UNMASKED

#13

Eli was mildly impressed by the confused act Matthew put up. The way he stared at the woman, brow raised, and an almost genuinely incredulous look on his face, was pretty good.

"I think you've got the wrong person," he said, and his voice sounded just judgmental enough to make anyone believe he truly thought the woman was crazy. Sadly, she didn't seem so convinced.

"Please, your friend already tried that." Clearly, she was absolutely certain that she was right. Which she was. Not that either Eli or Matthew would tell her that. "I know it's you. It wasn't hard to figure out once I talked to the men who saw the both of you at the warehouse you burned down. After that, I just had to do a bit of research, check some camera footage. It's funny how you keep running into this one particular redhead."

Eli spotted the precise moment in which Matthew gave up on pretending she was spouting nonsense. Honestly, he would have done the same because it was clear that she knew what she was talking about.

"What do you want?" Matthew asked, sounding very reluctant to even ask.

"Like I said, I want to help you."

Eli couldn't help but stare at Adria Fisk as she seemingly offered her help to the man who'd put her father in jail. Not that he trusted her to mean it. He definitely didn't like how smug she sounded as she supposedly offered to help them.

"Help?" Matthew asked, very much not believing a word of it, if the way he sounded was anything to go by. "With what, and why would you even bother?"

Eli took a moment to contemplate the fact that Matthew managed to not look all that alarmed to have Fisk's daughter figure out he was Vigilante. Or maybe he was just panicking on the inside. Eli could relate to that.

"Well, for starters, it really doesn't look like you're doing too well. I mean, your friend here doesn't look too good."

Rude, Eli thought, glaring at her from behind Matthew.

"We're doing just fine," Matthew said through gritted teeth.

"Sure you are. And you're not at all worried about a certain someone finding you and all the people you care about." Well, when she put it that way. "Listen, I know my father and you have had some issues, and I get it, he's a hard guy to get along with. Also, you repeatedly tried to ruin him and got him arrested, so really, some of it's on you."

"How rude of me," Matthew said flatly.

"Very. But about the man after you, the one who put your little friend here in the hospital, he's not one of my father's. At least, not anymore. He took on a job for my father, and then the asshole decided he had other plans."

"And I should trust that you're not lying because?" Eli thought Matthew had a good point.

"You shouldn't, but you don't have a lot of choices and I can make things easier for you."

"Or you can stab me in the back. Literally."

"I could, but that would be a waste if I can use you instead." That probably wasn't the best thing to say. Eli could see Matthew tense, his fists clenching at his sides. "This really is a help me help you situation," she added with an amused quirk to her lips.

"And what do you get out of this? Revenge for him not following the deal with your father?"

"Actually, I just want him out of the way. Ever since my father was imprisoned, things have been more messy than usual. He left a very profitable spot available for anyone who wants it." She shrugged.