Page 13 of Backlash

“Don’t look at me,” he says before I can press him for answers. “I haven’t seen her since this afternoon. She spoke with Malcolm and left in… a hurry.” Felix inclines his head, his eyes darting to the upper floors of the house. So he heard the fight. That’s not a surprise. Felix knows everything that goes on in this house.

“I suspect you’ve seen her since I have,” he says as he resumes stirring the pot. I don’t miss the irony.

I start to tell him to have her call me, but he’s unlikely to pass along that message. I can’t blame Felix for not liking me. He’s only ever heard Adair’s side of the story, and I’m sure she painted me as the villain. I’m going to need a different ally. Someone she’ll actually listen to. That’s the trouble. Most of our mutual friends are loyal to her. There’s no one in her family she’ll listen to. She’s too stubborn.

“Would you like hot chocolate? Felix is making me some,” the girl says.

The answer is sitting right next to me. How didn’t I see it? Adair loves the girl. I saw that the night I came to dinner. She might avoid her brother. Felix might not pass along a message. But a kid? She can make sure that Adair knows I came around. “What your name again?”

“I’m not supposed to tell that to strangers,” she says.

I see she has the hot and cold attitude of a MacLaine. Hot chocolate one minute, snubbing you the next. “I’m no stranger, remember? I know your dad and your aunt.” I don’t mind working for her trust. It will be good practice getting a MacLaine female to see past my flaws. I stick out a hand to her. “I’m Sterling. It’s nice to see you again.”

She takes my outstretched hand with a giggle. “Elodie MacLaine.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” I say. I’m not above flattering this kid if it means getting closer to Adair.

“Everyone calls me Ellie,” she says seriously, “but I think you should call me Elodie.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Why is that?”

“You’re in business with my dad,” she says to me. “You talked about it at dinner.”

“I see.” I nod in understanding. “We have a formal relationship.”

“Yes. Are you in business with my aunt?”

“Does she always ask so many questions?” I say to Felix.

“You have no idea,” he says with a laugh. He pretends to focus on the pot of hot chocolate, making a show of acting like I’m not there, but I catch him stealing quick glances in my direction. He knows something. He probably knows where Adair has gone, but he’s not going to tell me. He pours two mugs of hot chocolate, drops marshmallows into one, and places them in front of us.

“Is this your favorite?” I ask, picking mine up.

“You ask a lot of questions for an adult,” she says pointedly.

“You’re not exactly shy,” I say to her.

“Scorpios usually aren’t,” Felix says. He holds up a finger when she reaches for her own mug. “Remember last time. We let it cool.”

“Your aunt is a Scorpio,” I tell her.

“I know.” She’s busy poking marshmallows like she can cool her drink faster if she plays with it. “We have a secret club.”

“Can I join?”

She appraises me for a second, and I can already tell that I’m coming up short. “Are you a Scorpio?”

“I am not.” There’s no point in lying to her. That won’t score me any points with her or her aunt.

She shrugs her tiny shoulders. “Sorry. Scorpios only.”

“I understand.” Elodie might be the friendliest member of the MacLaine family, but even she has the elitist streak necessary to call Valmont home.

“Can you tell your aunt that I was here?” I ask her.

She bobs her head. “I can do that, Mr. Ford.”

We’re back to formality. Honestly, it’s one of the best business transactions I’ve had in a while.