piggyback.

Noticing the look almost instantly, married or not, Emmeline’s cheeks turned a bright red that she couldn’t stop ignoring. Shaking her head to clear the thought, the woman pulled out her phone and held it out. “Right, right, you’re a doctor first of all. Nice to know I’ll have someone around in case I need medical attention.”

Alec lifted an arm and rested his elbow against the sill of the window, raising both brows and giving the woman a playful smirk. “I’ve managed to do the impossible.” It was the oddest thing, really, he should feel scared. He should feel apprehensive or uneasy around Eli when she was having the opposite effect. Alec felt the adrenaline kick in, excitement for what was about to happen gush through his veins. “Don’t let me down now. I’m expecting the best day of my life here, Eli.”

eli-lily smirked, pouting her lips yet again before shrugging her shoulders, “I’m not made of stone, I’m just looking for more than plain old sex. you might satisfy me in the bedroom, or the bathroom or the car or wherever but -- this way will be much more fun, trust me,” she purred, reaching over and tracing his jaw as they finally entered the next town over, pulling up her car and watching as people passed by, “I’m not in the habit of disappointing people, baby.”

“I hope you’re not either.” Em grew quiet for a moment before lifting a strong smile and reaching out to give Eli’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I know you tend to keep yourself to yourself, but you’re the closest I have to a friend that understands this world I’ve married into.”

eli sighed softly and was caught off guard by the gentle touch the other offered, considering only a moment before they were threatening one another -- but that was girls, really, wasn’t it? she smiled, cocking her head to the side, “I suppose I should give you my number then, if we’re now bffs.”

Emmeline needed to trust her husband, that’s apart of what marriage was all about, but now the seed was planted and no amount of wishing could remove the doubt from her mind. And when a woman like her suspected something, she would have the sheer will to pursue the matter regardless how long it took. Em glanced to her feet, releasing a small sigh to remain level-headed. “I understand how a caring nature can be spun as manipulation. Like you said, we girls have to stick together.” She locked her gaze with Eli’s, “I’ll talk to him and if you’re right, you are free to tell me I told you so.”

eli instantly felt a twinge of some sort of guilt, she couldn’t be completely emotionless, even when she wanted and she found herself regretting what she had done, if not for emmeline then at least for kieran -- she did actually like him. she tilted her head to the side, lifting a brow, “I hope I’m not.”

Alec pressed the back of his skull to the headrest, fearing that the blade would cut through flesh if he did even more than swallow. Sliding his feet from the dashboard, a piercing gaze flickering to Eli in a silent pause, he didn’t move an inch. “Can’t help taking that as a compliment. I worked hard to be considered a  slut.” The minute the knife was removed and within a safe distance, Alec rubbed at his neck momentarily and had to be thankful she didn’t choose to slice it open which would have put the entire trip to waste. “I’ve never had anyone hold a knife like that to my throat before. It’s almost an attractive kink.” However, he kept silent for the remainder of Eli’s explanation and while she wasn’t the first to point out his anger, she was the first to make a comparison to August’s cousin. Oh, he sure knew all about that. “I like you, Eli, and I don’t mean that in a ‘I just want to fuck you’ kind of way.” Though, he didn’t want that to be out of the question. “You want a partner in crime, you got one. I’m all yours.”

alec didn’t seem to take her threat too hard, he took it seriously, which was reassuring but his demeanour hadn’t changed with her overall and she found herself gaining a little more respect for him in doing so. her lips curved up as he spoke, a laugh quickly following as she looked back at him, “I like you,” eli purred. she was surprised to receive to receive the same sentiment, but the surprise didn’t grace her features, instead, she pursed her lips and glanced to him once more, “oh, you’re in for such a treat.”

Emmeline pressed her lips tightly together and refused to allow her emotions betray that nagging knot of suspicion tightening even further. “He wouldn’t.” The hesitation is enough to prove otherwise when she desired to wholeheartedly believe Kieran would remain faithful within their marriage. It made sense, the later nights, sitting at an empty dinner table with food already cooked only to discover he wouldn’t make it in time…was there truly someone else or was Eli using manipulation? “I appreciate the concern for girl power, but it’s not necessary. I’m only going on what you’re planting without any real proof. It’s just speculation.”

eli-lily smirked and tilted her head to the side, “okay, sure,” her bad mood apparently knew no bounds considering she actually liked kieran, she only hoped she was correct and he didn’t feel the same towards his wife as she did to him, she actually didn’t want to cause a problem for him but there was no going back now. the woman shrugged her shoulders, “I’m not planting anything, I’m merely pointing out that if I had someone like you at home, someone who really cared for me and loved me, I wouldn’t be taking orders from some dick who would force me to break plans repeatedly.”

