I have no idea what’s going to happen when we meet with him, no idea how he’ll feel about these new developments. I won’t know until I talk to him, I guess.
After breakfast and coffee, the five of us pile into Sloan’s car once again. Alex is in the front, and he’s actually conscious this time, so that’s a good change.
He looks better this morning, clearer-eyed and actually talking and answering Sloan when he’s asked questions, but it’s clear he’s still in pain, still healing from what the Jackals did to him.
The others introduced us before we left, but I can barely look at him. No one told him I was the one who sold him out and caused him to be tortured the way he was, but either way, I know it. I can’t look him in the eye, so I’m glad to be sitting in the back, squashed between Levi and Rory.
We head for the same bar we went to yesterday, when we had to tell Gavin the truth the first time. It still feels like it might as well have been a month ago for how much has happened since then, and I can feel the nerves sending my heart rate climbing again when we get out of the car and walk inside.
Sloan’s in the lead, and Rory is supporting Alex. I bring up the rear, already unsure of how this is going to go.
The little office in the back of the bar is guarded by two bored looking Black Rose guys, who nod at Sloan when he walks up. They look at me curiously, and I have to wonder if they know who I am or why I’m here. How much has Gavin told the rest of the gang about what happened yesterday?
They look happy to see Alex is back at least, and we walk into the office without any trouble.
Gavin’s in the same spot, behind that desk looking important. He glances up immediately when we come in, and when he sees Alex, limping alongside Rory, he leans back in his chair.
A flicker of something passes over his face, but it’s gone before I can figure out what it is. Disappointment, maybe? He wanted Alex back, but I know he didn’t want me to survive the rescue. If getting rid of me meant not getting his accountant back, he probably would have been fine with that trade.
There’s still anger there, so I know he’s still pissed as fuck about this whole mess, and his eyes are cold as he looks us over.
“Well,” he says. “I guess I have to commend you for getting the job done.”
He looks at Sloan when he talks, even though it was supposed to be my task, but I’m all right with that. Having the full attention of the leader of the Black Roses probably isn’t a good thing.
“Now we can protect him, and keep him safe,” he adds.
It’s something, for sure. We didn’t manage to get most of the money back, so the Black Roses still have to count that as a loss, and it’s still a strike against me. There are still plenty of reasons for Gavin to hate me and what I did.
Ignoring me, he looks to Alex, who is standing up mostly on his own now that we aren’t moving any more, and clearly trying to look more alert and present for Gavin.
“We’ll put you in a new safe house,” Gavin says. “And assign you a guard. We can’t be sure if the Jackals will chalk up losing you as a loss or try to get you back, so we’ll need to be careful here.”
Alex nods, and I know he’s eager to make sure he never has to deal with the Jackals’ “hospitality” again.
“A lot of money was lost in this shit show,” Gavin continues. “So we’ll need you to liquidate some of our assets to make up for the cash we didn’t get back.”
“Of course,” Alex replies, nodding. “I’ll get right to work.”
The other two Black Rose members who were standing watch outside come in and they take Alex away, helping him down the hall before the door shuts again.
Once they’re gone, Gavin finally turns his attention to me. Those icy eyes slide over my face and body, but it’s definitely not in the same way Rory or even Sloan do it. This isn’t him checking me out, it’s him judging me, and I fight the urge to shrink back and hide behind one of the guys.
Anger still glitters in his eyes, and I wonder if he’s going to follow through on the agreement he told Sloan, or if he’ll try to kill me anyway. It’s obvious he’s not really satisfied with me bringing Alex back, since he never expected me to be able to do it in the first place.
And if he did try to kill me, what would the guys do? The Black Roses have these men’s loyalty, but I feel like I do too, to a certain extent. Or at least I did before they found out I was lying to them. Where do we stand now? Is everything ruined to the point that they’d let Gavin kill me?
I’m not even sure I want to know the answer to that.
Gavin watches me for a few seconds that seem to stretch on forever, and then he lifts his chin and smiles a little. It doesn’t reach his eyes, and there’s nothing warm in it, but it puts me a bit more at ease. He doesn’t attack me or reach for a gun or anything, so that’s something.
“I have to admit I’m impressed,” he says, and I blink in surprise. “You’re obviously cunning as fuck, and while I know you had help—” He doesn’t look at Sloan, but the dig there is obvious. “—you were tough enough to not get killed bringing our accountant back. That’s nothing to sneeze at.”
He looks at me for another few seconds, and I make myself stand perfectly still and meet his hard gaze. He’s right. I might have had help doing what he told me to do, but it still got done. Both Alex and I made it out in one piece, so there’s not that much he can complain about.
I have no idea what happens next, but I feel like it won’t be as simple as him just letting me go back to my life. That doesn’t seem like how these gangs operate. I know too much, I’ve seen and done too much for him to just have me out there, not being watched or something.
“Consider this ordeal your initiation,” he says finally, folding his hands on top of the desk. “You’re now an official member of the Black Roses. Congratulations.”
I stand frozen in place, stunned for a second. Of all the things Gavin could have done, making me a member of his gang was just about the last thing I expected. It makes sense, though, when I think about it.
He’s only doing it to secure my loyalty and to control me. I can’t rail against the gang if I’m a member of it, and it makes him my leader now, so I have to do what he says. It’s the perfect way to keep me in check and make sure I don’t do anything to fuck with his gang the way I did before.
I can’t tell how the guys feel about it either. They’re all blank-faced, not showing any emotion, and I don’t have anything to go off of.
There’s no way I can refuse to join, and I didn’t miss the almost-challenge in Gavin’s voice when he said ‘congratulations’, like he’s almost daring me to throw this “olive branch” back in his face. I’m not that stupid or suicidal, so I just force a smile instead.
“It’s an honor,” I tell him. “Thank you.”
He nods, and we’re both being fake as hell, but it’s better than him trying to kill me, so I’ll take it.
“I know you’ll make me proud. You can go,” he says, flicking a hand at the door in a clear dismissal. “All of you.”
Sloan takes the lead once more, and we head out of the office and back into the bar proper. During the time we were back in Gavin’s office, the place has filled up with other members of the Black Roses, and I start to notice that some of them are shooting me dirty looks as we pass.