CHAPTER 12 ALFIE
ALFIE
She’s definitely like every other girl. Wants the fairytale, wants the knight in shining armour to come and rescue her.
Also falls in love with any guy that shows her a bit of decency.
Well, if you compare me to the other two men in her life, one who assaulted her in her sleep, and the other who assaulted her while wide awake, I’d say I can’t blame her.
But it’s not like that. There are no romantic feelings here, I just choose peace.
Not that she’s not the most fascinating woman I’ve ever met, and as each day passes, more light flows into those eyes, into that body.
She’s already unfurled from that crippled wreck to a young woman with allure.
Her smile’s beautiful, her conversation is stimulating.
Her overall presence is a joy to be around.
But no. No romantic feelings.
I know I could have her. Even if I’m mistaking that desire in her eyes, it’d be easy to take, but I don’t get a kick out of a girl fighting back like the other two psychos. Not that I could fill that little cunt up with my cock, anyway. Twelve days. Twelve sodding days left of The Cleanse.
I sort the dogs out in the other room, so they won’t bother her if she does show up. She’ll warm up to them. Caden sits at the head of the table, me and Fiz on one side, leaving the other side empty and free for her.
Dinner starts. She doesn’t show.
Caden’s been exceptionally quiet since his last encounter with El in the garage, and especially tightly wound since the altercation in his bedroom the night before that.
Makes me wonder what really went down between them.
He said he felt her up. Choked her. I’d given him a pointed look at that, and he claimed she’d spat in his face, so he had to, which was a classic Cade move.
Can never be outdone by anyone. Always has to assert dominance.
He hasn’t stopped once to think about her position in all this.
Of course she’s going to be in survival mode, of course she’s going to attack.
She can’t choose flight, so it’s fight. And something tells me freeze isn’t an option for her either. She’s got too much fire in her.
But he experienced something up there that has him quieter and more pensive than usual.
I wouldn’t be as bold as to guess he felt something for her, but I wouldn’t also not say that.
Elodie has something about her, it’s not so much a damsel in distress, but a damsel in disdain.
There’s a paradox to her. She wants to fight us, but I also see the desperation to give in and let us care for her.
She lets me willingly enough, but that’s because I’m so good at my job.
I’m good at disarming people. These two aren’t.
It’s all resistance and reluctance. When it comes to Elodie, there’s a pull there.
She’s tapped into my primal need to protect, and I think she’s done it to Cade too.
Whether she wants to or not, whether he wants it or not, she has, and I don’t think he knows what to do with it.
He’s not acting on it, obviously, the guy’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met, but there’s something spurring to life under that stolid exterior of his. He’s working out how to navigate it.
Fiz hasn’t changed at all, you couldn’t penetrate his conscience with a bullet.
A hole’s a hole to him. He just wants to fill it and then he’ll be on to the next one.
I get his obsession with it, I do. God, there’s nothing better than a good pussy to sink into after a long day.
Have it glued to your tongue as it rides your face like a bull.
But he’s erratic and reckless with it. The number of girls we’ve had to pay off or threaten because they wanted to report his antics is atrocious. Loosest cannon when it comes to pussy.
We’re halfway through dinner when an awkward clearing of a throat comes from the doorway.
Elodie stands hugging herself, clad in Cade’s tracksuit. I jump to my feet and stride towards her. “You came. I was beginning to lose hope.”
“I said I would.” She’s uncomfortable, shrinking into herself.
I gently coax her toward the table. “Good girl. Yours should still be hot.” I guide her to a chair on the empty side opposite Fiz.
“You’re late,” Caden mutters.
“But she’s here,” I snap before El can retort and the two of them can go at each other’s throats before she’s even sat down. Let’s not scare her off again, Cade, I’m trying to do you a favour here.
Cade makes a grumbling sound of disapproval and returns to his steak. I walk back to the other side next to Fiz, who’s got a stupidly smug grin on his face.
“You’re looking a lot better, princess,” he says.
I watch El’s reaction carefully, willing her to keep her cool.
She looks at me, then back to Fiz. “Thank you.”
I blow out my breath silently and go back to my plate.
“You’d look a lot better laid out on this dinner table feeding us dessert.”
I swing my arm and give him a backhand on the shoulder. He flinches but keeps on laughing.
