80 The Art of War

"I can't believe it, JJ! Are you using her as a shield against that harpy, now? Avarice might not be the best person I know, but this is just… well, this is just a dick move!"

JJ raised his hands in a placating gesture that did nothing to diminish my outrage. "Ma chèrie, please… Will you always think so badly of me?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to burn a hole in his head with my glare, but now that my initial burst of anger went away, I was ready to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Only if you deserve it. Do you?"

JJ shrugged. "I can't be the one to judge if I deserve your scorn or not—this scorn is only yours to give—but at least I know I don't deserve it for the reasons you named. I assure you, ma chèrie, that Avarice is well-aware of what's going on, and had agreed to warn me if any of her people notice Christina skulking around. Of course, not for free, but you don't need to worry about payment for this."