by Lisa Olsen
Jakob’s blue eyes narrowed as he advanced on me slowly. “Do not think to lie to me, petal. I will have the truth one way or another.”
Qingwa cào de liúmáng. “If you must know, Bishop has expressed an interest in getting back together again.” Not a lie.
“And?”
“And I told him I’m not available right now.” Also not a lie.
“Good,” he grunted, stopping his encroachment. “He understands this?”
“Yes, he does. I told you, we’re friends now. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still have some feelings for him. I probably always will. I’m sorry if that’s hard for you to hear, but there it is.” I hated using Bishop as a beard. Hated it. But I didn’t know how else to explain my current state, and his seeing Bishop leaving was too good an opportunity to pass up. Besides, it wasn’t like anything I’d said was untrue.
“Then he did not put his hands on you?”
“No, he was a total gentleman,” I answered with total conviction.
“Good, then I will not have to kill him.”
It took me a few moments to process that and my voice wasn’t entirely steady as I spoke again. “Is there something I can help you with, Jakob? We didn’t have a date planned for tonight.”
“Can’t I come by to see my beloved when I want?”
No. “Yes, of course you can. Actually, I’m glad you’re here. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Jakob brightened at that, taking a seat behind the desk in my chair. “Go on then, you can say anything to me.”
Somehow I didn’t think that held true. What would he say if I told him I’d rather date a toad than keep going out with him? But that wasn’t what I needed to talk to him about. Instead, I pitched the changes to the Order’s charter to him, going into detail as to how the new judicial branch would function, as well as the immediate changes the Order would need to embrace.
Jakob listened without comment, but I could tell he wasn’t enthused with the proposal. “It’s well thought out, but I can’t help but think you’re needlessly complicating things, petal. It was not done thus in my day.”
“Well, times have changed. No offense, but we don’t need a barbarian ruler whose word is law. We need to be able to take context into play when offering judgment.”
“You don’t think I do that?”
“I think you’re ruled by your own bias. That’s why the system needs to be stronger than any one man or woman, Ellri or not. What would happen to all of us if God forbid something happened to you? Or if you had to lay low again?”
“That is a valid point,” Jakob conceded.
“Now the only way I think this will work is if it’s strongly championed in the Order by one of their own. If we can get someone highly placed to buy into it, I think it’ll be a lot easier to implement through their ranks.”
“You sound as if you have someone in mind.”
“I do,” I nodded. “Bishop.” I wasn’t sure how he’d take the nomination after his recent outburst, but to my surprise, he accepted it without pause.
“Yes, Bishop is the logical choice to spearhead these changes since he was here at their inception. How very clever of you,” he smiled.
“So we’re in agreement? We should have Bishop approach the Order with the proposed changes?”
“No, petal, I will appoint Bishop as head of the Order and he will accept my decree as law. Then there can be no question as to whether it will be adopted by all.”
Whoa. That was change on a much grander scale than I’d had in mind and I wasn’t sure Bishop would go for it. We’d talked about him taking the trip to Rome to pitch the idea, but not him moving there permanently. “The other Houses might not like that very much. I was only talking about changes here in the West.”
“Why should they not seek a stable system? You should have heard them all plot to do away with the Order entirely after your dramatic exit from Vetis. They will embrace these new changes as well.” There was absolute assurance in his voice.
I only wished I could share in some of that confidence.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Bishop pulled open his door, expecting to see Mason, but instead Jakob waited on the other side, striding in without waiting to be invited. “Come right in,” Bishop muttered as he shut it after him. “To what do I owe this honor?” he asked, keeping the sarcasm to a minimum. He didn’t have a death wish.
“I come bearing good news.”
“You’re leaving town?” Bishop couldn’t resist the dig.
“No, you are.” Jakob’s eyes glittered with something Bishop couldn’t quite place. Victory? Malevolence? It was hard to read his poker face.
“That’s funny, I don’t remember making plans to leave anytime soon.”
“But of course you did. What were those hours spent with Anja, industriously building a bright new future but plans for your eventual departure?”
Bishop began to understand the reason behind the visit. “You can relax, Jakob. I’m not trying to steal your girl.” Technically that wasn’t true, but since he didn’t consider Anja to be Jakob’s, he felt secure enough in saying it.
“As if I considered you a threat,” Jakob snorted. “I’m glad to hear you understand your place though. That was the only reason I never killed you before.”
“That and Carys never would’ve forgiven you.”
“There is that,” he allowed.
“Why didn’t you kill me when she died?” Bishop was to blame, after all, as much as Aubrey. He’d almost expected the powerful Ellri to attack him then, but he never had.
“I didn’t come to relive past hurts between us, only to offer you a future beyond Anja’s hem.”
He ignored the insult, intrigued by what Jakob might possibly think he had to offer that Bishop might want. “What kind of an offer?”
“I am here to give you Volkov’s position as leader of the Order.” Jakob proclaimed it as if he expected a trumpet’s fanfare. Bishop hated to disappoint him, but he wasn’t about to fall down on his knees and grovel in thanks.
