Exquisite

Faith

~Neith~

"I mean, I trust you with my life," Cassien said cautiously in what he had called to be a 'family meeting'. It had made my heart go pitter patter even though it was a passing reference: A family meeting. With me in it.

"But how can we trust FBI? They've been looking for evidence against us for years. If they find it - which they'll obvious do because this friend of yours will be working with us -" He trailed off. "It sounds very shady, that's all I'm saying."

I tilted my head a little. "But you're not saying no."

He frowned. "Of course I'm not; you're smarter than all three of us put together. I know you've thought it through properly, that's not that part I'm worried about."

That caught me off guard. "What?"

He unbuttoned his suit, leaning back in his chair and grimacing a little as he popped a piece of nicotine gum in his mouth. "Come on, Red. I'm not an MIT product but I'm also not stupid enough to doubt a plan you're making."

"My cause of concern - and this meeting - is what you're planning to give up for this to work." He leaned forward, his eyes steely. "I'm not letting you do something drastic just to make sure we're safe."

I tried to keep a poker face but I wasn't sure it was successful because I felt Damen stiffen.

"What does he mean?" He said sharply, his head whipping to me. "Neith, what is he saying?"

"It'll be very naïve to think that Shotgun will help us just because he knows Neith. Even if he wants to, he can't. All FBI agents are screened very carefully before admission into the force and they'll know about his connection with Jordan." Cassien explained.

"Neith has a plan, and I want to know what she's planning to sacrifice for our safety." Cassien looked at me in the eye. "I'm not letting her do anything that hurts her for this."

I knew this would eventually happen, but I hadn't expected Cassien to catch up on it instantly. "We can't be sure, Cass. He grew up with me;  there's a possibility that he might just -"

"Don't give me this bullshit." He cut in smoothly.

"Red, I know you. I know how you think, how you keep a Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D in reserve no matter how sure you are of Plan A working out." He exhaled, leaning back in his chair. 

"I know about your grocery store trip." 

No.

It was impossible. 

He couldn't. 

"I - I don't know what you're talking about." The lie sounded pathetic to my own ears as my heart thudded almost painfully against my ribs and I pressed my fingers into my chest to lessen the building ache. "Cass, he - he doesn't need to know." 

"What do I not need to know?"

I didn't want to turn and look at Damen, didn't want to see the hurt written clear on his face. I closed my eyes, curling into myself. "You don't need to listen to -"

"I trust you, Neith." His fingers were cold but gentle around my wrists as I felt him kneel in front of me. "Don't make me change that." His eyes were like molten gold and I felt the back of my throat burn. "Please." 

Screwing my eyes shut, I nodded imperceptibly at Cassien. 

"She wasn't craving candy that day, D."

Cassien's voice was low, almost angry.

"The day she asked you to take her to the grocery store. It was Valdez who eventually dug it out." He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a small, transparent ziplock bag with a very familiar white tablet in it. 

My heart lurched to a stop. "Their gang has a code: In every 24x7 store in the city, they've hidden cyanide tablets under the candy shelves." I could imagine the clench of his jaw, the vein on his forehead throbbing into life. 

"For a quick and clean end in case they're ever captured by enemies." 

Damen's hands loosened from around my wrist, the loss unbearable. 

"You were going to kill yourself." It was the complete loss of emotion in his voice that cut through me like a knife, the pain radiating into every cell of my body.

"Don't blame her, D." Cassien exhaled, his head falling back. "You of all people should understand how fucking inhuman people can be in our business.

"She grew up in this darkness. How can we be mad at her for adapting to it?" 

"Come to the point." I said tightly, trying not to let my voice shake. "Why bring this up now, out of nowhere?"

"You were ready to die rather than calling upon the man you grew up with for help!" He slammed his hands on the table, shooting to his feet.

"So I'm not going to believe any crap about how he might agree to help us out without any kind of backlash, okay?"

I watched him take a deep breath, the embers of anger in his eyes dying out slowly as they always do.

Pressing the bridge of his nose, he sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you."

Walking over to where I was, he pulled a chair and sat down close to me. "I know you've grown up alone and fought the world all on your own."

He took my hand. "But you have to let us in because we can help you. We want to. You're family and we never leave family on their own, you hear me?"

I nodded wordlessly, a tear dropping from my chin on his hand and I hastily wiped my face. "I have a plan." I hiccuped, trying to catch my breath. "But you'll have to trust me on it."

He frowned, discontent. "Please, just trust me. I  can't tell you what it is yet but I promise nothing will happen to me."

Smiling a little, I nudged him. "I have a lifetime Everett membership, are you kidding me? I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." I could see the trepidation on his face but he finally sighed, nodding his head.

Faith. It was all I had ever wanted from Father, from Shotgun, from all those who felt I wasn't good enough. Faith in me to do what I knew what right.

Leaning forward, I pulled him in for a tight embrace. "Did I ever tell you that you're my favourite boss? By the largest margin possible, anyday."

He chuckled and ran his thumb over my forehead. "Sure, Little Red."

His eyes flitted over to Damen as he gave me a meaningful look. "Now I have to work so get out of my office, both of you. Scram." He announced.

Without a word, my boyfriend of less than one day got up and walked out, his back tense and hands clenched into tight fists. "Damen -" I called out but got a slammed door in response.

Okay then.

"Give him some time." Cassien said without looking up from his papers. "That's how he processes things. An hour alone and he'll come to you himself with a shit load of questions." 

I sighed.

This wasn't going to be easy.

...

A/N: 400+ reads in one night are you kidding me O.o

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The next chapter is ready and will be up when we hit 1K reads; here's to all you gorgeous souls who have made my day :')