Page 76 of Honorable Convictions
“I know shit wasn’t easy for you around here, and I’m glad you’re back. I was curious about how your talk went with Brooks. I don’t want you to feel like you’d be betraying his confidence or whatever. We’re good friends, but I wanted to know your perspective on it. I think it’s really important that we work as a team, and for that we need harmony.”
“I believe things went very well,” Pierson replied and tried not to think about the quick make-out session that had happened in lieu of the deep conversation everyone believed they required to move forward. “He seemed as ready as I was to start fresh, and we realize although we’ve been rivals since our resurrections, there’s no reason competition between us can’t be friendly.”
“Did it start when you met?”
“Yes, it did. We both wanted to be the best, and we ignored the instructions we received that emphasized helping each other to improve. I think we both wanted to prove to ourselves and everyone else that we didn’t need cooperation of any sort to reach the top.”
“Must’ve really burned his ass that you got headquarters after graduation. I think that’s kind of the problem around here. You’re the guy who’ll always have the most awards and sprinted to the pinnacle from the start.”
“I can’t speak for him or the way it made him feel,” Pierson responded, though it had rubbed Mitchell the wrong way, especially since they could’ve been together if he hadn’t accused his mate of using him. “But it was only recently that I understood how my performance has affected the people around me. I wanted to be good at my job, and I was resurrected with certain skills that aren’t shared with my peers. I never anticipated that my drive would push people away.”
“That’s kind of their problem, Pierson. We’re taught that at the heart it’s about a cohesive group of incorruptible warriors whose sole purpose is to protect and defend the Council. We can’t do that if we’re pissed that someone’s better than us. That’s not how maturity works.”
“I wish everyone had our outlook.”
“I’ve been friends with Mitchell for a long time, but I hope that doesn’t preclude me from being one of yours too.”
“I welcome your friendship, and I’m done locking horns with Brooks.”
“Awesome, enjoy your plant,” Peter said, springing to his feet. “And decorate this office. Make it feel like your home. It’ll help you relax as you work. I know it does for me.”
“I plan on doing that, thank you.”
“Oh, did you want to grab lunch with us? Or is it too soon to be that chummy with Mitchell?”
“I would’ve loved to accept your invitation, but I have to be in Orlando at eleven thirty for training.”
“Okay, enjoy Florida. We’ll do lunch another day.”
“Sure,” Pierson responded. A little of the worry about what life would be like in Vegas bled away with Peter’s thoughtfulness, and he was determined to work hard to improve things further.
Chapter 36
The week progressed quickly, and while Pierson thought things were moving well with his coworkers, it was impossible to know if everyone would be friendly like Peter, who now stopped by at least once a day to chat. The fallen knight was good-natured, and Pierson had already sent a wish up to Fate that Peter would get as lucky as he had when it came to mates. If he had to venture a guess, it’d be someone who loved plants since Peter spoke of them as family members, and Pierson had even seen pictures of them. It was nice for someone to have a genuine passion outside of their hectic careers.
There were cases back in Pierson’s life, and he was pleased beyond words at that development. Still steadily working on training different offices, which was rounding out his work, he was glad it was Friday. While there’d be time spent in their home office, Pierson planned to enjoy many quality hours with Mitchell. As if the thought of him had summoned his other half, Mitchell showed up in his doorway.
“Are you heading out?”
“Yep, how about you?”
“Yeah¬—”
“Hey, guys,” Peter greeted them, stopping next to Mitchell. “Did you invite Pierson yet?”
“I was getting to it, Malcolmson, but I’d like to point out that you’re perfectly capable of asking him as well.”
“It’d be nicer coming from you since you’re working on this whole clean-slate deal.”
“If you two want to stand there and argue, far be it for me to interrupt, but do you mind moving the hell out of the way? OFK Regulation 1-13 states that I can’t teleport from inside the building, and I’d really like to get home,” Pierson said, stepping toward the pair. Thankfully, Mitchell stood aside, allowing him to pass.
“Don’t let him go,” Peter cried.
“Murphy, we’re going to Redmilla’s to have a few beers, would you care to join us?” Mitchell asked.
Redmilla’s—a local bar run by a bear shifter and heavily frequented by fallen knights, one of whom was mated to the owner—appeared to be the magic word, because Juris Knights flowed out of offices with regulation satchels slung over their shoulders.
“Are we ready to go?” Cecily asked.