Alec used the button along the door to continuously roll the window up and down in a distracted fashion before Eli made another shocking admission. She couldn’t really blame him when he narrowed his eyes into small slits. “I’m seriously let down you didn’t know me for a completely innocent reason other than from that fucker.” Lifting a leg and resting it along the dashboard, Alec leaned back in his seat and focused on the road ahead of them. “The grown up version. Doesn’t sound shady at all.” He was about to land himself in a whole lot of hot water, he could feel it in his balls. Alec had the chance to turn back and forget Eli’s intentions, yet…she was already crawling under his skin. “Why do you want to help me? I get August is a prick and you’re looking for some revenge, but what does that have to do with my rage?”

she tried not to let his absent-minded movements get on her last nerve but the moment his feet rested on her dashboard, she slipped a hand into her boot and pulled out a small blade, holding it to his throat, “get the fuck off my dashboard, or I’ll make you clean it with your tongue,” she threatened, rolling up to a red light and flashing him a bright smile. “I knew you before august, alec, or at least, of you, you’re a bit of a slut,” she hummed finally pushing her knife back into it’s allocated spot and returning her attention to the road ahead, “um,” the woman breathed, before shrugging, “it’s not healthy to keep everything locked up, you carry on like that you’ll end up like that red-head kid,” she took an exit, driving into the next town over, “you have potential, we could be good friends --” her eyes glanced in his direction once again, “I’m just a girl, looking for a partner in crime.”

Em typed a quick response, certain to make it sound reassuring rather than how she truly felt so Kieran wouldn’t worry, before stuffing the device back within her purse and shooting Eli a brief uncertain look. However tempting the offer was, she didn’t need anyone else warming her bed when she had that ring on her finger. “I wouldn’t do that to Kieran just as I know he wouldn’t do that to me.” If there was anything she needed to be confident about, it was her husband’s loyalty. “So kind for you to be considerate about my happiness, though, I never thought it possible.” There was just a hint of sarcasm to her words.

Archie wrapped his fingers around the bottle and didn’t stop to chit chat before taking a healthy swig, wiping his lower lip with a thumb. “Then will ‘Miss’ work or is that still too derogatory?” He downed another sip and held out the bottle to the woman, “I don’t want to intentionally offend when we’re just meeting. It’s horrible manners.”

This isn’t the type of thing he should be doing when he was meant to be laying low and he could imagine Dakota’s disapproval after giving him the shot in becoming a Serpent, especially when he didn’t know much about Eli’s motivations. Alec wasn’t pissing off anyone just yet so maybe it wouldn’t be too bad having her company. “You’re giving off the impression that’ll eventually be possible giving the guy his comeuppance when he literally surrounds himself with the most uptight bodyguards.” Alec stopped in his tracks, giving the brunette a small smirk. “You were the first person who’s bothered not to. I’m not going to set you up for disappointment when we’re just getting started.” Eli’s previous implications should give him pause, he was clever enough to see there was something a little devious, but that still didn’t stop him from releasing her hand once they reached her car and hopping into the passenger seat. “Handle what exactly? Are we going to beat up some bullies or something?”

perhaps making friendly with dakota’s nephew wouldn’t be a bad thing, if anything was going to piss august off about eli, it was her joining the other side, after all, even if she didn’t know much about what he was doing, she had some insight. her lips turned up a little more, looking at him over the hood of her car and simply shrugging, giggling as she climbed into the drivers seat and tossed her hand bag onto the back seat. “let’s get to know each other a little, I used to work for august, I know some of his routine, I know his home,” she glanced over to him, “never say never,” the woman purred. he pulled out of her space and head for the end of town, turning down her radio so that they could talk. “you could say we’re going to do that, but the grown up version,” she glanced towards him, “you might have seen it all, but I’m gonna be really good for that pent up anger and I’m not talking about sex.”