CHAPTER 11 ELODIE
ELODIE
I find the only solace in this place is in the presence of Alfie.
He’s the only thing that’s kept my head from exploding since I got here.
He’s been so nice to me. He changed my drip bags for me over the last couple of days.
He offered me food, I attempted to eat it.
He offered me praise and reassurance when I failed, which sent butterflies fluttering in my belly.
He told me Maggie usually sorts the cooking out, a chef preps meals for them and Maggie reheats, but he stated he’s making my own meals to make sure I get what I need to rebuild my strength and recover.
He brought me another pack of biscuits after I devoured Fiz’s.
These were chocolate chip. One of my favourites.
How can he be affiliated with those other two monsters?
He kept me company in Caden’s room, only leaving when the boys got home from whatever jobs they had going on.
He’s a good conversationalist. He’s also good at evading questions about his family, other than the occasional warnings to “behave.” He said he’ll work on convincing Caden to give me proper clothes.
I omitted to tell him I actually like wearing his clothes now.
They’re soft and hang off my body. But now it’s become about the principle.
I should be allowed my own fucking clothes.
I thanked him for the offer, even though I know Caden won’t budge on his decision.
Even if he felt bad – which he definitely doesn’t – he won’t swallow that gargantuan pride of his.
Alfie’s such a gentleman. Even though he hasn’t let me out of his sight since he put me in the tub after Caden soaked me, he’s made zero attempt at making me feel uncomfortable, coming close to me, touching me.
It’s almost like he’s afraid to catch something, the way he pulls his hand away when we get too close.
It’s fine though, he’s just a gentleman.
Call me delusional, but I think he’s spending so much time with me because he wants to.
It’s obvious. He knows I’m not going to cause any trouble because of those demons he calls dogs, so he really doesn’t need to be my shadow.
Either that, or he’s trying to make sure I don’t bump into Caden unsupervised.
But I’m going with the former option. I like the idea of Alfie liking my company as much as I like his.
I never get another unsolicited visit from Fiz, but there’s always a smack, pinch or squeeze on my ass whenever we pass each other through the house. Accompanied by a roguish wink and a wicked grin. I swear at him each time, try to slap his hand, but I remind myself it could be worse.
I caught him topless yesterday morning. That physique was not what I expected at all.
He looks trained for combat. A warrior’s body.
Not like the bulk of Alfie, which looks built for strength and power.
Nor like Caden, who honestly looks like he needs a good meal.
But Fiz – he looks built for anything. Muscles honed so finely they look sculpted from stone.
His pecs so square and swollen they look inflated.
And not a single tattoo. Not one scar or blemish.
He’s annoyingly flawless. It didn’t help he had a cap on backwards as well, his dark curls all bunched around the nape of his neck, which was laced with the same white gold chain.
I tried not to ogle, but I was drawn to so much unmarred skin.
Muscles aside, I haven’t seen untouched skin like that in a long time.
It was mesmerising. I was fortunate enough that he was too busy fussing over Bob to catch my eye, so I made the most of it.
God forbid he caught me staring like a drooling teenager. He wouldn’t have let it go.
Caden avoids being in the same room with me, only lingering long enough to scowl and look down his nose at me.
On the rare occasion I notice him first, just before he spots me, the split-second before his eyes fall on mine across the room, I get a glimpse of the more natural face he owns.
It’s tired. Exhausted, really. Heavy-lidded eyes, almost an expression of dejection there over his sharp, narrow features.
As if he’s got a lot going on in that cruel, twisted mind.
Carrying a weight around that only he can bear.
For a twenty-five-year-old, he seems aged, weathered.
The guy needs a day out in the sun and some serotonin.
I wonder where he’s been sleeping if this is his room.
No, I don’t. I don’t care where he sleeps as long as it’s away from me.
Alfie said I could stay in the bedroom and brought my meals up to me.
The darkness hasn’t warned me against him again, so I think it was just a fluke.
I think they like him too. They fizzle out when he’s around, only lingering around the corners of the room instead of a thundercloud all over.