“Did Anja put you up to this?”
“It’s my position to offer, not hers. But she did recommend you for the position.”
“Anja wants me to leave for Rome?” Why hadn’t she said anything when he’d seen her earlier that night? He’d known she didn’t feel the same way he did about her, but he didn’t think she wanted him so far out of the picture. “I guess I screwed things up more than I thought.”
Jakob’s voice softened, his words less antagonistic. “If it makes you feel any better, she suggested you because she found you capable. She told me about your desire to rekindle things.”
“She did?” Bishop blinked in surprise. “I suppose it’s no secret how badly I ruined things between us.”
“I admit, I’ve had a difficult time reaching her heart as well,” he sighed.
Bishop bit back the urge to say it was kind of hard to with somebody already in there; a promise was a promise, and he had no desire to see either Anja or Rob hurt. “You know what they say, once bitten twice shy, and she’s been hurt by both of us. Maybe now isn’t the right time? Maybe you should think about letting her go.” If only he could follow his own advice.
Jakob didn’t even consider it, the hardness returning to his tone. “Never. Eventually she will get you out of her system and she will accept me in all ways. Already I am testing her barriers and I intend to breach them entirely before too long.”
That gave Bishop a mental image he wished he could ignore. “I don’t think I’m the best person to be talking to about this,” he scowled, and Jakob gave him a condescending pat on the shoulder.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but the sooner you grasp this simple truth, the sooner you will gain acceptance and move on to someone you are better matched for.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I meant no offense, but clearly you are not well suited for someone like my gentle Anja
.”
“And you are?” Jakob was more brutal than anyone he knew, and that was saying a lot given his profession.
“Of course. I understand her tender feelings only too well.”
The more Jakob kept talking, the more Bishop wanted to smash his face in. “You could fill a room with what you don’t understand about Anja,” he muttered. “I think you’d better get going, I have things to do tonight.”
Jakob displayed no offense for being shown the door. Maybe it had been his intention to irk Bishop all along? “And about the offer? Have you reached your decision?” he pressed.
“I have to think about it.”
“Think quickly, time is of the essence.”
There was one person he needed to talk to before he made such a commitment. So he made his second trip of the day to her office, waiting patiently until Maggie let him through.
“Bishop… did we forget to talk about something?” Anja asked when he stepped into her office.
Thankfully, Rob was nowhere in sight, he didn’t want to have an audience for this conversation. “Yeah, I guess I did. Did you tell Jakob to give me Volkov’s job?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, he didn’t waste any time, did he?”
“So you did tell him to send me away?”
“No, not in so many words. It was his idea to offer you the job, I suggested you as the one to bring our proposal to the Order.”
“Then you want me to stay.”
“Well… that’s not up to me. I might not have thought of the idea to start with, but you have to admit, it’s a great coup for the rest of us to have someone we can trust in charge of the Order. You could ensure real change takes root there.”
Then she did want him to leave. It soured his mood considerably. “I quit the Order, remember? I’m done with all of that,” he scowled.
“Are you? Because you stepped up when things fell apart here. Frost was reeling and you took charge the way you always do. It’s part of who you are.”
“That was different, those were my people.”
“They’re still your people, and they need your help. Not just Mason and Frost and those guys, but the vamps here. Leander, Jarrod, Zoe – okay, not Zoe so much because I’m not actually sure she has any friends – but the whole community, they’re counting on you to bring them a better Order. Think of how much quicker you could do that from Rome.”
There was so much hope shining in her eyes – he couldn’t crush that, not for his own selfish wishes. “Alright, alright, I’ll do it,” he relented, nearly bowled over when she impulsively threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight. That was worth it right there. He would’ve gone anywhere to do her bidding for the tiny scrap of affection from Anja. Bishop returned the hug, not letting her escape right away when she pulled back. “But I’m not doing it for them, I’m doing it for you.”
A half dozen emotions flickered across her expressive face, settling on dismay as nearly as he could figure. “Bishop, I…”
He shook his head, letting her go. Bishop didn’t want to trap her, that was Jakob’s deal. “It’s okay, I’m not asking you for anything, I know your situation. I’m going to remake the Order like we talked about, and I’m going to make you proud.”
*
First things first, he had to round up the guys and get their take on the situation. He’d bounced a couple of ideas off of Mason when working on the new charter with Anja, but most of them hadn’t heard much about it. Everyone assembled at the Bleeding Hart, since they had no headquarters anymore. The air was tense, but not dangerous as the locals watched them with a wary eye. Once they all settled in at the back table and got down to business without rousting any of the patrons, they were largely ignored.
Bishop waited until all were present, then outlined Jakob’s proposal and the new charter he’d be bringing to the Order. Maybe it was because they all knew Anja with varying degrees of intimacy, but the prospective changes were openly embraced, even applauded.
Frost, in particular, was glad to hear about his promotion and Bishop wondered if the man had been worried about losing his position with Bishop back in town. Bishop couldn’t help but wonder if Frost was the right man for the job, given all of the trouble dealing with Byrne and his unrest.
