#Daniel Schiester is an asshole

[whump-tr0pes]

Honor Bound 4 - 18

Honor Bound 4 - 18 (Undeserved Reputation) @badthingshappenbingo​​​​

Requested by @whumps-the-word​​​​

~

This is a series. Start here, continued from here.

This is a sequel to Honor Bound, Honor Bound 2, Honor Bound 3.

AO3

Cw: past captivity, implied whump of a minor, PTSD, dissoci@tion, death mention

~

Gray smiled gently as they drove, avoiding potholes in the road caused not by violence, but by the simple, innocent freeze and thaw of the ground. The sun was already high in the sky after more than three hours of driving. The sky was clear, the air clean and cool with the northern summer that was already well under way.

Edrissa sat in the passenger seat, almost completely turned around, chattering happily to Vera in the back seat. Every now and then, Gray and Vera met eyes in the rear view, and Gray could read something like gratitude in her gaze.

“…and there’s this store in Crayton that sells three different kinds of lace!” Edrissa said, the wispy blonde bun at the top of her head bobbing along as she spoke. “And there’s a lot of cotton, I mean, obvious, but they also sometimes have some nice linen and I think that’s what I’ll make Sam’s sling out of, so it breathes. Because it gets hotter up here than I thought it would, because I thought it wouldn’t get very hot at all and it’s already May and it’s been pretty warm, and the winter was so cold so I just kind of assumed it would stay cold. I mean, it’s been nice outside. Maybe when it gets a little warmer we can go hang out at the lake, maybe do a picnic, I mean it’s not very far from the house but it’s really pretty and I’ve already been in it and it doesn’t go that deep, but it is really cold. Before that I hadn’t been swimming in so long. But yeah, I think I’ll do the sling out of linen, and I hope they have blue because that’s Sam’s favorite color.”

She paused to take a breath. Vera grinned at her.

“It is Sam’s favorite color,” Vera said, and Gray was tempted to give Vera a conspiratory nudge. “What else have you been up to while we’ve b-been—” Her voice wavered for just a moment. “—gone?”

“Um…” Edrissa’s mouth twisted and she leaned towards Vera. “Yeah, um, a lot. Gray said, Gray said I could paint my room if I wanted, but I haven’t found the right color. They’re all so… so garish.” Edrissa flipped the stray wisps of hair out of her face and looked to Vera, eyebrows raised, as if she was waiting for something.

It was so good to see Edrissa looking for Vera to assure her not that she was safe, but that she was… cool.

“Absolutely,” Vera said with fervor. “Sometimes walls just need to look sophisticated.” Edrissa lifted her chin, and her mouth pulled into a wider smile at the word.

“Exactly,” she said with an emphatic nod. “Sophisticated. I was thinking I could do a whole thing with a mirror on the wall and, and maybe a nice painting if I can find one that captures the… the…” Edrissa stumbled for a moment, her eyes still fixed on Vera. “…the atmosphere I want.”

Sadness dragged at Gray’s heart. She hasn’t been allowed to make her own choices, any choices for two years. And I remember how much I just wanted to be me when I was eighteen.

They pressed their lips into a line to stop the corners of their mouth from falling.

“That sounds like such a great idea,” Vera said, her face breaking into a smile again. “And… Tori and I wanted to start a garden out back. It’s a little late for planting, but… if we get seedlings, would you want something?”

“Yes!” Edrissa cried, and distractedly tapped Gray on the shoulder. For a moment Vera looked at Gray in delighted surprise. Edrissa hadn’t let anyone but Tori and Vera touch her since she’d been rescued almost five months ago. Gray knew the easy touch on their shoulder spoke volumes of the healing she’d done just in the past three weeks.

I wonder how much of that is time away from Gavin. Gray pushed the thought out of their head.  

“Oh, my god, I totally forgot. Last time I was in Burmingham, they had little mint plants. Gray said they wanted some, and I forgot!” She turned to Gray with an unsteady smile. “I’m sorry, I—” Edrissa shivered. Her eyes went distant. She curled into herself slightly, shrinking back against the door of the car.

