Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
DIORA
He’s off to Paris. He’s off to Paris, leaving me with a scathing kiss.
I wish it was my first kiss. Maybe then, I’d actually want to kiss people.
Twisting my fingers, I walk beside Juliet.
She wants to go to the city today. Something about following a new candle shop online and going to their grand opening.
It will make her happy, so of course I asked if I could come, too.
She lit up with joy as she twirled on her heel to go get ready.
I should’ve let her go on this journey alone. A chance for her to go somewhere alone for the first time since her accident, but I can’t let go. A therapist would call me an enabler, because I don’t let her grow apart from me, but I call it love.
We walk out of the store with three candles we would’ve never been able to afford before my itch started making us money.
“Thanks for coming with me, Dee.” Juliet strides beside me with an undeniable smile gracing her face. “Hey, isn’t that Sadie’s Flower shop, where you work? We should go in.”
My head whips to the little shop on the corner. The supposed place I work at. Sadie’s doesn’t have lights or a huge sign. A little shop, on a discreet corner, where the Society can run supplies to and from their members. I look over at Juliet’s wide eyes and widening smile.
Sadie’s huge front doors face the round sidewalk of the corner.
Huge pink doors and white weathered brick with vines and all sorts of greenage growing on its walls.
A small wooden sign above the doors lets you know you’re at Sadie’s, and how Juliet spotted that from here makes me question the girl’s real motive for coming down here today?
Was it really the candle shop or did she want to see where I work? Thank goddess I came, if the latter is the real reason she wanted to visit the city.
“Not a good idea,” I say. I grab her arm to steer her in a different direction. Any direction besides the one leading to a place where serial killers get their supplies.
“What, why?” she asks, dragging me toward Sadie’s.
“No, really Juliet, they must be busy with that wedding coming up,” I say, trying to use the excuse Elliot gave me to convince her to leave the idea alone.
It doesn’t work, of course, and I hear the bell ring above us as we step inside.
Huge checkered, black-and-white flooring greets us, with green potted plants lining the way throughout the store.
Rows and rows of potted plants make up the majority of Sadie’s, moving through the space like a guided maze.
A wooden checkout area, an area of wind chimes, yard decorations, and a stand for local handmade crafts makes up the rest of the flower shop.
Looking around, Juliet’s smile softens. “So, this is where you spend most of your time now?” she questions, and I think the words are more for herself than for me, based on how low her voice is.
“Yeah, it’s a nice gig and pays better than the grocery store,” I say, following behind her and watching our surroundings. I don’t feel fear often, but I don’t know what kind of threats there could be here for us. A serial killer hub is the last place I’d want Juliet to be in.
Footsteps I don’t recognize come closer, raising the hairs on my arms as I grasp Juliet’s shoulder, ready to yank her behind me.
“Well, hello, ladies.” Enyo appears from around the corner of this maze of plants. The moment he steps in front of us, Juliet is already behind me, and I have one hand around a potted plant to shove on the ground in case I need to buy time.
“Oh, do you know him, Dee?”
“Dee? Well, Diora, I don’t recall you telling us you had any nicknames?” he says, like we’re actually close. We’ve had like two conversations and assignments together, but that’s it.
Not that what he does is any of my business, but the way his eyes don’t leave my older sister most definitely makes it my business.
“No, I don’t know him,” I say, glaring at Enyo. The man has given me no reason to like him, to trust or know him, and yet here he is, talking like he knows me.
“Is that any way to speak to your boss?” he says, moving his hand to hold his “wounded” heart.
“Oh, this is your boss? I thought you said your boss was a woman?” Juliet says, side-eyeing me.
“More like my manager who is never here,” I snip, watching his face drop as my smile grows. I turn around to lead Juliet out of the store, but I feel the asshole resting his heavy ass arm over my head, like I’m a pole he can rest against or something.
He moves to talk to my sister. I could jab him in the side and break for it, as I know I’m not strong enough to fight him, but Juliet would lag behind. She’d probably be trying to see if the bastard was okay instead of running.
