Chloe smiled and then frowned. “What do you have on Marie?”
Darice shrugged. “She’s not as good at keeping her business flaws hidden as she thinks. One of her factories is a cesspool of child labor and low wages. It needs repairs and is barely fit for a dog to sleep in. That’s just overseas. The factory here is only marginally better. She uses intimidation to keep people from ratting her out or going to the press.”
Chloe’s jaw dropped and revulsion slithered through her. “How’d you find this out?”
“Oh, I have friends on the shady side of the law that see things in their work. They had no problems helping me out with the information.”
“For what price?” she asked resting a hand on Darice’s waist. Ace must be one of those shady friends.
Darice shrugged. “Nothing, right now and if the favor’s called in, it won’t be anything I can’t handle,”
“You worked with them doing illegal things?” she asked carefully.
“When I was younger, I did what I had to to survive, Chloe,” Darice told her. “I was a thief, a spy, even an assassin. I never hurt kids or innocents of any kind.”
“Are you still committing those acts now?”
“No, but now I owe them,” Darice said. “I always pay my debts.”
Chloe nodded in understanding and acceptance. Darice had had no family, no way to support herself. She couldn’t imagine having to live amid danger just for her daily bread. She’d been relatively sheltered as a child.
Her parents had doted on her. She had a sister and a brother she could call on if she needed to and they’d come. Darice’s life was an alien planet in comparison.
“Just promise me you’ll tell me what I need to know,” Chloe said. She wasn’t going to ask Darice to tell her everything. She didn’t want to know it because it might put Darice at risk of going to jail if someone decided to make her a target.
Darice’s eyes flared with something like surprise. “Aren’t you going to lecture me, threaten to leave me if I get involved with my old life again, my old friends?”
She shook her head. “Did you go there looking to defraud or hurt innocent people? To commit crimes for fun?”
“No. I worked for governments sometimes,” she admitted. “They didn’t know who I was and I didn’t know who they were. We did things, got into places they couldn’t. We gave them victory with deniability.”
Chloe shrugged. “Just don’t lie to me and this will never be something that tears us apart.” She kissed Darice’s cheek and headed for the bathroom. She meant it. The world wasn’t always a safe place. There were people like Marie who’d do anything to get what they wanted no matter who they hurt. Then, there were people like Darice and her friends who did what they could to protect the victims or even the score.
Two wrongs didn’t make a right, but sometimes, it was all powerless people had.
****
“So, Marie’s backing off,” Zyra said when Darice stepped into the kitchen moments later.
“Yep. Devin and Ace came through,” she answered. “I see you started coffee.”
“Just now. Simone’s a pain before her first cup.” She smiled. “Unlike you and me. We’re pains anytime.”
“Day or night,” Darice agreed with a smile.
“Well, I’m glad this is over,” Zyra said. “What about the PI and Selena?”
“Marie was reluctant to include them in our deal, but she understands that if everyone that was involved in her games against Chloe don’t pay, then all bets are off,” Darice told her. She couldn’t accept anything less. They’d known the risks when they got into the game. If they didn’t too bad.
“I hope she doesn’t make you really put a smack down on her.”
“I don’t think she’s going to fuck with me too badly,” Darice said. “She realizes I’m not going to play games with her.”
Zyra nodded. “Did you tell Chloe about your past?”
“Just what she needs to know.” Darice shrugged. Chloe didn’t need to know it all for the very reason Chloe had mentioned. Her past could come back to bite her and Chloe too. The less Chloe knew the easier it would be for her to trust Chloe if feds ever came asking questions.
Zyra shrugged. “At least you gave her enough to prepare for what might happen with some of our contacts.”
Darice nodded tightly. “Yeah.”
“Coffee.” Simone stepped into the kitchen in dressed for work. She threw them both disgruntled looks and poured herself a cup of coffee and took a sip. “Mmm. I love this coffee, Darice. Where did you get it? It’s a magic wand.”
Zyra grunted and poured herself a cup too.
“Oh my god! Darice.” Chloe came rushing into the kitchen. “Darice this bracelet is beautiful.” She threw herself into her lover’s arms. “I love it, and I love you.”
Darice caught her and was tagged with a soft kiss on the lips and given a hug. “I’m glad you like it,” she said looking down into Chloe’s eyes. “It’s not as beautiful as you are, but you make it look good.”
Zyra smirked and Simone elbowed her.
“You’re so sweet, Darice,” Chloe said with a grin.
“No. Not really,” she answered. “But I do love you, girl.” She kissed her long and slow as she held her close. She felt like she’d finally found her home, and she would never let Chloe go.
The End
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