“It’s alright, Edrissa,” Gray said gently, never taking their eyes off the road. “I’m not hurt. I’m not angry. It’s just a mistake, right? Mistakes are alright.”

“Mm-hm,” Edrissa said uncertainly. She relaxed slightly.

“Remember your counting?” Gray said, low and calm.

Edrissa jerked her head in a nod. She took in a deep breath. “One two three four five,” she muttered, and shook out her hands at the wrists with each number.

“Good. Let’s do it again, together.” Gray’s hands were steady on the wheel, never faltering. Watching the pavement of the road disappear under their car.

Edrissa drew in another deep breath. “One two three four five,” she and Gray said together as she shook out her hands, her quavering voice mixing with Gray’s steady one.

“One more time. Deep breath, one two three four five.” This time, Edrissa, Vera, and Gray said it together.

Gray glanced at Edrissa, at how her shoulders hunched just a little more than they had before, at the dullness in her eyes that reminded them so much of… of Vera, when she was under. Their mouth made a hard line.

“S-sorry,” Edrissa murmured. “I j-just…”

“It’s alright, Edrissa,” Gray said evenly, passing the first few houses on the north outskirts of Crayton. “Everyone has moments, and you were just having a moment.”

“Having a moment,” Edrissa said softly. “Just having a moment.” She smiled tightly at Vera, the corners of her mouth twisting in embarrassment.

Gray’s heart ached for Edrissa, for the girl who had just been going on and on about her room and her fabrics not thirty seconds ago and was now trembling, embarrassed, frightened. Vera leaned forward and put her hand palm up on the center console. An invitation, not a demand. Edrissa fit her hand into Vera’s, and Vera squeezed.

“Tell me more about what plants you want.”

Edrissa offered a wider smile. “Um, I like osteospermum,” she said, her eyes shifting down. “And sunflowers. I like the tall kinds of flowers.” She looked up at Vera. “I had to get a book on plants that do okay with the, the climate up here, because down south it was always—” She cut herself off and swallowed hard. “I like the colorful tall kinds of plants. I’d try for a rosebush but I think it’s too hard for this year.”

“Hm.” Vera nodded. “Well, I’d like to try some raspberry and strawberry bushes. And we could build a shade for the garden, in case the sun is too much.”

“Y-yeah,” Edrissa said softly. She sat back slightly in her seat until Gray pulled onto the main street of shops. They eased the car into a spot along the sidewalk. When Gray stopped, Edrissa shook herself slightly and looked up.

Gray put the car in park. “I was thinking you two could get out here,” they said, indicating with their hand the store that had regular deliveries of fabrics. “I should go to the town hall and check in with Daniel Schiester. I understand your check-in was… rushed.”

“And good fucking thing, too,” Vera said quietly, her jaw clenching shut.

Gray dipped their head. “I don’t exactly appreciate the way he’s spoken to you in the past, so I thought I would make this visit alone. Make sure he feels in control of the situation. Stroke his comically over-inflated ego.”

“I swear to god, he’d make a great fucking syndicate leader,” Vera said, rolling her eyes. She opened the door and climbed out, moving stiffly. Edrissa got out, too, and drifted to Vera’s side.

Gray rolled the passenger window down and leaned towards it. “Shouldn’t take longer than twenty minutes. If you move on from here and I don’t catch you, I’ll meet you in the square in an hour, and we can get lunch. Sound like a plan?”

Vera nodded and cocked her eyebrow. “Have fun with DFS,” she said, snidely.

Gray’s brow furrowed. “DFS?”

Vera bent forward and leaned into the car. “Daniel. Fucking. Schiester,” she said, her voice nearly gleeful with contempt.

Gray snorted and leaned back. “Ah. I’ll have to try not to call him that to his face.”

Vera straightened and shrugged. “If you do, get pictures of his reaction.”

Gray laughed and put the car in drive. “See you soon,” they said, and pulled away.