I think Alfie and I could maybe even be friends.
I’m back to work today. My body’s recovered; the IV’s replenished the nutrients it needs to have basic function. There’s some strength in my muscles again. All I have to do is sit at a desk today anyway.
Alfie shows me the set-up and I go about getting myself sorted. He sits idly in the corner. He obviously knows I’ll handle the money and the locating of the buyers, but if he’s lingering over my shoulder, I’m not going to be able to do everything I usually do.
I log into the system and pull up the job.
It’s an order of one heart, one kidney and thirty kilos of meat.
I process the order, and the money comes in.
My finger twitches on the mouse, feeling the weight of Alfie’s eyes pushing down on my back.
I transfer the payment to the respective accounts.
Next, I get into hacking the buyer’s devices.
“So,” Alfie says, “are you some sort of Mark Zuckerberg on the computer or what?”
I smile at the screen. “Not at all. I can hack into some things, that’s about it.”
“I feel like you’re majorly downplaying that.”
My smile grows. I glance at him over my shoulder and see he’s not even paying attention to me, eyes focused on the phone in his lap.
Turning back to the screen, I quickly move some more money.
Heart racing, I say, “Everything I know was taught to me by a friend. I came onto the dark web to find a hit-man for my dad, before Lewis died. Then, when I lost him, my priorities switched to finding his killer. I stumbled upon a guy called Niles by accident. He didn’t want to get involved with anything to do with drug people, but he offered to teach me some basic hacking skills so I could search myself.
“I ended up getting really good at tracking people. I could find anyone. Except for the one person I wanted.” I clear my throat. “Whoever blew up the warehouse left absolutely no trace of themselves on any camera.”
“No one blew it up, though,” Alfie says, pensive, “it was a faulty explosive.”
I shake my head. “I never believed it. I convinced Dad for a while, but after I sent his men on too many dead end quests that turned a bit messy, he banned me from doing it again. Said I was wrong and stupid and there was no one to find.” I wince at the memory.
I may have stopped looking for a ghost, but my ability to track other people allowed me to have a little side hustle to put money away to get me the hell away from him.
I remained on the dark web and located people for others for money.
I was desperate enough to get away from my father that I didn’t allow myself to think what I was finding these people for.
If they died because of me. If they were good or bad people.
Then Dad flushed our business down the drain.
Began taking everything out on me, the loss of his son, the loss of his money and partnerships.
Our fights turned devastating. These past few months since Lewis died, I barely spent time out of the cell.
The money I’d curated in the account has sat there ever since.
“So that’s how the idea of the merge came about, then,” Alfie says, musing. “I was told you met with Drago, he was impressed with what you could do, so he came up with the double charge idea.”
A momentary jolt of nausea hits me as the memory flashes before my eyes. I urge my voice to remain neutral as I speak. “Yes, pretty much. I told him I could find people, he said why don’t the Blackwoods bribe each of their customers for another payment. Was a no brainer, really.”
“So, your father, out of everyone, is the only one who does fuck all and still gets paid?”
“Yes. Biggest pisstake on earth. Although he plans to get back into the drug business once the money starts rolling back in. He can run himself back into the ground, I don’t care, I won’t be there for him to drag down with him this time.
Until then, he’s basically getting money for me marrying Caden.
He basically sold me.” The bitterness drips from my tongue.
“That’s how you choose to look at it, though.”
I keep my eyes glued to the screen, my brow furrowed. “Uh, because it’s true. He gets to live life how he wants in his fancy castle without lifting a finger.”
“That part, yes, but the marriage thing? No one’s selling you, you agreed to this.”
“I agreed to the business. The marriage was not part of the deal I made,” I say, with more aggression than I intended.
“Alright, princess, I get it.”
I sigh. “It just irritates me. Everything about him does. He made me stop looking for Lewis’s killer as if he didn’t care.” I swivel the chair to face Alfie. “How could he not care?”
Alfie looks down at his hands, fingertips touching. “Maybe there was no one to find. It was an accident.”
The statement reignites an agitated fire in my belly. I press my lips into a thin line.