To Elodie’s credit, she ignores him. Instead, she turns her attention to the meat and veg in front of her and starts poking a piece of broccoli. “You’d look better with your head on a pike.”
Fiz’s jaw drops. Mine drops too, but with a bellow of a laugh. Caden doesn’t react.
I shouldn’t encourage it. Fiz is a live wire, we all are in our own ways, but I can’t help but feel the pride swell in my chest. She can hit back with words, there’s no reason these two should have egos fragile enough to crack under a little insult or dig.
Fiz gathers his jaw back up and resumes his sly grin at her. “I happen to have a pike, if you want to try it. If you fail, I get to shove it up your cu–”
“Nope,” I cut him off. “We’re not doing this, thank you.”
I can’t take another meal of Fiz’s morbid sexual fantasies. Not with my dick walking a tightrope to keep from exploding.
There are a few moments of silence and awkward fidgeting from around the table.
Thanks to Fiz’s commentary, I think all three of us could agree that we now can’t stop picturing ourselves lined up in front of this girl laid out naked on this table, indeed taking it in turns to be fed our dessert. Great, now I’m rock hard.
El breaks the silence first. “So, with your work…”
This should be interesting.
She looks at me, although I know the question is directed at Cade. “Is it all criminals you… get rid of?”
I look at Caden and raise an eyebrow. He just shrugs, so I roll my eyes and say, “Yes. Anyone who gets off too easy for the nature of their crimes. No mercy. I thought you’d know this?”
She nods slowly. “Oh yes, I’ve heard there’s no mercy with this family.” A quick, sidelong glance at Caden. “But no, I don’t look into the people. I just get their locations and move the payments. I don’t like diving too deep into it.”
Interesting, indeed. Our little Valor has a conscience.
Cade hides his surprise well, but I know he’s thinking the same thing.
We did our research on the drug lord’s family when Caden’s dad told us we’re merging.
We didn’t find out anything we liked. Valors are known to be heartless, no humanity.
They don’t care who they hurt, betray, kill.
But it seems Elodie doesn’t live up to that reputation.
“In case you find someone innocent you’re sending to their death?” Caden asks, unveiling his mask of indifference.
She lifts and drops one shoulder slightly. “I guess. I know I don’t have a choice. It’s my job. And I’ve sent innocent people to their death before, but… the thought of playing a part in an innocent person’s death is something that’s always weighed on my conscience.”
“Newsflash, sweetheart,” Fiz chimes in, “no one’s really that innocent. Everyone sins, everyone does things to hurt another person in this world. There’s no such thing as pure innocence.”
She scowls at him. “That’s a very cynical way to view the world.”
He stuffs a heaped spoonful of mashed potato into his mouth and speaks casually around it. “When you’ve had the lives we’ve had, it’s hard to be any other way.”
Her eyes flicker to Cade, making me wonder what she’s thinking. But they don’t linger there, they drop back to her plate. “It doesn’t matter what you go through, it’s a choice to still have faith in humanity.”
Fiz scoffs. “And you do? Look at the state of you, darling, you’re telling me you still have faith?”
Her eyes dart to him, darkening with a glower. “Yes. I have to. I can’t live on the prospect of there not being any good in this life. Saves my sanity.”
Fiz chuckles. “Sanity? You haven’t got any more of that shit than we have.”
Her jaw drops. “Are you kidding? You’re all fucking unhinged in this house.”
He shakes his head, still chuckling. “As are you, you fit in with us more than you care to admit.”
“I am not.”
“No?” He flashes her a devious grin and leans in over the table. “Don’t think we haven’t heard you roaming the halls talking to yourself.”
El’s cheeks flush red. “Talking to yourself is actually a sign of high intelligence.”
Fiz leans back in his chair. “If that’s true, then we’re all fucking geniuses here.”
Elodie’s cheeks are bright red now. “I am nothing like you.”
Caden rolls his eyes. Fiz continues chuckling.
“Whether you are or not,” I say, stepping in to mitigate before it blows up, “is irrelevant. You’re part of this family now, Elodie. You’ll learn our way of living, you’ll respect the rules. Give it time and a real chance, and you might find you like it here.”
She gives me a glare that’s softer than the one she gave Fiz.
“Speaking of your way of living… what’s going on with you guys?
Why are you abstaining from sex – that’s what you’re doing, right?
Or is this some sort of asceticism, and I should be concerned for my safety because you clearly can’t handle it? ”