Natalya was a Regent. Her personal desires might place Evie’s family over everything else, but the orders she gave were based on more than that. Her decisions affected the entire Court. The greater good would be more important than the safety of a few people.
Would the Chains even take the risk of moving on a neutral city? It could be viewed as an attack, especially if Kieran retreated as soon as they showed up.
The Chains had plenty of enemies. One misstep would be all they needed to go for the throat. If Maya alerted them about this, best case scenario, a standoff would launch with the Chains on one side of the city border and Kieran’s pack on the other. Wearing police uniforms.
The city would be locked down. Harper wouldn’t be able to escape.
Cursing, Maya picked up the switchblade and got to her feet. Dawn was only a few hours away. If she wanted time to act, be it selfish or not, she had to move fast.
Chapter 13
Harper dumped another spoonful of sugar into her coffee. It was her second cup, and she needed at least one more before she started feeling like a person. They had gotten up at such an abysmal hour that it was still pitch-black outside, and if Lucas hadn’t needed a hug goodbye, she would still be dead asleep.
Butsomeonewas an early riser. Giving her an infuriating amount of energy.
“Would youstop, please?” Harper muttered.
Nell’s eyes went comically wide. Patricia had gone back to bed right after Lucas left, so Harper had to fend off a nosy Nell all on her own.
She wasn’t even supposed to be in the apartment. She could have gone to her own place, since she was no longer needed for babysitting duty, but she’d shown up shortly after Harper did. Forsomereason.
“Stop what? I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face did. Very loudly.”
Nell’s big doe eyes had gone absurdly wide. A trick only effective on people who weren’t used to it.
Nell stirred her morning tea. “What’s with you? You’re being weird.”
“There’s nothingwithme.”
“Yeah. There is.” She poked Harper’s cheek. “You’resmiling.”
“No, I’m not,” Harper said. Lying.
She wastrying to lean into her usual morning grumpiness, but it obviously wasn’t working. Which was ridiculous. It was a morning like any other. There was no reason for her to besmiling.
As long as she ignored what had happened the previous evening. Which was difficult, given that the kiss and everything surrounding it was the kind of thing more romantic sorts might spend hours sighing about.
“You haven’t mentioned why you left so suddenly last night,” Nell said. “Or what you were ‘caught up’ with. Isn’t that how you phrased it?”
“You’re being annoying.”
“And you’re being secretive.” Nell moved around the kitchen table so she was sitting right next to Harper. “Come on.Spill. Something obviously happened, otherwise you wouldn’t be blushing right now.”
Curse her body and its stupid responses. But Harper couldn’t help it. Justthinkingabout Maya and her fervent touch and snarling sighs made her heart start racing. And since she got home the night before, she hadn’t been able tostopthinking about it.
Normally, she wouldn’t keep something like that secret. She and Nell talked about everything, including the horror show that was their dating lives.
Evie used to be in that category, too, which might be why this kind of conversation had become somewhat rare. It wasn’t the same without Evie’s keen-eyed perspective. Though the excited glint in Nell’s eyes was familiar, Harper couldn’t remember when she had seen it last.
“Fine.” Harper glanced at Patricia’s bedroom door. Harper loved the woman, but she could only deal with her maternal concern past noon. “If you really must know, I was…meetingsomeone.”
Nell offered a lewd smile. “Meetingsomeone?”
“Oh, get your head out of the gutter.”
“You’re being stingy with information, so forgive me for jumping to conclusions.” Nell put her elbows on the table. “Was it the first time youmetwith them?”
