Creasing her forehead in concentration, she squinted and bit her lower lip. Drake stood tall, attempting to intimidate her, but she didn’t flinch. Her gaze was steel, her face a mask of calm determination.
“I don’t like to speak badly of others without them here to defend themselves,” she started, making me nod in respect of her words. “But given the sensitivity of this situation and the lives on the line, I will confess that there are a few who have let their guard down around me because like Lo said, they’ve never viewed me as a threat.”
With a deep inhale, she lifted her chin and rolled her shoulders back, voice ringing out confidently as she admitted, “Silvyn, Rin, Elaine, and Joely would be on the list of people of interest if I were in your shoes.
I saw Lo tense as Rin’s name was mentioned, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was putting pieces together where they didn’t belong.
Did you notice Lo’s reaction to Rin during the meeting and when Heather just said his name?
I did, and every name she’s saying is in line with who I’ve begun to distrust. Tania and Kiyomi were similar in their meetings to the way Heather is acting now. Forthcoming, open, and asking what they could do to assist us. Elaine, Joely, and Rin all simply answered the questions asked of them—nothing more and nothing less.
“Are we done here?” Lo asked, voice tight and lips pulling into a flat line, clearly trying to not show her feelings on the matter. Her eyes were guarded and cold, so unlike her usually expressive warmth that emanated from them.
Shit, this wouldn’t be good.
“Yes,” Drake answered, pushing up from his chair and buttoning his navy suit jacket as he did. “Thank you for your time, Heather. As always, I appreciate your loyalty and dedication to the board.”
I’m going to promote her when all of this is done.
From what little I’ve seen, she’s a good one. I approve of it.
She stood and offered us a small bow before turning to leave. As the door clicked shut behind her, Lo sprang up and moved quickly to exit. I felt dread drop in my stomach like a lead weight, knowing that whatever came next would likely be unpleasant.
“Stop, Lo,” Drake commanded, letting every ounce of his power seep into his words. “We need to discuss our findings from these meetings. The three of us.”
Her slender shoulders were stiff, her back was pulled into a tight arch, as she paused before turning to face us. When she did, a flush of embarrassment and shame flooded her face, accompanied by a tell-tale puffiness around her eyes. Her lips trembled, and she drew in a shaky breath speaking. “Can I please have a moment to myself?”
Oh, she is definitely fucking Rin.
Thanks, captain obvious. That’s all you had to add for your observations of the meetings?
I’m a soul weapon, not a detective. What do you want from me?
It was hard to not let the sass from Dev make me laugh out loud. She was funny as hell and had great little quips, but there was no way I was going to let it show right now. I’d hate for Lo or Drake to think I was chuckling at the situation we found ourselves in, because it was so far from amusing.
I'd never seen such vulnerability in Lo before. She was always a fountain of positive energy and enthusiasm, but now she seemed deflated, her eyes carrying the weight of pain. In the past, she shared enough to help me understand the difficulty of her life, so I knew that whatever was happening right now was likely very hard for her to process. It was heartbreaking to see this woman, who had been an unstoppable force since I'd met her, seem so drained and defeated. But then again, it reminded me that even the strongest people have their limits.
Her petite frame stiffened, but her eyes stayed fixed on Drake's chest. Her jaw clenched so tightly the muscle spasmed. She spoke in a shaky whisper, her voice quavering with emotion, “Rin can’t be on Jeoffrey’s side.”
“And why is that?” Drake rumbled out in a deep, suspicious tone.
Don’t make her admit it unless she’s ready to, Drake. This is personal.
We don’t have the luxury of time right now. If there is something we need to know about Rin, now’s the time.
Slamming my hands into the table, I raised my voice to Drake. “She cares about him, you idiot! Stop pressuring her into talking about it. She knows the severity of this situation, and that’s probably why she’s crying. Leave her alone.”
I didn’t like having to speak to Drake like that, but he wasn’t listening to me. He didn’t see the pain his sister was in in the light he needed to. All that mattered to him was how this situation impacted us. But there were other people and other emotions involved in this, clearly, and he couldn’t just brush that off.
We couldn’t just say fuck everyone else around us as long as we were good.
A tear slipped down Lo’s face as Drake vibrated beside me with anger.
“Please, give us a moment alone, Drake,” I pleaded as he turned to look at me, hoping he would see that he was only making this harder on her.
The seconds stretched into minutes as Drake held my gaze, neither of us giving in. Then, in an instant, he flashed out of the room, the heavy wooden doors slamming shut with a thud behind him. Lo sank to the floor, and her chest heaved as she began to sob. I rushed to her side, pulling her close and reclining against the wall as she wept, my free hand caressing her back.
“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” I reassured her, leaning my cheek against the top of her head as her tears soaked through my shirt. “But I’m here if you just need someone to listen without judgment. Remember, we’re Al and Lo. We handle shit together.”
