Page 138 of Body and Soul

Valentine leaned back against the counter, his arms crossing over his chest once more. “Insurance,” he said simply. “To ensure your boyfriend's cooperation.”

Shepherd casually flipped the folder closed. “Let me guess. If I don’t comply with Algerone’s demands to surrender Xion, you pull the trigger on this intel, handing it over to your superiors at the FBI.”

Valentine's lips twitched in a humorless smile. “Got it in one. Algerone wants to make sure he has your full attention and compliance. And I'm just the errand boy tasked with delivering the message.”

Shepherd was silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable as he stared down at the closed folder. I could practically see the gears turning in his head, calculating, strategizing.

Finally, he looked up, his dark eyes locking with Valentine's. “Tell Algerone I'll consider his... request. But I don't respond well to blackmail or strong-arm tactics. If he wants my cooperation, this isn't the way to get it.”

Valentine shrugged. “I'm just the messenger and I’m here to tell you that you have two days. That’s it. You want to fight about it, take it up with the man himself.”

“Oh, I intend to,” Shepherd said coldly. “Now, if that's all, I trust you can see yourself out the way you came in.”

Valentine straightened with a grunt, his hand going to his injured knee. He gathered up the file and limped heavily towards the door, pausing as he reached for the handle. He glanced back over his shoulder, his gaze finding mine. “Watch your back, kid. You're playing with fire, getting mixed up with this lot. Sooner or later, you're gonna get burned.”

With that parting warning, he yanked open the door and limped out, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

I stared at the closed door for a long moment, Valentine's parting words ringing in my ears. My stomach churned, a sickening mix of fear and confusion and anger.

I turned to Shepherd, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “What the hell was that about?” I demanded, my voice shaking slightly. “What's going on, Shepherd?”

Shepherd sighed heavily, running a hand over his face. He looked tired, the lines around his eyes and mouth more pronounced than usual. “It's complicated, Eli.”

“Then un-complicate it for me,” I snapped. “Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you've been keeping some pretty big secrets. Secrets that could get us all killed or thrown in prison.”

Shepherd was silent for a long moment, his dark eyes searching my face. I met his gaze unflinchingly, refusing to back down. Finally, he sighed again and gestured towards the living room. “Let's sit down. This might take a while.”

I told Eli everything,all the sordid little details, the lies, the cover-ups, the negotiations. Everything. He deserved to know.

I watched Eli's face as I spoke, searching for any flicker of emotion, any hint of judgment or condemnation. But his expression remained impassive, his pale blue eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that made my breath catch in my throat.

When I finished, silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. I fought the urge to fill it with more words, more explanations, more justifications. Instead, I forced myself to wait, to give him time to process everything I had just revealed.

“I thought all of this was behind us after that night at the mansion. Why didn't you tell me sooner?” he asked finally, his voice quiet but edged with something sharp.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I thought I could handle it on my own. I didn't want to drag you further into my mess. Algerone has a lot of reach. He could do a lot of damage.”

“And Xion? What about him? Were you just going to hand over your own brother to that psychopath?” Anger flashed in Eli's eyes now, bright and searing.

“Of course not!” I snapped. “I would never... I could never do that to Xion. But Dani... I can't leave her there, at his mercy. I have to get her out, no matter the cost.”

Eli shook his head, disgust twisting his features. “This can't be the only option.”

“You think I haven't tried to find another way?” I demanded, my own temper flaring. “You think I want to be indebted to Algerone fucking Caisse-Etremont? My back is to the wall, especially now that Dani is in Malaysia. Algerone and his people may be the only way to get to her.”

“Does the rest of your family know?” Eli asked.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “No.”

Eli's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. “Jesus Christ, Shepherd. How could you keep something like this from them?”

I averted my gaze, shame coiling in my gut like a venomous serpent. “They wouldn't understand. They'd try to stop me, or worse, insist on getting involved. I can't risk that. I have to handle this on my own.”

“They deserve to know,” Eli insisted, his voice rising with each word. “They're your family, for fuck's sake. You can't just make these kinds of decisions without them.”

“Don't you think I know that? Don't you think it's eating me up inside, keeping this from them? But I have to protect them, Eli. That's my job. That's what I've always done. Xander and Xavier get to live a normal life… Well, normal for them. But the point remains. They got to be teenagers, go to school, have friends. They get a good, easy life because I absorb all of this for them.”

Eli fell silent, his gaze searching my face. I could see the conflict warring within him, the desire to understand battling with the instinct to protect. After a long moment, he sighed, hisshoulders slumping. “This... this is too much for you to handle alone. You need your family. You need me.”

---