Underground

45

Alex

I took Justine to one of my favorite jazz spot that was hella hard to find when I moved back to London. It had Italian food that I knew she would like since she has an addiction to pasta. She was silent the whole ride even when we got seated. I shrugged off my coat and she did the same. I saw the waiter from the corner of my eye walk over to us and I held up my hand to stop him. She needs to start talking first.

"Then get her to start talking. Joel is not in the best of moods and I, for one, am sick of getting growled at," Carter snapped in my head and I heard Jonathan and Dorrian mumble in agreement.

"Justine?"

She looked up at me, shaking her head and giving a small smile. "Sorry," she said quietly.

I nodded, "It's fine but I would like to know why I was kidnapped for a joyride to a college." It had it's desired effect because she gave a full on smile this time and I leaned foreword. "Tell me what's going on," I pushed.

Justine looked at me then at the waiter, "We should order something first," she nodded and I waved for the waiter to come over. I picked up the menu, "We will have a bottle of your best white wine also I'll have the chicken parm with spaghetti and the young lady will have the tour of Italy with the chicken parm, lasagna, and bake ziti," I closed the menu and handed it to the waiter. "All well done."

"Very good sir."

I watched him walk away and looked over at Justine. Her eyebrows were raised and arms crossed the same way Cherine did when I ordered for her. I scratched the back of my neck and a smile crossed Justine's face. "My knee is itching, Alex," she said sweetly. I nodded.

"You know why?" she asked.

I nodded again.

"Don't let it happen again." Justine reached into her bag and threw a set of papers on the table. I frowned, looking down at the pictures and the minute I did there was a set of growls and I flinched a bit looking away from the pictures. "Justine, I-"
I shake my head looking down at the table. When I looked up Justine was looking around the club. She didn't look upset.

"Because she probably let her anger out already," Dorrian growled.

"I'll talk to Thomas," Cherine said.

"I don't understand-"
Justine turned and looked at me, pinning me down with a calm glare but I felt the anger behind it. The waiter came back and set the bottle of wine in the middle of the table. When he left she said, "If you are going to bullshit me, Alex, you are going to have to give me something stronger than wine."

I looked her in the eyes and I shook my head leaning back in my seat. "Alright. I...I can't talk Joel out of any of this but my brother cares about you, Justine," I said slowly.

"Cares enough to lie to me?"

She has a point. I ran a hand down my face. "This was years ago, Justine. Not even months before you came to the Underground, Joel ended that relationship with Lena," I said.

"Why?"

"Yeah, why?" I growled in my head and I felt Dad's hand on my shoulder with a firm squeeze. "He never said why. Carter and Jon were confused about why and at the time Dorrian and I didn't care. He went on a mission and then not even a month after that...you showed up as a Candidate," I explained. "Jonathan noticed Joel's obsession with you early."

Justine poured her own glass and shook her head, "Joel told me they were just friends. Nothing sexual. Do you have pictures of me getting into those positions with Tommy or Devlin? Maybe Charm-"

I raised a hand, "Point taken," I said tightly. "I never said Joel was smart."

"Watch it, Alex."

"He isn't the brightest crayola in the box," I told her. "But I know my brother. He never gave a female the right to be known or think that they were his Airen. Only you."
The waiter returned with our food placing it in front of us. Justine snatched the pictures off the table and got quiet again, it made me run my hands through my hair. "Where did you get the pictures?" I asked.

She looked like she was thinking. "Off the record?"

"Hell no!" Were the orders in my head but I immediately blocked out my family from hearing what she had to say. "Off the record," I repeated.

Justine nodded, "The USB that came with the laptop. I was looking through the files on it and there are files on all of us. Especially on Joel."

All of us? "How detailed are these files?"

Her silence told me everything. I didn't even want to know what was on my file but then I did. A headache started form and I knew one of my annoying siblings were trying to push through connection by breaking my wall. "There were other things about Joel?"

She nodded.

"But the pictures caught your attention—"

"The pictures are more graphic don't you think?" She snapped at me and I mentally slapped myself. Another point to her. She started eating her food and I followed suit. I took down the wall and let the others listen to the conversation that I just had with Justine but there was nothing but silence. "Joel?" I asked hesitantly.

Nothing. I chewed on my bottom lip waiting for something but nothing came. Not even his usual pissed off growl.

"Alex?"

I looked over at Justine, "Yeah."

"Thank you," she said smiling. "For coming with me to the funeral and now. Thank you."
I felt my chest tighten. To me, Justine was an annoyance when we first met. Probably because of how my own ego was set up. She pushed buttons I never thought I had. Then her effect on me got stronger during the steal the flag game, even more so during her match with Mitchie. She was beautiful before but seeing what she's become now...she's gorgeous. Long black hair that fell around her like a curtain, her once brown eyes now an icy-blue could pin you down and her skin...I bet its as soft as silk. I never been so jealous of Joel in my life. I looked up and admired my older brother but...
I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Alex, are you okay?"

I opened my eyes and smiled. "Yeah. Let's...uh finish up and get you home," I said quickly just as Joel's growl floated through my head.

"Bring her home NOW, Alexander."

Shit.