the idea of using me and Demetrius’s love story to bring about change sounded good. But since when has love stopped a man from seeking power?
Nah. We had to live for ourselves or die trying.
“Honestly,” I said after a while, a chuckle accidentally spilling from my lips. “Demetrius and I don’t plan on uniting shit, at least not on their behalf.”
Everything changed when I found out about my baby. And until the person who hurt me revealed themselves, it was fuck Everwood.