the President patch reminded me who he was, though, and I smiled and looked down, unsure how to address him.
“Duke, meet Grace. I haven’t had a shower because I didn’t want to leave her alone with Bash again. I’ll let the two of you get to know each other while I clean up.”
Duke motioned towards the sofa and said, “Have a seat, Grace.”
I didn’t argue when he zip-tied my ankles together, but I was glad he sat in a chair across from me, and not beside me. Bash was sprawled out on the sofa, but I ignored him.
“Brain tells me we’ve reached an agreement?”
I nodded, and he said, “This’ll go faster if you use your words, Grace.”
I didn’t know what to say, but didn’t want to piss him off, so I said, “Okay, Mr. Duke.” I looked at Bash, then to Duke. “Does he have to be here?”
“Did he hurt you?”
I nodded. “My shoulders and jaw still hurt, from the way he tied me and left me, but that isn’t why…” I threw the blanket over my lap and pulled my legs to my chest, keeping them inside of Brain’s shirt, and pulled it down so I wouldn’t flash them if the blanket came off. I wrapped my arms around my legs over the top of the blanket, so Duke could see my hands, and I felt a little better, as if I were hiding from him at least a little. “I just don’t want him around.”
“Brain’s let me know a little of your history, and you and I both know what he did wasn’t completely out of line since you’d already made an escape attempt, and were so hard to catch in the first place. He’s here for now, at least, but he won’t lay a hand on you unless I tell him to.” He motioned towards Brain’s laptop on the coffee table. “Brain tells me the two of you worked on what you’ll want the plastic surgeon to do. Show me what ya’ll came up with.”
Brain had kept me from seeing his password, though I had a feeling Duke would know it and be able to get me in. I didn’t want to break Brain’s trust, but I also didn’t want to piss Duke off. I hedged my bets, and told him, “I know you’re in charge, but Brain doesn’t want me on electronics, and I don’t want to do anything to… can you maybe double-check with him, make sure he’s good with it, before I show you?”
He looked at me a few seconds before saying, “We’ll wait until he’s out of the shower and check with him. Tell me what you know about the Disciples.”
I told him what I’d told Brain, and when I finished, he said, “And you have more information you’re going to dole out slowly? One piece of information a week?”
I nodded, and he looked at me a handful of heartbeats before asking, “Will you give me your word nothing you’re holding back will put my men in danger?”
“Without a crystal ball, I’m afraid I can’t do that, Mr. Duke. I can tell you it’s information you’re going to want, and I don’t think any of it is material you need to stay safe in the immediate future, but… I have no way of knowing for sure. I think you can understand why I want insurance, though.”
Bash looked cocky as he adjusted himself on the sofa, and Duke’s gaze met his before coming back to mine. “I’m gonna need all the information you have on them in three days. You’ll need to come up with another form of insurance.”
Brain told me he’d go to Duke with my deal, and apparently Duke wasn’t approving it.
He’d also told me he’d made it to second in command with strategy. Duke had to be smart, or Brain wouldn’t respect him. Plus, he’d made it to president, and he ran a successful, profitable , MC. I instinctively knew trying to manage him would be a bad idea, but if I could get Bash to stop manipulating the situation against me, I thought I’d be okay. Meanwhile, Duke needed an answer, so I told him, “I understand. Thanks for giving me a few days.”
He nodded and changed the conversation. “Brain tells me you intend to live off the money you’ve already accumulated until you figure
“Duke, meet Grace. I haven’t had a shower because I didn’t want to leave her alone with Bash again. I’ll let the two of you get to know each other while I clean up.”
Duke motioned towards the sofa and said, “Have a seat, Grace.”
I didn’t argue when he zip-tied my ankles together, but I was glad he sat in a chair across from me, and not beside me. Bash was sprawled out on the sofa, but I ignored him.
“Brain tells me we’ve reached an agreement?”
I nodded, and he said, “This’ll go faster if you use your words, Grace.”
I didn’t know what to say, but didn’t want to piss him off, so I said, “Okay, Mr. Duke.” I looked at Bash, then to Duke. “Does he have to be here?”
“Did he hurt you?”
I nodded. “My shoulders and jaw still hurt, from the way he tied me and left me, but that isn’t why…” I threw the blanket over my lap and pulled my legs to my chest, keeping them inside of Brain’s shirt, and pulled it down so I wouldn’t flash them if the blanket came off. I wrapped my arms around my legs over the top of the blanket, so Duke could see my hands, and I felt a little better, as if I were hiding from him at least a little. “I just don’t want him around.”
“Brain’s let me know a little of your history, and you and I both know what he did wasn’t completely out of line since you’d already made an escape attempt, and were so hard to catch in the first place. He’s here for now, at least, but he won’t lay a hand on you unless I tell him to.” He motioned towards Brain’s laptop on the coffee table. “Brain tells me the two of you worked on what you’ll want the plastic surgeon to do. Show me what ya’ll came up with.”
Brain had kept me from seeing his password, though I had a feeling Duke would know it and be able to get me in. I didn’t want to break Brain’s trust, but I also didn’t want to piss Duke off. I hedged my bets, and told him, “I know you’re in charge, but Brain doesn’t want me on electronics, and I don’t want to do anything to… can you maybe double-check with him, make sure he’s good with it, before I show you?”
He looked at me a few seconds before saying, “We’ll wait until he’s out of the shower and check with him. Tell me what you know about the Disciples.”
I told him what I’d told Brain, and when I finished, he said, “And you have more information you’re going to dole out slowly? One piece of information a week?”
I nodded, and he looked at me a handful of heartbeats before asking, “Will you give me your word nothing you’re holding back will put my men in danger?”
“Without a crystal ball, I’m afraid I can’t do that, Mr. Duke. I can tell you it’s information you’re going to want, and I don’t think any of it is material you need to stay safe in the immediate future, but… I have no way of knowing for sure. I think you can understand why I want insurance, though.”
Bash looked cocky as he adjusted himself on the sofa, and Duke’s gaze met his before coming back to mine. “I’m gonna need all the information you have on them in three days. You’ll need to come up with another form of insurance.”
Brain told me he’d go to Duke with my deal, and apparently Duke wasn’t approving it.
He’d also told me he’d made it to second in command with strategy. Duke had to be smart, or Brain wouldn’t respect him. Plus, he’d made it to president, and he ran a successful, profitable , MC. I instinctively knew trying to manage him would be a bad idea, but if I could get Bash to stop manipulating the situation against me, I thought I’d be okay. Meanwhile, Duke needed an answer, so I told him, “I understand. Thanks for giving me a few days.”
He nodded and changed the conversation. “Brain tells me you intend to live off the money you’ve already accumulated until you figure
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