Abel (Sabine Valley 1)

Of course she would realize he didn’t do it for free. “A boon of his choosing.”

Harlow flinches. “Okay.” She faces the front door to the Phan place. It’s made of glass and has their name on it in stylish gold print. “I’ll take care of this.”

“Harlow, if he—”

“Eli will be fine,” she says firmly, the faintest tremor in her voice. “Cam is the best fucking surgeon in this city. She will save him. I’ll do the rest.”

Before I can ask her what the fuck she’s talking about, she steps through the door, leaving me to follow in her footsteps. I could haul her back onto the street and demand the details of whatever is going on in her head, but the truth is that I trust her to be thinking clearly while my head is all fucked up with worry over Eli. No matter what Harlow’s feeling, she’s more than proven she can still function under pressure. I trust her, full stop.

So I keep my mouth shut and follow her into the building. It’s nearly identical to how they had things set up when my father still ruled this faction. Soothing green walls, a fountain in the corner that’s a piece of art on its own, and a seating area filled with tasteful brown furniture.

Behind the receptionist’s desk is Cam’s mother, Tien. She’s a short woman with a rounded figure, a sweet disposition, and a penchant for baking desserts. If rumor is accurate, sometimes those desserts are poisoned. She glances up as we approach and leans over to look at the floor. “You’re tracking blood into our place of business.”

Harlow seems to morph before my very eyes. Gone is the fear and worry, replaced by cold calm. She gives a sharp smile. “It hasn’t been the first time and won’t be the last.”

Tien sighs. “I suppose you’re here to cause further trouble.”

“Hardly. We’d like an update on Eli.” She pauses. “And I would like a word with your father.”

“He’s busy.”

“No, he’s not.” She sounds so damn cold. Dangerous. That’s my girl. “Now, Tien.”

Tien’s gaze flicks to me. “This woman speaks for you?”

I slide my hands into my pockets to mask their shaking. When I speak, I almost sound normal. “She’s my Bride and my partner. She does.”

Finally, Tien shrugs. “Come along. I can’t have you sitting out here and smearing blood all over the place.”

We follow her into the back and through a series of hallways. She finally leads us into a waiting room that’s damn near identical to the first, right down to the fancy fountain. “Please wait here.”

It takes fewer than five minutes before Chinh appears. He’s as unflappable as ever, as if his sons didn’t cart him away from the violence the way parents would haul a child. He smiles at Harlow. I’ve seen that same smile a thousand times in the past. It’s warm and cheerful and as much a lie as anything else in Sabine Valley is. “Hello, dear.”

“Hello.” Her smile is tight and comes nowhere near thawing her eyes. “How is Eli?”

“My Cam will take perfect care of him. From what I hear, she’s removed the bullet and is patching him up as we speak.”

I want to breathe a sigh of relief, but his words just make Harlow tenser. Her hands fist at her side before she seems to make a conscious effort to relax them. “We will honor the bargain…as long as he survives.”

Chinh tsks. “The bargain was struck, the terms set.”

“Chinh, that bargain was a shit one, and you know it. If Abel had been thinking clearly, he would have included the caveat of Eli surviving.” She leans forward, not quite close enough to get in the old man’s face, but close. “You’re a savvy man, and a savvy man might instruct his granddaughter to ensure Eli doesn’t make it through. Looking at it from your perspective, your life would be simpler if he didn’t. Civil war isn’t good for business, whether it’s within an individual faction or between one faction and another.”

Chinh folds his hands in front of him, dark eyes shrewd. “I am a businessman.”

“Yes, you are.” She motions at me without looking away from him. “Eli is valued to both of us. If he dies by your granddaughter’s hand, we will dig out every last root of the Phan family tree and burn it to ash and then salt the ground. Your legacy will vanish overnight.”

I tense, but Chinh smiles. “I’m delighted to see that you’ve finally found your feet, dear.” He transfers that smile to me. “And that you recognize a valuable asset when you see it.”

“What she promised stands,” I say roughly.

“That’s all well and good, but I told the truth when I said Eli is doing well enough. You should be able to see him soon.” He turns and walks out of the room.