∴

As Gray got closer to the town hall, their hands tightened on the wheel. Something itched in the back of their mind, something about how Daniel looked at Vera with fascination, with humor. As if he was watching a dog performing tricks. Saccharine. Amused.

Something in the back of their mind stirred at how Daniel looked at Gavin.

There was something there, between them. Gray doubted they had ever actually met. Perhaps it was just morbid, spiteful fascination on Daniel’s part, fascination with the syndicates who ruined the lives of the victims he saw every day. Perhaps it was buried rage, resentment that people like Gavin’s family were the reason Crayton had to exist at all.

Perhaps it was something else, though Gray wasn’t sure what.

Gray pulled in front of the town hall and parked the car. They sat quiet in the seat, staring at the front door, already feeling the tension headache starting. They breathed a sigh, turned off the car, and got out.

Inside the atrium it was cool, dark, and empty, just like it almost always was when refugees weren’t being processed. Gray’s hands tightened into fists and they began to climb the stairs to Daniel’s office.

The stairs creaked under Gray’s feet, their footsteps muffled by the dark green carpet. They made their way to the landing and turned in the direction of Daniel’s office. They almost hoped he wasn’t in today. Their hands clenched tighter as they walked down the hallway, almost feeling the urge to tiptoe, to not make any noise.

Gray grimaced. I’m being ridiculous.

They stopped in front of the door to Daniel’s office. They knocked.

“Come in,” came the deep, even voice. Gray’s face fell. They turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Daniel glanced up from his work on his computer, then looked up and pushed himself away from his desk. “Mx. Uriah,” he said, standing, and held out his hand. “Always good to see you.”

Gray’s skin felt cold as they shook Daniel’s hand once.

“Mr. Mayor,” they said stiffly.

“Ah,” Daniel said with a smile. “I suppose if I wanted you to call me by my first name, I should have begun with that courtesy. Forgive me.”

“Old habits, on my end,” Gray said, and forced their mouth into a smile.

“Right.” Daniel sat back into his chair and leaned his elbows on the desk. “What can I help you with?”

Gray had to stop themself from staring at the pictures of refugees on the walls. Those pictures definitely weren’t of every single refugee Daniel had saved, they couldn’t be. There couldn’t have been more than forty or fifty people in those pictures, and Gray knew Crayton could see that many in a busy week. Maybe those refugees held some meaning for Daniel. Gray didn’t want to pry.

If they were perfectly honest with themself, they didn’t want to ask.

“I’m sure at this point that you are aware that my family has returned from the south?” Gray said, meeting Daniel’s eyes.

Daniel grinned. “Ah. Yes. The triumphant heroes return, quite successful, I’m given to understand. Colleen Stormbeck is dead, and the region is destabilized.”

“That’s right,” Gray said. “They were successful, although at great cost to themselves.”

Daniel’s mouth turned down. “You don’t mean that any of them died…?” He turned to rifle through some papers on his desk. “When my people checked them in, all six were—”

“They all came back alive, yes,” Gray said, their heart twinging. Their gaze fell. “But they all came back with some sort of… permanent… mental or physical scarring.”

“Hm.” Daniel leaned back and folded his hands in his lap. “When you say they all came back alive, I’m assuming you’re not including the Stormbeck boy in your count.”

Gray blew out a slow breath. “When he left here, his name was Gavin Uriah.” They raised their gaze to meet Daniel’s, his eyes a cold blue that always seemed to pierce through Gray. “But yes. He is dead.”

Daniel huffed out a silent laugh. “Generous of you to allow him to take your name, considering everything he’s d—”

“I don’t wish to discuss the rehabilitation of Gavin Uriah,” Gray said softly, their cheeks reddening. “I am fully aware of your opinion of him, and of redemption in general. The fact is when he left here, I had become rather fond of him. And I’d like to let his memory remain for me what he was: a broken boy who died trying to set things right.” Gray’s stomach churned.

