“Baby,” Ash murmured, and tears pricked my eyes.
He reached his hand out to me. I pulled my hand into my sleeve and reached back. When he gripped it, I almost sobbed.
“Don’t,” Dev snapped from the front seat.
I glared at him. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t cry. Not now,” he growled. “You do not get to cry right now. Not after this crap you pulled.”
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
This time Kieran did start laughing.
“Tell you?” he said coldly. “No. Why would we bother? Why would anyone bother when you do whatever you want anyway?”
I glared at him. “I saved your goddamn life, Kieran Hawthorne. Maybe try saying thank you.”
“All you did was put yourself in danger!” Kieran shouted. “Georgina was bluffing!”
“How the hell do you know?” I demanded. “Her men had guns to your head. And I won’t apologise for trying to save you!”
“I know,” Elliot said finally. “And I could have told you if you’d asked.”
“Because you’re always so forthcoming, Elliot,” I sneered.
“I haven’t kept anything from you.”
“How about the fact you knew the Libertarians would be there? Why wouldn’t you tell us?”
“You didn’t ask.”
“So you admit it,” I growled. “You knew they were planning an attack.”
Even Dev snapped his eyes towards Elliot at this. Elliot just sighed.
“I knew something would happen. It wasn’t entirely clear, that’s true, until you showed up.” Elliot said, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror.
I faltered, meeting his eyes. “So what, this is my fault?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You’re implying that.”
“This isn’t a game, Seph. People are dying out here. The Council will not let up until they have this whole goddamn world under their control. Including you. The Libertarians are just a symptom of the bigger cancer.”
I raised my chin. “I wasn’t worried about me. I can take care of myself. But I refuse to let her hurt anyone else.”
“You heard those soldiers. They came there for you. They knew you’d show up to protect Ash! You walked right into their goddamn trap like a moron,” Kieran growled.
“Don’t call her that!” Ash snarled from the back.
“Name-calling doesn’t help, K,” Dev snapped.
“I’ll call her whatever I want. Do you have any idea what could have happened to you out there?” Kieran demanded. “What would happen if those soldiers got their hands on you? For fuck’s sake, Seph, I had a plan to get us both out!”
I raised my fists, ready to swing. “I went there for both of you, Kieran! Foryou, and for Ash! Because no matter what you think of me—like I’m some stupid kid—I never once stopped caring for you!” I shot back. “So don’t you dare talk to me like that doesn’t matter!”
He flinched back in his seat, his hazel eyes wide and fractured.
