Rhett’s boots thumped against the concrete as he came to Blair’s side.“They’re Eos scum.”His gaze hardened on Aiden.“Be thankful restraints are all you’re getting.”
“Rhett.”Elodie’s voice cracked.“You don’t have to do this.I can explain.”
Blair perched on the edge of her desk, her sleeveless top and her skirt matching the slick black Onyx.“Oh, please do.I would love to hear what sort of tales you weave.”
Elodie sniffled, blinked, and sniffled again.“I don’t understand.”
Blair turned her attention to Aiden.If anyone was going to tell her the truth, it would be her Denny.“Is this how she did it?How she got you to join Eos?By playing the dumbgirl.”
Aiden’s green eyes narrowed.“She didn’tget meto do anything.”
Blair dug her nails into her new palms.The synthetic gloves dulled the expected bursts of pain.“Don’t defend her, brother!”
Elodie leapt from the wall.“I don’t need defending!”
Rhett lumbered forward and forced his trifling fiancée back to her place with the butt of his stock prod.“I know you haven’t been yourself, but please don’t make me do anything I’ll regret.”
Anythinghewould regret?How had this dull girl managed to subjugate both of these men?How could they not see her spoiled, volatile nature?Blair tossed up her hands as she slid off her desk.“And just like that, her switch has flipped.”
Elodie was off the wall again.“Just like that?”she growled between clenched teeth.“I’ve been sentenced to death!My best friend was murdered in front of me!My fiancé put me in handcuffs!And for what?A kiss?At the end of this, the Key will have taken three lives and our kiss will have takennone.”
“You destroyed my brother!”Blair snarled, spittle flying from herlips.
Rhett was there again with the safe end of his prod, shoving Elodie against thewall.
Elodie’s pitiful brown hair swept her shoulders as she shook her head and fell back in line.“You don’t know your brother.”
Rhett returned the stock prod to its holster.“You couldn’t possibly, Blair.If you did, you’d know this was mostly him.”He crossed his sausage arms across his chest.“El and I had everything worked out.Then your brother comes along and has her acting like a total space cadet.”
Blair’s lips parted with a grin.“Men like you have been underestimating women for centuries.”
Rhett’s cheeks reddened.“Your brother did this.He recruited Elodie and filled her head with nonsense.We were meant to be.Wewere—”
Blair couldn’t keep from laughing.It was the kind of hollow laughter that lived in her throat and leapt on wounded prey.“You really believethat?”
“I believe you shouldn’t interrupt me when I’m speaking.”Rhett’s meatball of a hand rested on his stock prod.“Eos and your asshole of a brother broke my Elodie!”
Blair felt something deep within her click.Perhaps it washerswitch that had been flipped.Her hand itched for the gun Maxine had promised.
The door hissed open and Blair’s heartbeat quickened.Ask, believe, receive...Her hands grew clammy inside the gloves as she waited for the impatient stomps of Maxine’s kittenheels.
Blair stepped backward, gripping the edge of her stone desk as Cath marched through the doorway.“You shouldn’t be here.”Blair clenched her teeth.“I have this handled.”
Cath didn’t look at Blair, didn’t even acknowledge her adoptive daughter or that she had entered a private meeting in the office Blair had worked so hard to acquire.Cath only looked atAiden.
Blair’s stomach hollowed.No matter what she accomplished, Denny would always be Cath’s favorite.
Cath brushed something from her cheek as she turned to face Blair.“Let my son go.”The blistering light from the chandelier was somehow softer, more golden when it struck her.
Blair stiffened.Aiden was Cath’sson.But Blair had always just beenBlair.“I have this handled, Cath,” she repeated without washing the coldness from her tone.“We don’t needyou.”
Aiden lifted his wrists and his handcuffs rattled.“Mom, don’t—”
Blair slapped the edge of her desk.“I said we don’t needyou!”
“Let my son go and take me instead.”Cath pursed her lips and swallowed.“I’m a member of Eos.I’m who you want.Not Aiden, not Elodie—me.”
Blair let out athroat-burningscreech as she cast her gaze to the ceiling.“Don’t lie, Cath.The girl needs to learn a lesson.”She pressed her hands against her hips.“Plus, I can’t let Denny leave.Preston Darby finally has a little bit of power and it’s driving him crazy.He’ll use this to destroy us.”