Daniel was silent for a moment, regarding Gray coolly across his desk. After a long moment he nodded and said, “Just more evidence for the syndicates’ cruelty, then. I’m sorry your family was the target.”

“So am I,” Gray murmured. They glanced around the office and returned their gaze to Daniel. “But they had to check in with your people in the dead of night and move on without proper processing, as one of them was gravely injured. I wanted to make sure nothing was missed, and answer any questions you had.”

“No, nothing was missed,” Daniel said with a winning smile, waving his hand. “I know that your team arrived in no condition to follow protocol, and the people who checked them in are very thorough.”

“Good,” Gray murmured. The hair on the back of their neck tingled. “Did you need anything from me?”

“Actually, I could use your assistance,” Daniel said with a smile. “Due to the instability of the western region, we are already seeing an increase in the frequency and number of refugees, and am very certain that will only continue to increase. Summer is always a busy season for us, but I am anticipating unprecedented numbers. At the moment, I currently don’t have the people to handle this efficiently. Your family is particularly suited to assisting with refugees, given the nature of your work. I was hoping to recruit you in the processing, if you’re able.”

Gray nodded. “Of course. I can’t speak for the others as they are all convalescing, but I would be happy to help. I will pass on the request. I have no doubt they will offer what they can, as soon as they are able to travel. A few of them may be ready now.”

“Whatever you can do will be appreciated,” Daniel said, and stood, offering Gray his hand. Gray took it. “Always a pleasure, Gray. When you and your family are ready we will orient you with our process.”

Gray nodded. “I’ll keep you posted. Until then, stay well, Daniel.”

“Thank you.” Daniel smiled and sat down. He turned back to his work.

Gray turned and left the office, closing the door behind them. They walked down the hall, their steps quickening, their shoulders tightening. They made their way down the stairs and across the atrium. By the time they pushed through the doors out into the sun, they were nearly jogging.

Continued here

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[whump-tr0pes]

Honor Bound 2 - 35

This is a series. Start here, continued from here.

This is a sequel to Honor Bound.

AO3

Cw: mention of repressed memory, slight gaslighting?, threatening behavior, mention of death

Vera closed the car door, slightly dazed. It took her a moment to realize Tori was staring at her. “What?”

“How’d it go?” Tori said, her eyebrows pulled together in concern. She reached out and squeezed Vera’s hand.

“Um…” Vera licked her lips. “That boy’s real fucked up.”

“Hm.” Tori regarded Vera carefully. “What does that mean?”

“I mean…” Vera threw a glance back at Edrissa, already in the back seat. She was leaning forward, holding onto Vera’s every word. “I mean… He’s terrified of me. Like, terrified. Like, nightmares about me every night terrified. And… his parents really fucked him up. I mean… they… I don’t mean his dad made him a sadist, but… he definitely made sure Gavin felt like he had no other choice. I um… hit on something with him, I think. I told him I understood becoming something bad for Joseph Stormbeck. And he, um… ran to his room. He’s sobbing in there right now.”

“Gavin’s a bad person,” Edrissa whispered from the back seat. She wrapped her arms around her middle and squeezed. “He, um, he hurt you.” She looked at Tori. “And you.”

“I know he did,” Tori said softly, her hand going to brush her neck. The bruises were gone now.

“Pain makes you do bad things,” Vera whispered, her gaze far away. There was something there. Something swimming beneath the surface. Forms moving in the dark. A whip. A gun. Blood. Death.

“Babe?” Tori squeezed Vera’s hand. “Are you here?”

“I’m here,” Vera mumbled. Every time she reached for the shadows in her mind they skittered away, pushed back by the light of her focus. “I’m just… trying to remember something.”

“Okay.” Tori’s hand stayed in hers.

“Sorry. Um.” Vera shook herself. “I shouldn’t force it. I know that. We can go. If it comes, it comes.”

“Okay.” Tori pulled her hand back and started the car.

The drive was quiet. The ranch house the team was staying in was far on the outskirts of the town, and that was good. It gave them time to rest. Recuperate.

