Shadow Fire (Shadow Riders 7)

Brielle shook her head. “I didn’t feel there was a need to. The family in Spain agreed to train me and I finished my training with no incident. The council approved me as a shadow rider.” There was a hint of pride in her tone.

“You didn’t answer the question,” Elie stated. “Do you get sick traveling in the shadows?”

Brielle hesitated and Elie wanted to shake her. Riders died in the shadow tubes. Even experienced riders could have problems.

“Yes, but I can handle it. I don’t want my husband to be ashamed of me because he thinks the mother of his children can’t carry out assignments the way other riders can. I’m more than capable. I’ve learned how to manage being ill. I just am careful that I don’t take the chance of compromising any other rider.”

Elie couldn’t sit there calmly. He was out of the chair, shoving it back and pacing across the office so he didn’t grab her and shake some sense into her. “Do you even hear yourself? You know it’s dangerous or you wouldn’t be worried about protecting another rider, Brielle. Do you have any idea how many riders we’ve lost to the tubes, even riders who weren’t sick or disoriented because they were sick? I’ve brought out four shadow riders myself, Brielle. It took me hours to find their bodies. I had to carry them back to their families.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared out the window at the city below, trying not to think of those riders, all relatively experienced. The thought of Brielle going in sick . . . He shook his head. “If your husband doesn’t respect you whether you go into the shadows or not, you shouldn’t be married to him. And you damn well shouldn’t be going into the shadows no matter how good of a rider you are, if you get sick.”

Stefano leaned his elbows onto the desk and placed his chin onto his hands, looking closely at Brielle. “Unfortunately, I’m in complete agreement with Elie. I’m unwilling to take a chance with your life. It’s unsafe for you to do anything but travel in the shadows and that’s accompanied by an experienced rider, not taking a job as an assassin, Brielle.”

Her stubborn chin went up and Elie knew he was going to bite that chin sometime soon when he had her all to himself. She stirred up things in him that might be dark, but they weren’t ugly. If anything, she managed to bring his darker practices veering away from where he’d thought he needed to go with a woman he wouldn’t be attracted to the way he was to Brielle.

“I trained very hard,” she disagreed.

“I can see that by these reports,” Stefano said, holding up the thick papers. “You have amazing stats, but I’m not willing to risk your life, Brielle. Every shadow rider is important, whether they can work as assassins or in another capacity. You carry the genetics we desperately need.”

Elie’s breath hissed out between his teeth. “I don’t see her as a brood mare, Stefano. That’s how the council sees her. That’s how the Archambaults see her.”

“I’m stating a fact, Elie. We’re all aware we don’t like that we live under rules or that we need to have children. You agreed to an arranged marriage to produce children. Twice now, in fact. After losing you, the Archambaults did take a hard look at their practices of raising their riders, and they are revising some of those practices. It’s too late for you, but you’re the catalyst for what hopefully will ensure better family relationships for future generations.”

Elie hoped it was true, because as it was, he hadn’t had any family relationships.

“It’s been a difficult time for all of us, trying to figure out how to train the next generation, keep them safe, and yet provide a loving family for them,” Stefano admitted. “I’ve struggled with balancing the needs of the rider community since Francesca and I had our first child. I know he has to be trained and yet I don’t want his life to be one of just duty.” He studied Brielle’s averted face. “I can’t in good conscience allow you to take your place on the roster when I know riding the shadows can make you sick, Brielle.”

“It doesn’t happen every single time,” she countered. “Maybe you could send someone out with me to monitor me a few times.”

“Because you know you’re good at hiding that shit when you need to.” Elie once again took the chair beside her. “You had to have been in order to make it through training. How often do you get sick?”

She scowled at him, her eyes deepening in color so the green blazed into a deep emerald. He resisted the urge to wrap his palm around the nape of her neck and drag her close to him so he could take her mouth and see if the heat in her eyes transferred to the scorching-hot flames that had caught fire when he’d kissed her in the chapel.

Brielle glanced at Stefano to see if he was going to allow the question to stand. He remained silent—waiting. “Every damn time and I handle it.”

Elie couldn’t help himself. He framed her face with his very large hands, forcing her to look at him, as he leaned his head down so his forehead nearly touched hers. His eyes blazed with a warning deliberately. “I don’t give a damn if you handle it, Brielle. You will not be going into the shadows and risking your life needlessly. Do you understand? I forbid it. You can be as fucking angry at me as you want to be, but you aren’t risking your life.”

Brielle snapped her head back and he released her. She glared at Stefano. “Do you see what I would have to put up with? He thinks he can tell me what to do and I’ll just do it.” She switched her glare to Elie. “That is not happening.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Really? Shall I bring out the papers you so meticulously filled out? So honestly? I had them printed out and laminated just so there wouldn’t be any confusion. I was honest and I trust that you were. You knew exactly what you were getting when you agreed to marry me.”

“That was before I knew it was you.”

Stefano burst out laughing. “I think we’re done here. The rest, you two are going to have to figure out on your own. It’s very clear to me, Brielle, that your parents and sister lied to you about your sister’s abilities in the shadows. She isn’t a better rider. Whatever her motives for lying about Elie, she certainly was never with him. The Archambaults investigated your family thoroughly before they ever approached your father and you about a possible marriage between you and Elie. They would have known had Elie ever been with Fayette.”

Stefano pushed the report toward Brielle. “We also conducted our own investigation into you and your family when we found out who Elie was going to marry. We would have shut it down if we didn’t think you were a good match for him.”

“You didn’t tell me you were investigating my future wife,” Elie said. He wasn’t certain he knew how to feel about that.

“I protect famiglia, Elie, and you are that to me. My investigators are very thorough. Elie and Fayette were never together in or out of the clubs, Brielle. Fayette lied to you. You have nothing on which to base your objections to this marriage and I cannot release you from your given word. I am ultimately responsible for the shadow riders in Chicago and I can’t take a chance on risking your life knowing the tubes make you ill. You can read the combined reports of both the Archambault and the Ferraro investigations at your leisure.”

“But . . .” Brielle’s voice trailed off and she glanced up at Elie’s face.

He stood up, wearing his stone expression when he wanted to grin at Stefano. This was a solemn occasion and he couldn’t look smug, even if he felt it. Brielle had been dealt a few blows. Still, there was a part of him that felt she was prepared for those blows, that it didn’t surprise her to learn that Fayette had lied about Elie.

Stefano stood as well. Brielle continued to sit. For the first time, instead of looking defiant, she looked frightened. Elie held out his hand to her. She pressed her lips together.

“The house is outside the city, on the lake, Brielle,” Elie said. “It takes a bit of time to get there. Thank you, Stefano, for sorting this matter out for us. I appreciate you taking the time.”