The Price of Protection

Chapter 25~ Invitations are for Friends

CÉLINE: (Under Editing)

"What," I hiss quietly, "Are you doing here?" My fingers have begun curling into my palms until my fingernails dig into them painfully.

"Hey."

"Answer the question," my voice is even quieter. Just the calm before the raging storm.

He stares at me with sadness, guilt maybe, grief?

"Don't give me 'pity' eyes, Remington Bartus! Why are you here?!" I finally scream.

He's unaccompanied. Waltzing around like he owns this place. Coming and going at will. I can't even comprehend what this means.

"Céline," he holds out a hand like he's warding off a feral beast and I'm inclined to agree.

"Tell. Me. Everything."

"It wasn't like it was in my plans exactly."

"So you just happened to become part of the French underground by some freak accident?"

"No." His lack of words is both unsettling and infuriating. We stare at each other for several moments and I consider trying to strangle the life from him, but he opens his traitorous mouth again. "I have never planned on being like my parents."

"So you went in the complete opposite direction?"

He laughs ruefully, "If you truly knew the corruption in the law system ...well, the truth is that your 'French underground' is much more cut and dried. Loyalty equals protection, safety, and even family. Disloyalty equals destruction. The rules are clearer."

"So the crime is okay because now you'll have the family you never had? Spare me," I spit at him.

His jaw ticks as he slides his hands into his pockets.

"Well," I continue in his silence, "you're starting to look and sound just like them, so I guess you should be proud. Fitting in already." I keep my voice dripping with false sweetness trying to evoke some sort of response or regret- anything to tell me that this was less his choice than he's letting on.

His eyes, previously fixed on the floor, flick up to mine in an angry gaze.

"So how long have you been a part of this? Was I always going to get kidnapped by Marius? Does he have a hoard of other girls he's kidnapped as well?"

That sets him off.

"I tried to save you," He grits out as he stalks over to me, "At your party, I knew exactly who you'd been with at the cafe and I went to warn Marius, but I was intercepted and got beat to a pulp so I couldn't warn him in time!"

Ouch. Okay, well, he still joined the mafia so I shouldn't feel too bad, right?

"And don't ever make that accusation again..."

"What?" My brows lift as he leans down over me now, acting as threatening as the rest of them.

"The Gray Empire doesn't do dealings with trafficking of any sort. I would never be a part of something like that. It's sickening and an evil that can't be redeemed."

I tilt my face up with false confidence so that our noses are almost touching and our furious breathing mingles, "Well, at least you're not a complete monster, but still, you're no better than a common criminal. I don't care how rich he makes you."

He leans back, "It's apparent he hasn't said anything to you about his operations yet and I'm not going to be the one to argue it with you. It's not why I'm here anyway."