It gave them space from the people who wanted Gavin dead.

The houses became closer together, the yards smaller, as they entered Crayton proper. Business. Shops. Restaurants. Things that seemed so foreign now. Things Vera never thought she would see again.

Tori pulled up to the town hall and parked. Vera stared out the window, unaware that they had stopped until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped.

“Sorry, babe,” Tori mumbled, and pulled her hand back.

“No no. I’m good. Sorry. It’s just…” Vera shook her head. “There’s something coming up. I’m not sure what. It’s kinda big.”

“We can go back if you need,” Tori said. “We can come another day. It’s okay.”

“No.” Vera reached over and took Tori’s hand. “I want to get out. It gets claustrophobic in that house. And I don’t want to be here on a week day. I don’t want to see that Daniel asshole.”

A look of irritation crossed Tori’s face. “Yeah. If we never see him again, that would be fine.” They all got out of the car.

As they walked up to the front door of the hall, Edrissa drifted to Vera’s side. Vera smiled, her lips curving up only slightly, hoping Edrissa wouldn’t notice. Vera took Tori’s hand as they climbed the steps and walked inside.

The hall was cool inside, quiet. Their steps echoed through the atrium, going up three floors. Vera wasn’t sure what a small town north of the syndicates needed with such a large town hall, but she didn’t really care. She knew where Tori was headed.

Tori walked slightly ahead of Vera and Edrissa, her shoulders tensing with excitement. It made Vera smile to see Tori so happy about new arrivals. Every one, a life saved. Every one, a life preserved. Once the team went south to fight the syndicates again, Tori would be helping people full time again. She’d run a safehouse out of the house the team was staying in now. She would help people heal, recover, before they were sent out to their permanent homes. Vera’s heart swelled with pride.

She pushed down the feeling of sadness that swelled in her, too. Over the past few weeks, Vera had grown comfortable. She loved seeing Tori every day. Loved having her in her arms at night. In her bed, even though she couldn’t bring herself to have sex just yet. Soon she would be back on the road, only seeing Tori during downtime between missions. She missed Tori. She was starting to wonder if maybe staying north wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Tori guided them to the room where the records of the new arrivals were kept. She went straight to the ledger on the small table near the door, the record of every person who passed through Crayton on their way to the places beyond it. Tori turned the page back, her finger brushing over the nine names of the family, placed just a few weeks ago. Vera looked over her shoulder as she browsed. There were only seventeen names on the list after theirs.

“It’s been a slow season.”

The three of them jumped. Edrissa skittered behind Vera, peeking around her as Daniel, his majesty, royal motherfucker himself, stood in the doorway. Vera’s lip curled. He reminds me of Joseph. That’s why I hate him so much.

Tori had a hand pressed to her chest. “Jesus Christ. Scared us.”

“I’m sorry. I should have announced myself sooner.” Daniel smirked, his cold blue eyes moving over the three of them. “People who’ve been victims of the syndicates are often jumpy. I should have remembered you’re affected too, even though you’ve got one as a pet now.”

Vera’s hand itched towards her hip, where her gun would be if she was wearing her holster. “Say pet again,” she said quietly.

Daniel finally took a step back, raising his hands. “Alright. That was in bad taste. I apologize.” He gestured to the ledger. “You checking on new arrivals?”

“I wanted to know how often you get them,” Tori said quietly. “Once I’ve got the safehouse up and running I’ll—”

“That’s right. You were planning on running a safehouse.” Daniel smiled. “We should discuss that before you make any plans.”

Vera glanced at Tori as her eyes narrowed. “Why?” Tori asked, sounding uneasy.

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. “The presence of your… guest… complicates your intentions of running a safehouse. Once the rest of you move on, where does he go? Do you intend to send him further north? I expect that will bring a whole new realm of challenges you have not begun to face here.”