“I’m here enough. So, who are you, little darling?” Oh, hell no. I glare harder into his side profile.
“I’m Juliet, Dee’s older sister.” She nods her head toward me and blushes. The girl blushes. Juliet Moss is blushing at a serial killer worse than the one she unknowingly lives with.
Is she serious? She never blushes. I’ve never seen her blush, not even before…
Not even before. I watch her now. I watch her eyes.
They stay trained on him. Her pupils look as if they are larger than normal, just by the slightest bit.
Warmer. Inviting. Juliet, do you even know who you’re making googly eyes at?
“I’m sure you’re busy. I mean, a wedding in Paris is a big deal,” Juliet says with a shy giggle. A blush and a giggle? I should get her out of here. I want to yank her away, but I can’t get myself to destroy this tiny, tiny moment of happiness for her. Juliet is flirting.
I never thought she’d ever feel safe enough to flirt again.
“I mean, if you’re taking my sister away from me for our ritual Friday night sleepover, I’d hope it’s for work?
” And her yip is back. I smile as I look up at Enyo, trying to see past his armpit to his gaze at her little snapback.
I shouldn’t encourage her to provoke a serial killer, but by the look on Enyo’s face, I doubt I have much to worry about.
“Oh, the wedding in Paris? How interesting, I wasn’t informed… First years don’t normally go to such jobs,” Enyo says with an eyebrow raised and a smile too wide for my liking.
“Yeah, well, I am,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Well, Juliet, I’m saddened to be taking your sister away from you on Friday night, but rest assured, you don’t have to be alone. I’m not going to Paris.”
Yes, yes, she does need to be alone.
“I didn’t realize that the wedding was… optional?” I ask with scrunched eyebrows. He’s a member of the Society. He has the ring, but he’s not going to the ball?
“I have other things to look after.”
Is the “other things” my sister? I scrunch my brows as I look between the two. Did Elliot put him up to this? He did say that Juliet would be protected. Is this what he meant?
“Ahh, well, thank you.” Juliet can hardly get words out as her face turns a deep beet red. She attempts to fan herself as she turns away from Enyo.
“Too bad I’m sure you’re working, Enyo. They’ll need someone to work the store.” My voice comes out monotone as the games are now over. I grab Juliet’s arm, letting Enyo’s heavy arm drop back to his side.
“Hmm, well, since I’m hardly here, I won’t be working at the shop. Juliet, phone, please,” he says.
I watch as she mindlessly gives the stranger her phone, who either takes her number or types his in. I step in front of Juliet, blocking her view of Enyo, before settling a small potted tulip in her hands.
“Could you pay for this while I speak to my manager?” I ask, gently push her away.
“Don’t play games, Enyo. You may be first Son, but if you do anything—”
“Is it wise to threaten a Son, Diora?” He raises an eyebrow, and my skin starts to boil as frustration fills the void of my emotions.
“If you do anything to Juliet—” I say, but he cuts me off.
“I won’t. Elliot asked me to look after her. That’s all I’m doing.”
“She’s not normal…” I sputter, trying to find the right words. Juliet’s damage isn’t permanent. It isn’t like mine. She can get better. She will get better.
“Must run in the family,” he quips, and I glare at the man three heads taller than me.
“Enyo, I’m serious. She doesn’t… She hasn’t healed yet, and if you do anything to make that worse—”
“I won’t, Diora. I won’t hurt her, ever. I’m going to have to ask you to do the same for my brother.” I scrunch my face as he talks, and his smile drops as the conversation gets serious for him.
“Elliot is strong, but he’s been hurt before. Trust I’ll stop you before you have the chance to hurt him. Trust I’ll risk ruining my relationship with Elliot for the sake of protecting him.”
“Then we’re on the same page,” I say. I’m huffing like I’ve run a marathon and my brain is beyond scrambled, but for once, I can say I see Enyo Jay. I can see his little family of two means something to him, as mine does to me.
“Then we’re on the same page,” he confirms.