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“For fuck’s sake, man,” I spit. “I was expecting more from you.”
He flushes pink and abandons his mug of coffee to one side. “I know it sounds bad. Betraying the brotherhood, betraying you…for something so pedestrian.” His eyes fall to his hands. “But sometimes, money is the difference between life and death.”
I sigh. I can guess exactly what he needed the money for. If I begrudge him that, I’m just as much of an asshole as he is. Maybe even worse.
“Are you going to tell me why you didn’t just come to me for money if you needed it so badly?”
It’s not just impatience laced in my words. The part of me that recognizes Celine, Taylor, and now Adam as family is stinging from the insult that Archie didn’t trust me to care.
But, to be fair, Ididn’tcare—until I met Taylor.
Fate is a double-edged sword.
“First, will you permit me one question?”
I want to say no, mostly because I know what his question is going to be. Some derivative of the same, at least. I want to remind him that his life sits in the palm of my hand. All I have to do is bring my fingers together and crush him.
I look out the window again. I can only see half of Taylor’s profile. The breeze toys with the ends of her hair.
“One question,” I sigh, turning back to Archie.
He nods gratefully. “Celine…has she forgiven me?”
That’s not the question I’m expecting, but I don’t betray my surprise. “Has Taylor?”
He leans back heavily in this chair, his finger stroking the handle of his mug as though he’s forgotten why it’s there. “She says she has. I don’t really believe her.”
I nod. The coffee tang on my tongue is bitter. That feels fitting.
“Celine told me about the last conversation the two of you had,” I remark. “When you tried to convince her to leave with you.”
Archie snorts. “I underestimated her feelings for you. I suppose that was my first miscalculation. She didn’t want to hear me speak after that.”
“Nobody likes being lied to.”
“Considering we’re having quite a civil conversation, I’m going to refrain from pointing out that you’ve been lying to Celine for the last five years.” He pauses, then looks at me again. “And Taylor, too, in a way.”
I grit my teeth. “Taylor made her decisions. Just like the rest of us.”
“You don’t strike me as the type of man who defers to anyone against his own judgment. In fact, I know you’re not.”
“I’m getting impatient with this detour we’ve taken,” I snap. “You never were one to get to the point, were you?”
“You’ll have to forgive an old man. The pondering gets worse with age.”
“If you’re looking for sympathy, I don’t have any left to give. Traitors don’t just walk away unscathed, no matter how old they are.”
Archie nods, unsurprised. “Yes, I know. Your father had the same rule.”
I flinch at the mention of my father. Then I curse myself for the tic.
One moment, I’m so sure I’ve put him and his shadow behind me. The next, he’s right there, reminding me that his DNA will always be a part of my own.
A part of Adam’s, too, I realize with horror.
“He was ruthless with traitors. But then, he was ruthless with everyone. His enemies, his colleagues, hisvors… And his children. It took a brave man to approach him about anything.”
I clench my jaw and swallow back bitterness that has nothing to do with the coffee. Archie mentioning my father wasn’t a mistake; it was canny. More cunning than I expected, in fact. I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised. The man hasn’t survived this long by coasting on luck alone.
