Chapter 25 Roderick #3
“Well, Sin was something we wanted to be a part of without really knowing what they were. We knew they were powerful, and we wanted that. We were a bunch of stupid teenagers,” She nods but doesn’t ask for more information.
For some reason, I feel the need to explain.
“After some time with Vengeance, we know Sin was one of the first to bring trafficking to the city. They paved their way to the top with that. We thought they were tough and honestly helping the city, but we were wrong.” Some of my anger bleeds into my voice.
I hate that we even wanted to be a part of Sin, but I know it wasn’t our fault.
We had no way of knowing, and it all worked out in the end, well, mostly.
I shake off the thought and get back on topic.
“All of that aside, we ended up in Vengeance, and we were able to move up the ranks pretty quickly.
We took anything we were given and found a use for our skills, like Spencer's love of tech, my business background, and even Zander's work in the garage.” Of course, I don’t mention that we also use our hands to get dirty.
All three of us have been the brute force when needed.
Some of us just enjoy it more.
Spencer’s brain gives him a knack for torture.
He knows how to get in someone's head, whereas I can do the same through brute force, but it’s Zander who found love for it.
He’s spent more time in the interrogation chambers than Spencer or I have combined.
Most wouldn't think that was the case; he's naturally happy and overall seems laid back, but he has a darkness in him.
It's an unfortunate day if you have to meet that side of him, but Jade doesn’t need to know that, at least not yet.
“We’ve been working with Vengeance for just about three years now, and the city is better than it’s been in years. We made our own way, and this is just one of the many things we earned with that.” I gesture around the hall with my arm in a show of the house.
She smiles as she follows the movement of my arm to look around the hallway. I hadn’t realized that I had her full attention until just now. I half expected her to be still looking at everything around her like she had been since we walked in the door, but she wasn’t.
“Well, it seems like you guys must have done a good job,” she says with just a hint of a smile, and I nod because we have.
“We were at my mother's house because it was close to where you were being held, and after we assisted Trent with the clean-up, we were exhausted,” I tell her without looking at her, instead focusing on one of the many paintings that line this hall. They are all darker pieces, but I can’t concentrate enough to see what I’m looking at right now.
I just need something to keep my eyes from wandering back to her…
again. “We had two meetings the day before, back to back, and went right to the building after, so none of us had gotten much sleep.” I scrub a hand through my hair.
I can feel her looking at me, watching me as I explain, but I can’t bring myself to meet her eyes, and I’m not even really sure why.
“We’d planned to come back here, but as you know, that didn’t happen, and since we were already with you, Kratos gave us the job of watching you.”
“Well, I can’t say I’m unhappy with how it turned out,” she says.
Now, I do turn to her. “What?”
She shrugs, “Well, if I had to be stuck with some babysitters, I’m glad it was you guys,” she says it like it’s no big deal, and maybe it’s not, but it kind of feels like one, to me.
I let it go, though, simply nodding my head at her because I’m not sure why it feels like a big deal.
“Shall we?” I don't wait to hear her response before I step forward, pushing open the door to the room that will be hers for the foreseeable future.
It swings open, and she freezes in the doorway. I move into the room to open the curtains and turn on one of the bedside lamps. She walks around the room with wide eyes, taking everything in without a word.
Her hand trails along the plush comforter on the four-poster bed, and a smile tugs at her lips.
Zander picked this room for her.
Spencer didn’t care where she was since he didn’t even want her in the house.
He only requested that she be on the same floor so that we could keep an eye on her; I'm unsure whether that be for her safety or his suspicion, but I agreed. I wasn’t set on any room, but Zander insisted that she take the red room when we discussed it.
It could be because his room is right across the hall or because he knew she would love it.
Who knows? Either way, she seems happy with it.
“I’m going to do some work in the office for a few if you want to look around or get settled in.
Meet me back in the kitchen,” I look down at my watch to see the time.
It’s just after noon. Zan and Spence won't be here until closer to nine tonight.
“Let's say four. Then we can head to the store for food and start dinner before the guys get here.”
“Will you show me how to make something?” she asks me, taking me by surprise.
My first reaction is to tell her no. I don’t like cooking with other people; I never have.
I use cooking as an outlet to distract myself from the shit around me like normal people do with hobbies.
But I watch as her eyes light up with excitement at the idea.
I remember just how happy she was to be able to make a damn egg, and just like that, I crumble.
Despite my usual response sitting on the tip of my tongue, I find myself nodding, and she smiles at me like I just told her she won the lotto.
No wonder Zander is around her all the damn time; her happiness is contagious. My treacherous heart picks up speed like I’m a fucking child, and I know I need to get out of here.
“My office is just down the hall, the last door at the end if you need me,” I tell her as I head to the door.
Before I leave, I stop to look back at her, “You can go anywhere in the house or on the grounds. I don’t want you to think you are a prisoner here.
That being said, the forest is a maze, and until you know it better, it’s probably best not to wander too far alone. ”
The last thing we need is to call in a search for her the first day she’s here.
“Sounds good, boss,” she calls over her shoulder as she heads into her ensuite bathroom without looking back at me.
I walk out into the hall, rubbing a hand down my face as I attempt to pull myself together. I swear this girl will be the death of me, first with the cooking and now picking up Zander’s nickname.
The only problem is that, somehow, his stupid nicknames aren’t so annoying when she says them. I refuse to explore why that is and what they make me feel if not annoyed.
I pull myself together in the short time it takes me to get to my office but stop just shy of entering, instead looking back over my shoulder and down the hall toward Jade's door. She hasn’t come out, but I can hear her as she wanders around inside, no doubt exploring her new room, and I find that I don’t mind her being here like I initially thought I would.
I push the door open with a sigh.
Jade is dangerous. There's no question about that, but she might just be more than we can handle, and I’m not even talking about her ability to kill us anymore.