Vera was painfully aware that Daniel still stood in the doorway. She was stepping forward before she’d realized she moved. “Speak like a fucking adult, Daniel, and stop trying to be so damned political. What challenges? Is that a threat? What should we expect further north?”

Daniel leveled a smile at her that made her skin crawl. “Very well. I’ll speak like a fucking adult.” He tipped his head towards the door. “Here, our people are used to a constant flow of strangers that may or may not do them harm. Our job is to weed out the threats from the refugees. And believe me, we get our fair share of threats. Your Stormbeck is not the first syndicate agent we’ve had come through here.”

“He’s not an agent, he—”

“But once you go further north, people are much less… understanding. They are used to their safety up there. They are used to not having to think too hard about the syndicates that keep my people up at night. So if you try to take your boy north…” Daniel shrugged. “I think you’ll find more hostility and less willingness to listen.”

Vera’s hands curled into fists. “Right, like your willingness to listen when we first arrived?”

“Vera…” Tori put a steadying hand on her arm.

“Your boy is alive, isn’t he?” Daniel said softly.

“No thanks to you,” Vera snarled. “We’re the ones that had to stop your fucking mob.”

Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “You show… an astonishing level of protectiveness towards him, considering your past.”

Vera’s throat worked as she swallowed. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Daniel licked his lips. “Vera… why did you kill Joseph Stormbeck?”

Vera’s heart froze in her chest. Her face hardened into a look of abject loathing. She smiled when Daniel took the slightest step back. “So that’s what this is about.”

“Daniel, back off,” Tori snapped.

“No, it’s okay,” Vera said coldly, shrugged off Tori’s hand. “You think Joseph fucking Stormbeck fucked me up so much that I still belong to him in my mind. You think I want Gavin to own me now.”

Daniel’s eyes widened a fraction. He pressed his lips together, pitching his voice low. “No, I—”

“You think this whole fucking thing is just about me being fucked up.”

Daniel’s eyes moved over Vera’s face slowly. Finally, he said, “I hope you can understand my confusion.”

“Oh, I do,” Vera seethed. He’s not Joseph. “I understand. In your head, once someone is broken, they’re broken. That’s it. No fixing it. It’s why you think I’m defending Gavin. It’s why you refuse to believe he’s changed.”

“I told you that you were free to go once I saw that he’d changed,” Daniel said, the first hint of irritation coming through.

“But not without threatening to torture us to death if we were wrong,” Vera growled, taking another step forward.

“What would you do if it was you, Vera?” Daniel snapped. There was something about his tone that cut right to her soul, made something in her quail and shrink back. Rage boiled in her blood, filling her back up. Making her strong again. “I have an entire town to worry about. What would you do for your family?”

“I think we’re done here.” Vera moved to push past Daniel. He stepped smoothly in front of her and blocked their exit. Vera’s hand went to her hip again. She felt an icy stab of dread in her stomach.

“I didn’t want to have this conversation with you like this,” Daniel said gently, rounding out the sharp edges of his voice. “But I saw you all come in and I wanted to see where you stood. I think I have a good idea of it now.”

“And what is that?” Vera snarled, unconsciously pushing Tori and Edrissa behind her. “Where exactly do you think we stand?”

Daniel wet his lips. “I think it would be unwise for you and your family to bring Gavin Stormbeck further north.”

“We can’t exactly send him home,” Vera said, willing herself to be calm. “They’d kill him, and not before making him tell them about everything he’s seen.”

“You really think they’d kill their own?” Daniel cocked an eyebrow.

“You don’t know the family like I do,” Vera said softly. “Yeah, I fucking do think that. We’ve been watching him for the past few weeks. His parents were monsters. What, you thought he just woke up one day and decided torturing people was for him? They… they fucked him up. We’re working to fix him.”

“If you can’t send him north, and you can’t send him south, there is a solution that I would suggest. I could even offer my own services to get it done, if you find the job distasteful.” Daniel shrugged.

Vera’s lip curled. “You said he’d be safe here as long as he stayed with us.”

