Callum's head snaps toward him. "Stay out of this."
"No." Declan stands. "It was your idea to get her involved in the first place."
Callum turns back to me. "You go, and what? You think they won't know you're there? You think they won't make a move?"
"I think they'll expect me to hide," I say, meeting his gaze. "And let's face it, they're either coming for me, for us, or we're going to them. Let's make our move.”
Callum shakes his head, his expression somewhere between fury and disbelief. He looks past me toward Octavian, who's been standing silently by the door this entire time.
"Octavian, tell her she's being reckless here," Callum says.
I turn to Octavian. "Please, weigh in here, bodyguard."
I brace for him to betray me, for his voice to side with control instead my fire. But then he says it.
"She should go."
Silence.
I blink.
Callum stares at Octavian like he just sprouted wings.
"What?" Callum's voice is low, dangerous.
"She should go," Octavian repeats, stepping forward until he's standing beside me, his arm brushing my side. The contact sends a pulse straight to all the places it shouldn't right now. "She told me everyone who's anyone will be there. They won't risk another bomb or doing anything drastic, not with the people they have in their back pockets at this event. We control the environment. We use her visibility as bait. See if anyone approaches or talks to her." He stops and looks at me. "I'll be there, of course."
Callum narrows his eyes. "You think they'd hesitate to blow her up in front of a crowd?"
"I think they need the illusion of control. If they show up, it's to talk. To manipulate. Not to kill. They can't let anything bad happen at their event."
Callum turns to me. "And you trust him now?"
My heart pounds in my chest. I turn my head slightly to look at him, and he meets my gaze. His expression is unreadable, but either way, he's on my side.
"Yes," I say, looking back at Callum.
Callum leans back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. "You've got to be kidding me."
"He's right," Declan says. "This is the play. It's exactly what you talked about in Vermont."
I look at Declan, who shrugs.
"She seems up to this," Callum says and looks at Octavian. "Are you?"
Octavian nods. "Yes."
"Well, Keira. Alright. Octavian, stick to her like fucking glue," Callum says, his voice hard. "If anything happens to her?—"
"I know how it goes," Octavian interrupts. "Nothing will happen to her. You have my word."
Callum stares at him for a long moment. Finally, he exhales through his nose and looks at me. "You follow his lead. You don't wander off, you don't take risks, and you don't do anything stupid."
"I never do anything stupid," I say.
Declan snorts. "That's the biggest lie you've told all week."
I shoot him a look. "Shut up, Dec."
