Discretion (The Dumonts, #1)(76)

That’s the thing about being that corrupt. When you have the power of the mafia and various crime organizers at your beck and call, when you have all the fucking money in the world, then you control what the police do or don’t do.

“I wasn’t saying anything,” Blaise snipes, still rubbing his nose and groaning when he presses too hard.

“Yes, you were,” Seraphine says. “You said Pascal had a screw loose, which, frankly, is a surprise to no one here.”

“If he hurts her,” I warn him, the anger rising in my throat like bile, “I hurt you. More than I already have. More than you can imagine.”

Blaise frowns. “What Pascal does is none of my business.”

“So why are you ratting on him then?” Seraphine asks.

He looks at her, his eyes meeting hers and latching on for longer than usual. He swallows, rubbing his lips together for a moment, as if wrestling with some monster inside him. Then he says, “Because I hate him.”

Seraphine looks to me, shocked, then back to Blaise. “What?”

Blaise takes in a deep breath. “I thought you would have figured that out.”

“Why on earth would I have figured that out? You’re always with them.”

“Like the third musketeer,” I say.

Blaise glares at me and then looks back to Seraphine, like I don’t exist. “I’m working with you more than I ever did with them,” he says. Then he shrugs. “Whatever. I don’t need to explain myself.”

“My God, you’re a moody little bastard,” she says.

He grins at her. “And you wouldn’t have me any other way.” Then he winces, holding his nose. “Ow.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, “but we have more pressing issues at hand. Sure, we almost died, and, yeah, it’s shocking that you suddenly hate your brother—but Sadie’s life is at stake here.”

“He’s not going to hurt her,” Blaise says snidely. “Maybe rough her up a little. You know how he is. Scare her. But he won’t hurt her.”

“So now you’re standing up for him?” Seraphine asks.

“I’m not standing up for anyone. I’m just telling the truth. Pascal is going to threaten her, and he’s going to get her to leave.”

“Why?” Seraphine asks. “What did she do to him?”

“Nothing,” Blaise says. “It’s just a game. You should fucking get that by now. It’s a game to those two, and it always has been. They have to be on top. They have to be controlling the ride at all times or . . . things get ugly.”

“Things are already ugly,” I tell him gruffly. “Just fucking look at us.”

“So that’s why it’s happening,” he says, like talking about it all is exhausting him. Or boring him. “Sadie is something new in your life, and she doesn’t really belong in this world. As far as they’re concerned, the more they run you into the ground, the higher they rise. Don’t forget . . . they’re scared of you.”

“Scared of me?”

“You don’t send out Polish thugs when you’re secure with yourself. They’re very aware that they’ve been blackmailing you to get to the top. They didn’t want to kill you today, they wanted to scare you, to remind you of your place.”

“So it was them,” Seraphine says. “You admit it.”

“I know nothing,” he says quickly. “But it makes the most sense. Unlike your murder theory, which doesn’t. Sorry, I know you want to blame someone, but I think you should just let it go.”

“Our father is dead,” Seraphine says coldly. “I can’t let that go.”

“Then I think you’re in for a world of pain if you keep pursuing it,” Blaise says, staring at her steadily. “Trust me on this. Please. I don’t think my father or brother had anything to do with Ludovic’s death. But if you start looking around, if you start acting like they did, if you start to twist things . . . they will retaliate. You’re better off forgetting it. Mourn your father and grieve. But don’t go looking for something to make it worse.”

I have to say, I agree with Blaise on this one. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to think about it, maybe because I know it will make things worse, but we’d all be better off if we let it go.

For now.

Besides, that’s not at the forefront of my mind. I’m not sure I trust Blaise when he says that Pascal won’t hurt her, and I hate to think what roughing her up means. All I know is that if Pascal has Sadie, she’s going to be terrified and lost and confused. She’s going to be hurting in some way, and, knowing her, if Pascal makes her choose, if his whole intent is to make her leave, she will leave.

She’ll do it to protect me.

It’s part of the reason why I fell for her.

She’s one of the few people who would go above and beyond for me, just as I would for her.

God, it seems so long ago, those blissful days in that sun-soaked hotel room, where our only problems were what to order for room service.

I miss that life.

I miss her.

I miss us, that us.

Now everything is fucked right up.

“Hey,” Seraphine says gently, touching me on the shoulder. I turn my head to see sympathy in her eyes. “She’s going to be okay.”