Valiant {Book Two of the Incandescent Trilogy}

Chapter Ten: Violence Solves All Problems

CHAPTER TEN: VIOLENCE SOLVES ALL PROBLEMS

"We need to talk." said John, standing outside of Speedy's. He wore a frown on his face, and he smelled faintly of ash and smoke.

Amelia could see a smudge of charcoal on the hem of his shirt. She wondered where he'd been. "Yeah," she said, taking out her phone and holding it out for him to see, "I got your message. I figured 'We need to talk' meant, oh, I dunno, we need to talk."

He didn't laugh. "So, Sherlock's alive."

She watched him for a moment, eyes to flitting the bead of sweat rolling from his brow to the bottom of his. He stood completely still, she'd noticed, with his hands clasped behind his back, and his head level, and that was how she knew something was wrong. "Yes." she said, trying to contain her nervousness. "He is."

"I didn't believe you."

"What changed?" Amelia didn't have to ask, but she wanted to hear the words leave John's mouth.

He didn't answer her question, and his silence was the only answer she needed.

"You've met him." she murmured, Sebastian's cold eyes haunting her. "Let me guess: he tried to hire you?"

"He has information on Mary." John's voice was pained. "I-I couldn't say no."

"Yes, actually," she said, "you could've. Are you really going to help him kill Sherlock because he has information on your girlfriend?"

"Fiancée." he corrected.

Amelia faltered. "What?"

"I proposed to her."

"I got that. When?"

"A month and a half ago. The day of the second dinner. The one where you stormed out, and told me he was alive."

"The night you didn't believe me." Amelia looked away. "Lovely. So what are you going to do, then? You're going to leave Sherlock to die because you're trying to protect a woman you've barely known for three years?"

John swallowed. "He said he wouldn't harm Mary if I didn't get involved in this."

"You are already involved in this, John. Don't you remember what we used to be? The three of us could have taken on anyone or anything."

"I can't just leave her, Ames. He-he has information on Mary that could get her locked away for life with no chance of a trial." He ran a hand over his face. "And...she's pregnant. With my child."

"Oh, this is just a plot twist, after plot twist." sneered Amelia. "How perfect. I hope you two will be very happy together. What sort of information?"

"I don't know, but he told me that it's information—information that can get her sent away for a very long time."

"But nothing substantial?" She scoffed. "Come on, John. You and I both know that he has to be bluffing.

"Amelia," said Sherlock, stepping out from the inside of the café, "please." Despite apparently knowing, and admitting, that Sherlock was alive, John looked startled to see the detective standing before him, as though the idea of him was different than actually seeing him.

"Sherlock—" started John.

"So," he cut him off, "you got engaged while I was away."

"What if I did?" John raised an eyebrow. "You weren't there to stop me."

"If I had been, you wouldn't be alive." He glanced towards Amelia. "Neither of you would be."

Amelia, who'd been glaring at John in fury, turned to Sherlock. "Wait, what?"