As far as Bishop was concerned, eliminating Byrne was only the tip of the iceberg. Anyone who participated in the murder of the Order members should be apprehended and dealt with. That meant a hearing under Anja’s new law, but it shouldn’t be dropped completely, and Bishop said as much. Eager for some payback, the team discussed the best methods of rooting the people out without causing more enmity in the already tense community.
Zoe came over with a round of drinks, standing with tray in hand while they talked about restoring order. “I want in,” she declared when there was a break in conversation.
Frost’s brows went up in surprise. “You want to join the Order?”
“No, I want to be your cheering section,” she fixed him with a withering stare. “Yeah, I want to join up.”
“Sounds like she’s got the mouth for it,” Mason grinned. “I say we give her a shot.”
“Great, you can babysit her then,” Bishop nodded, rising from the table. He still had something to do and needed to get going now that the ball was rolling. “Mason, you’re in charge of recruiting, we’ve got a lot of shoes to fill. I’ll be in touch, guys. With any luck, I’ll have some resources headed this way to help with the rebuild of our facilities by the end of the week.”
Mason jumped up to follow him out. “About that babysitting gig… I was going to leave, head back to Boston.”
Bishop stopped by the exit, he hadn’t counted on this. “I really need you here, man. We need to rebuild the headquarters and recruit to fill the open slots, like you said. I don’t know when I’ll be back and Frost isn’t up to this. You saw how things fell apart when I left for Vetis.”
“I know, but…”
“Running away won’t make it hurt any less, trust me.”
“Isn’t that why you’re going to Rome?”
“No, I’m going because I don’t want another Volkov in the position. I’m not running away from anything, I’m going to Rome because she asked me to. That, and I think it’s a good idea. She’s right, it’s time for a change, and this will make things better. We’ll still be doing our jobs, but it’ll be someone else’s headache once we catch them.”
Mason’s hands came up. “Hey, you don’t need to sell me on it, man, but I can’t… I can’t stick around and see Hanna with someone else. It’s time for me to move on.”
Bishop lowered his voice. “Do you think it’s easy for me to see Anja cozied up with another guy? But you and I, we’re more than that, brother. The Order is in our blood now and she needs us. I happen to know from personal experience that if you put your trust in the Order, she’ll see you through this. So sac up and get the job done.” He slapped him on the shoulder and Mason’s brows rose in disbelief.
“Seriously? That’s what I’m getting from you? Sac up?” He shook his head. “Sorry, but I hardly think taking romantic or vocational advice from an emotional eunuch is in my best interests.”
Bishop ignored the eunuch dig, he could understand why his actions could be interpreted as unfeeling, but if there was one thing he’d learned in his four hundred and sixty-four years, it was patience. He wasn’t done fighting for Anja, not by a long shot, he just knew how to play the long game.
“Promise me you’ll think about it,” Bishop said, giving Mason’s shoulder a squeeze. “I won’t order you to stay, but I could really use you here to help with the rebuild.”
Mason’s shoulders slumped as guilt set in. “I’ll think about it,” he agreed. “In the meantime, if I don’t see you for a while, stay frosty, man.” He pulled Bishop in for a one armed embrace.
Bishop returned the man-hug, pounding him on the back with his fist. “You too, be safe.”
Chapter Thirty
I
rapped on Bishop’s door, more than a little worried by the late hour invitation. Had Jakob said or done something because of my earlier insinuation that I still had unresolved feelings for him? If I’d put Bishop in danger to shield Rob… I didn’t know what I’d do.
Bishop pulled open the door and I rushed inside, half expecting to find Jakob there. “I got your message, it sounded urgent. What’s going on?”
“I spoke to Jakob and accepted his offer to take the position in Rome.”
“Oh… you have?” His message had made it sound imperative that I drop everything and come over, but I thought we’d already covered this at the office. Still, I was glad he’d made it official before Jakob changed his mind. “That’s great! Oh, this is so exciting, we’ll have to put together a going away party for you to send you off in style. Maybe at Nightshade, or the Hart?” Maybe I could get Maggie to stop making a fuss over my birthday and focus on throwing him a big ol’ shindig to send him on his way.
Only Bishop didn’t look at all in a partying mood. “I’m leaving tonight.”
“So soon?”
“I think it’s for the best. The sooner I step in and take over for Volkov, the smoother things will be. I can’t justify hanging around here when there’s so much work to be done.”
“Right, I can see that.” Part of me was happy he’d taken such a serious interest in the new role, but I had to admit, part of me wasn’t ready for him to go yet. Maybe I was the one who needed the party to say goodbye to him?
“Unless you want me to stay?”
There was a note of hope behind his voice that I hated to crush, but he was right. Dragging it out wouldn’t do anyone any good. I didn’t need him to stay, the way he needed me to, even though I’d miss the friendship growing between us. “No, I think you’re right about going sooner than later.”
Some of the light went out of his eyes, but he recovered swiftly enough, offering me a resigned smile. “That’s what I thought.”
