Page 57 of Vicarious

“I’m sorry, Phae.”

“Adrian.”

I ignore Phae’s shouts as I close the door behind me when I leave, only to come face to face with Eileen.

Fuck, I really need more men in my inner circle. But also, they’re not as clever and tenacious as the women I chose to work for me because as men, they’ve never had to be. It’s just annoying when they turn those qualities onto me.

“What?” I ask.

Eileen simply looks at me with her usual taciturn expression and says, “You couldn’t have done this before Dele pointed a gun at you and stormed out the house?”

I eye her warily, not sure what she’s up to. Phae was her friend before she became my practical second, after all.

“You know me,” I reply after a while. “I like to be dramatic.”

“Of course, you do,” Eileen says with a sigh. “I’ll tighten security and try to make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble before you get back.”

“No plans to betray me?”

“No.”

I believe her. Eileen is a good liar, but over the years I’ve learned her subtle tells. None of those are here.

“No intention to conspire with Phae to make plans to betray me?” I ask more specifically. It may be true that she has no plans to betray me but not that she doesn’t intend on making them.

“No.”

Still no tells.

“Why?”

“I’m not particularly enthusiastic about the existence of the mafia and criminal empires and all that shit, but at least like this it’s controlled. What Phae plans to do will cause anarchy and a bunch of isolated threats that we’ll never be able to contain or control. A war that will never end and will cause a lot more people to get hurt and die. At least with you and Dele at the helm of things, it’ll be relatively peaceful.”

To think I ever doubted Eileen.

With that concern out the way, I ask, “What makes you think I’m going somewhere?”

“You not just going to let Dele run off and stew in her anger at you.”

“I’m not.”

“She’s not just going to take you back after this.”

“Not without a grand gesture.”

Eileen raises an eyebrow. “I never took Dele for one to fall so easily to grand gestures.”

“Oh, she’ll fall for the one I have planned.” Eileen raises both eyebrows this time so I amend, “Maybe not fall completely, but at the very least it’ll make her pay attention and know I’m serious.”

26

Dele

“Fucking fuck,” Bella exclaims.

It’s the first time I’ve been able to sit down with her and tell her everything we found out about Pray and what Phae plans to do with it since I got here three days ago. Before, there were too many people in and out the house for a variety of business.

“You’re fucking kidding me.”

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