CHAPTER 36 FIZ
FIZ
I’ve got my Sleeping Beauty all to myself today.
Caden still needs rest. Alf’s arranged to see his mother today, and I have work.
It was easy enough to convince Cade to let me take her instead of Alfie.
For some reason, Alfie wasn’t keen on taking her today.
Makes me wonder how close to losing his last shred of self-control he really is.
My self-control, on the other hand, is made of steel.
I enjoy riling this little minx up far more than I enjoy thinking about what it’d be like to fuck her.
Not that I don’t enjoy that too, of course.
But until Caden sticks his dick in her, she’s off-limits, anyway.
And I’m too loyal to Caden to even consider doing it. I’m not worried.
At all.
Not when she comes out to my car, drowning in Caden’s clothes, blue eyes shining in the afternoon sunlight. Not when she scowls at me and I wonder how that face would look contorted in pleasure as I slid my cock inside her.
Nope, not worried at all.
Bob goes up to her, and she bends down, stroking him without a moment’s hesitation. I smile at the visual. It’s sweet.
Something in my chest starts aching. I rub a hand over it. “Come on,” I say, clearing my throat, “there are body parts in this car to be sold.”
I climb in, Elodie opens the back door for Bob, then climbs in behind him.
She seems comfortable in the back with him now, even without the bag of treats. She keeps her eyes on the window, not once peering beside her to make sure Bob’s not poised to attack.
Elodie stares out at the world like she’s seeing it for the first time. She’s been out of the house several times already, but every trip it’s the same. She’s mesmerised by it. By the sky, the fluffy clouds, the acres of forest.
Makes me wonder how much of her life has actually been spent outside of four walls.
Shaking it off, I crank the radio up and try to remember to keep my eyes on the road instead of the rearview mirror. It becomes impossible when she starts bobbing her head, chewing on her bottom lip as if she’s fighting off a smile.
I rub my chest again. Feels like indigestion.
We get to the drop-off point and I hop out the car.
When Elodie doesn’t move, I walk round to her side and open the door. Bob jumps over her and stands by my feet. “You coming?”
She suddenly looks tiny, hugging her arms around her middle and squeezing her legs together. “I thought I’d just wait in the car.”
I frown. “Why would you think that? You’re a part of the business now, aren’t you? Come on.” That bottom lip is going to start bleeding from how hard she’s gnawing on it. I resist the urge to tug it free.
“Can I just wait here?”
I can see the entire shift in her demeanour. This isn’t defiance. This is fear.
I come closer to her, crouching so I can stick my head just inside the car, a few inches from hers.
“Nothing’s going to happen here, Elodie.
It’s a simple exchange to one of the minions.
We don’t do anything apart from passing the container over.
That’s it. I thought it’d be cool for you to start getting more involved. ”
Her lips disappear into a thin line.
What isn’t she telling me?
Then it hits me.
The engagement party.
Rosco.
She knows him, so she might know the other minions.
Fuck. Is she scared of them?
The mere thought spikes an anger inside me. She’s dauntless when it comes to the three of us, couldn’t give a flying fuck about us, but they scare her?
Blowing a breath through my nose, I straighten up. “Get out of the car.”
She looks up at me. “If it’s a simple exchange, why do I have to?”
“I’m going to give you five seconds to get out of this car before I drag you out of it.”
“Fiz.”
“Five.”
“Please.”
“Four.”
“Fuck, fine, fine!” She clambers out and I can see her whole body trembling.
It only makes me angrier.
I shove her against the car, hands on either side of her head. “What are you so scared of?”
“I’m not.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
An icy glare sweeps over her as she stares into my eyes. “I’m not scared, Fiz.”
I study her, waiting for any twitch of deceit. She holds strong.
I lift a hand between our chests, erecting my little finger. “Pinky promise?”
She stares down at it, then barks a disbelieving laugh. “Wouldn’t have pegged you for a pinky promiser.”
I look down at my finger, a distant memory flashes, too painful to allow to push any further forward in my brain. I raise my eyes to hers again. “It’s the most sacred act of honesty in the world. I take nothing more serious than a pinky promise.”
She continues to stare at it.
“So, you gonna swear it?”
She lifts her hand. I jerk mine away just before she links her finger with mine. “Remember, you can’t lie on this. You can’t break it, either.”
Her features set hard in resolve. “I am not scared.” Then she hooks her pinky around mine, rather aggressively.
I smile, that memory threatening to push forward once again as her finger squeezes mine. I shove it away. “Good.”
