Until you {uncompleted}

Chapter 42

My hands were clammy with sweat. I knew what I was doing was wrong. Will it stop me? Since I'm already in the study, of course not. I wiped my hands on my jeans and put them down on the counter. I was about to check the drawers when Damien's warm breath ghosted over my ear. “I’d say ‘make yourself comfortable,’ but you’re already doing just that.”
I turned around startled. As a reflex I swatted at his broad chest. It didn't move him an inch. “You scared me!” I said not taking my hand off his chest.

"Did I?" he asked with fake sympathy. "Here sit down and let me get you some warm tea. You must be so shocked to find me here while you were just about to search my study for God knows what." I didn't let the fact his voice was steadily rising with each syllable scare me. Or piss me off.

I will not yell at him just because he's yelling at me. I told myself to rise above it and all that. I took a deep calming breath. Nice and gentle, Nila. He's expecting you to defend yourself and throw the blame at him. Throw a few punches as will. Use rule number 67 from the nonexistent Nila rule book. Surprise him with the truth. I smiled and patted my eyelashes a little without overdoing it.

" You have every right to be upset, Damien. You really do. I was looking for the next Black box.  You have been in London all week and I already cracked the two you've given me three days ago. I need it  and the ones before it now. You won't believe what I found. I spent all week looking over all the files from the two I had and  I've got this idea. It's sooo insane it might actually work. " I laughed.

He was looking at me like he might strangle me any second. " Didn't I tell you not to go over any of the files until I got back?"

" Yeah. And I'm sorry to say I'm not sorry I did. I know I wasn't supposed to look through any of them but I was so bored. And I think it was the best thing I did. Look the more I looked it became obvious that the three families are protected by the same people. That's why the police never found anything on them. Then I figured it out.  "

It suddenly downed on him." Nila. No. No. No. That proves it. You officially shouldn't be left alone a second let alone a week, I was an idiot to have left you the black boxes to work with too. Next time I'll lock you in the basement and take the key with me. " he said.

"Damien! Believe me. I know it sounds bad. But it might work if we played it right. The Arch..." I said.

"The Arch has made it clear since it divided the work between the three families that it will not be involved in our squabbles. We might keep kicking at each other under the table so to speak but never above it and never to involve the organization with any of it. "

The Arch was the organization behind most illegal activity in the states. The large scale ones at least. The vast connections it has and the power behind it is mind blowing. It is an organization built on fear. There isn't a known face behind it but it's behind every known face. It uses your secrets against you and finds a way to benefit from all the things you do. And as long as there is a benefit to be had from you it protects you. When you become too problematic and the cons outwight the pros you're done for.

" The cost is very high if it doesn't work but I believe it will. Damien. There is away. We just need to prove... "

"Nila. Look. Step one isn't to prove anything. If we dig deep enough we'll find something eventually. Something to convince the Arch that the Knights have gone rogue. If we want an audience with them we need three votes from three leaders in the Chicago area. There's you, me and Xavier and I don't think he'll agree to vote on his own downfall. "

Damien's eyebrows were stiched together so I smoothed the deep v with my thumb. " I have another idea for that. I don't think you'll like it but you gotta trust me. "

He grabbed my wrist and returned it to my side. " Can I?" he asked. "trust you that is. Do you think it's a good idea to give my trust to someone who can't give it back."

"How can I trust you when you never gave me a reason to. I'm scared. I'm not going to deny it. But you don't involve me in anything. Even when my sister was in danger you handled everything and was prepared to send her off without telling me. Without asking me about it. You say you were trying to spare me but really you're just as much used to being on your own as I am. The great Damien Evans. Even you're brother can't tell you no. You treat the man you grew up with who's so supposed to be your best friend as a servant. You keep people away. You just want me to hand everything over to you and sit around in my room doing nothing. " I wasn't proud to say I yelled the last sentence at him.

" You wanted that. It was what we agreed on from the start. You... "

" Yes, and I will hand it over to you . I don't even want to be a mafia leader. But that's when I get rid of Xavier. Until then I can't just sit and watch you make decisions for me. I want to have a saying in my destiny. If I fail then alright whatever. But at least I gave it my all. I don't want to resent you for the choices you make for me. I want to share these decisions with you so I can rejoice with you if we get it right and go and hide in your arms if we fail so I can find the strength to go on and find another way. There always another way. " I said out of breath.

"Are you done with your rant?" he asked, face set in stone.

I nodded. My heart was somewhere in my stomach.

"Good." he said. Then he kissed me. Again. Oh boy.

Author's note
Hey lovely people I've missed you
Sorry for the quickly written chapter
I'm trying to keep up with my deadline
I did promise to post every Friday
Love you