“I did.” Daniel nodded. “I did say that.” He met Vera’s eyes. “So you’d better keep him with you, wouldn’t you say?”

“What do you think we’ve been doing?” Tori said, stepping out from behind Vera. “We’ve got him going absolutely stir crazy in that house. We’re doing everything we’re supposed to. So what the fuck is this the point of this exercise, other than to piss us off?”

Daniel raised his hands. “It’s my job to stay updated on what goes on in my town,” he said, with good humor. “Your guest poses quite the threat to me and my people. I won’t apologize for continuing to ensure he is being properly handled.”

“You could apologize for being a grade-A prick,” Vera snapped, and pushed past him out of the room.

She didn’t look back until they were out of the building and halfway to the car. Edrissa was practically jogging to keep up with her on her short legs.

“What the fuck was that,” Vera snarled. “What the fuck. Why the fuck would he—”

“That went beyond the safety of his people,” Tori said fiercely. “What a piece of shit.”

“Shouldn’t we be careful of him?” Edrissa said softly, her voice shaking. “He’s, um, in charge and…”

“Fuck him and his fucking power,” Vera said darkly, and stopped short when she saw the look on Edrissa’s face. “Hey, I’m… I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have said it like that to you. I’m sorry.”

Edrissa’s eyes filled with tears. “You’re planning on going south anyway,” she whispered. “But if he says I can’t stay?” She shivered. “I can’t go south. I can’t. Not with this.” She pulled her left sleeve up, revealing the now-healed scar where she had been branded over her old tattoo. “If you, um, make him so mad that he says we can’t stay—”

Vera knelt in front of Edrissa and took her shoulders between her hands. “Hey. No. We are not going to let him do that to you. If he says you can’t stay, we’ll just send you further north. We’ll find a place for you.”

“We won’t let you be taken again, Edrissa,” Tori said, pushing Edrissa’s hair back from her face. “No matter what, we will keep you safe.”

“But you’re, um…” Edrissa cringed forward. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…”

“Please,” Vera said softly. “Please tell us. We’re not going to hurt you for saying it. We aren’t going to leave you.” She ducked and met Edrissa’s eyes. “Okay? Please tell us.”

Edrissa’s gaze flicked between Vera and Tori and she bit her lip. “Um…” She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. “You are, um…” She took a step back. “You’re prioritizing Gavin. He could get us all killed and you’re… you’re doing it for, um. For Gavin.”

Vera opened her mouth, and closed it again, just as quickly. Tori took in a quick breath.

“I’m sorry,” Edrissa whimpered. “I’m sorry, you’ve been, um, good to me,” she whispered. “You’ve been, um, nice…”

“Edrissa,” Vera said quietly. Edrissa stopped talking. “You are our family now, too. Even after we send you north, you’re our family. Gavin is…” Vera swallowed hard. “Gavin is with us, but he’s syndicate. He hurt all of us. So if it comes down to it…” She stood, taking a step back so she wouldn’t tower over Edrissa. “If it comes down to it, you are our priority. If he poses a threat, he will be eliminated. Not you. Okay?”

“B-but you don’t think he poses a threat.” Edrissa’s voice was weak.

Vera blew out a slow breath. “No. I don’t,” she said finally. “I think he could… I think he could be one of us some day, too.” Vera shot a glance at Tori. Her lips were trembling. “Babe? I’m sorry, was that… did I…?”

“No,” Tori said softly. “I’m, um, scared of him. And I don’t think that will ever go away. But watching him, knowing how scared he is of you, seeing how he… he feels… guilt, and pain, and… and he regrets it, I truly believe he does…” Tori shuddered, and Vera wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I know what he’s done. Believe me, I fucking know. But… he’s different. Truly different. And I want to believe he could be… good.”

Edrissa sobbed quietly. Tori and Vera both turned to look at her. “But you… you’ll make sure he…?”

“Believe me,” Vera said, a wry smile pulling at her mouth. “If he steps a toe out of line, he’s got a long, long list of people who will kill him instantly.”

Continued here

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