I grab the containers out of the boot and march towards the building, Bob trotting just ahead, Elodie’s pattering footsteps just behind me.
Why the hell would she be scared of them and not us? What the fuck could they possibly do that we can’t, or won’t?
They’re nothing.
I have to grit my teeth to keep my spiralling thoughts from bruising my ego further.
Wayne’s already waiting inside the lobby when we get there.
He looks up from his phone as Bob approaches, tucks it away in his pocket, then stands up.
He’s got his greasy golden hair slicked back into his usual bun at the back of his head, his sharp cheekbones pointing up to those hazel brown eyes that, on any other man, would be endearing.
On Wayne, they just look out of place. Too bright for his dull, punch-able face.
He nods once at me, then his eyes flicker behind me, and a devious smirk spreads across his lips.
“Well, well, well,” he says, crossing his arms, “looks like you’ve brought a little superstar with you.”
“Don’t call me that,” she spits, with just as much venom as she does with me.
Superstar? What the hell? Pet names are my shtick.
Annoyed, I jerk my head towards the door. “Shall we go?”
Wayne surveys her for a few more seconds, then turns and walks into the office.
I peer at Elodie behind me and thankfully, I see nothing but pure distaste. If she’s scared of Wayne, she refuses to let him see it.
I follow him inside. Bob and Elodie follow me.
He goes up to the long glass table with a single clipboard on it. He picks it up.
“Fifty pounds of meat, one heart, four kidneys…” he lists the order off while I place the container on top of the table and back away next to Elodie.
Wayne lifts his head. “Is it all there?”
“No, I came all this way for half of it.”
He snickers, chucks the clipboard back on the table with a loud clatter. Elodie flinches beside me.
He pins those hazel eyes on her. “How you doing with this miserable lot, Superstar? They making you feel good?”
My body goes rigid.
“Yes, actually,” Elodie says, full of hostility and contempt. “I’m right at home with them.”
Wayne chuckles. “Of course, you are. House full of cocks to suck, what better place for you?”
A strange fury rushes to the surface of my skin, creating a flush hotter than the sun bleeding in through the massive windows. “The fuck did you just say?”
Wayne doesn’t take his eyes off her. “Do you get on your knees for this one as well? Or is it just the real Blackwoods you’ll whore yourself for?”
I step forward, but Elodie steps farther. “Don’t be jealous, Wayne. Fiz is worth ten of you. Just because you couldn’t get a woman to suck you off if you gave her a million.”
Wayne’s not deterred. “But you’d suck it for a lot less, wouldn’t you?”
I can feel the rage burning off her from beside me. As much as I’d love to jump this table between us and shove my thumbs into his eye sockets, Caden would have my head on a pike if I let Elodie get into any trouble.
Placing a steady hand on Elodie’s shoulder, I pull her gently back. “Now, now, kids. Let’s play nice. You got what you came for, and we delivered what we needed to. Let’s all part ways amicably, aye? We don’t want to anger the powers that be if they find out their children are squabbling.”
Wayne finally looks at me, flashing me a smug grin. “Have fun with this one, Franklin, she can take anything you throw at her.” He grabs the container and hauls it off the table, walking past us.
Elodie glares at him as he goes, he throws a wink at her as sharp as a knife.
“You’re the biggest pussy out of all of them,” she sneers.
Wayne stops at that, his eyes narrowing in on her. “You want to come back for more, just let me know, Superstar. It can be arranged.”
Elodie lunges for him, and my reflexes work for me while my consciousness is stunned by the exchange happening before me. I grab hold of her shoulders and haul her back, but Bob’s by her side, barking at Wayne, who sheepishly backs away, eyes glued to my dog.
“I don’t know who’s more feral, that dog, or your bitch.” He attempts to laugh, but it’s shaken and falls flat.
“Get the fuck out of here before I let both of them maul you,” I spit, still gripping Elodie as she struggles to get free.
Wayne listens, disappearing comically fast.
I spin Elodie round, my head finally clearing. “What the fuck was all that?”
Bob comes up and licks at her legs, but she looks too dazed to notice.
“Elodie.” I give her a little shake by her shoulders.
She blinks several times, then her eyes fill instantly with tears. “Can we go now?”
“Not until you tell me what that was all about. First Rosco, now Wayne? What was he talking about?” My head is back to spinning too fast to catch a coherent thought.
She looks away. “Nothing. He’s just a prick. They all are.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
She yanks her shoulders free of me. “That is not a lie. They are pricks. Worse than that.”
“Fine, they are. But what went down with you and the minions?”