10
Dante
Ilook up as Seven enters the office and slams his hands down on my desk to lean over it.
“Yes?”
“Luci kicked me out.”
“Obviously, and you’re fine leaving him alone with the girl?”
“Would I be here talking to you if I wasn’t?” Seven scoffs, pushing away from desk to drop down in an armchair as he props his feet up on my desk.
I grit my teeth at the sight, but say nothing as I turn my attention back to the book I was reading before Seven interrupted me.
“So?”
“So? Dante, it’s worse than we thought. I told you he was the one you had to keep an eye on. Something’s definitely not right.”
“And I am.”
“The hell you are,” Seven growls. “He was gone all night and arrived late this morning.”
“And I spent that time checking through his things.”
“And?”
“And I found nothing,” I say with an exasperated sigh, glancing back up at Seven. “There’s no sign that he’s using again.”
“I highly doubt he’s keeping his stash here. I wouldn’t keep it in this godforsaken place either if it was me.”
I watch him for a moment before shaking my head.
“That’s where I think you’re wrong. If he really is back to using, I’d expect him to keep things here. Where he can be close to her.”
“He just needs to get over it already.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“I never said it was easy, only that he needs to do it.”
“And he will,” I say, setting my book aside as I rise from my chair.
“Yeah? When do expect that that be?”
“Hopefully soon, if we can deal with my father once and for all.”
“And if we can’t?”
“Is it really necessary for me to spell it out to you?”
“Yes. I want to hear it from you.”
“Then Evi dies, and it’s unlikely we’ll be able to stop ourselves from going feral.”
“Exactly why I think this is the stupidest idea you’ve ever had,” Seven says. “I don’t know why Luci is going along with it, but I think that’s just more proof that he must be using. He’s far too docile. Too jaded. Especially the last few days.”
“He did give Evi one of Anna’s nightgowns.”