Cole claps his hands together. “It sounds like you should continue keeping an eye on her. And all of us should pay close attention to the Tadros family. I can look into Grady’s records like I did for Kenneth. Byron, talk to them more when you can. Maybe Elodie should keep her distance until we’re sure of their intentions.”
When she grimaces, he narrows his eyes at her. “I know you’re not going to want to sit still. I could go back to the meeting spot next Wednesday—I can read the ephemera on this woman’s car if I can get into wherever the valet brings it. I might be able to follow her and see where she goes next.”
“Get the license plate number, and I can find out a few things,” Salvatore pipes up. “I’ll keep an eye on the coffee shop too in case she stops by there regularly. See who she meets up with.”
“Tore,” Elodie starts.
He grins at her. “No criminal activity. Just watching. And maybe some more security footage will ‘accidentally’ end up on my phone. But definitely no breaking and entering.”
She makes a face at him but doesn’t argue.
I realize I’m the only person who hasn’t been given any specific job. But what could I even offer to do other than keep my eyes open in general?
The energy in the room feels better than it did in Cole’s office last week, at least. Loads better than it did half an hour ago when all hell almost broke loose.
“This is good,” I say, meaning it. “Yeah, we need more information, but we’ve got a plan. We know approximately what and who we’re dealing with, how dangerous they are, and we’re working together. That’s how a union is meant to be, right?”
Elodie beams at me, and that’s enough to make speaking up worthwhile.
Her gaze goes momentarily distant. “It is. And maybe… Maybe I should be letting other people in at least a little more. I can talk to my aunt. She knows the basics already. She might have heard something about this special group or something else relevant.”
“That should cover all the bases.” Cole motions everyone to our feet. “If you find out anything, send me an email pretending it’s about a school assignment. I’ll arrange another meeting.”
Salvatore slings his arm around Elodie’s waist, a shadow crossing his face. “And watch out for anything at all suspicious happening around Elodie. These fuckers have already killed her once.”
On that dire note, we all tramp upstairs.
Cole lets our three guests out and shuts the door with a thump. He stares at its smudged paint as if he can watch them leave through it.
All the frustration that’s been simmering inside me bubbles to the surface. “Did you really have to come at her like that? Binding her to her chair and accusing her of screwing us over?”
Cole pinches the bridge of his nose. “Shewaslying to us. I wasn’t imagining it.”
“For good reason! I can’t even start to wrap my head around what she’s been through—dragged to a completely different world, away from the people she knew who cared about her?—”
“I know!” Cole sags back against the wall. “I fucked up. Is that what you want to hear? I was totally wrong about her. Not that I can be entirely blamed—who the hell would assume someone’s actually another version of themselves from a different reality…?” He shakes his head. “But I still fucked up. I know.”
His admission doesn’t give me the relief I expected. My gut is still churning, maybe for selfish reasons now.
If even Cole is coming around to Elodie’s side already… there reallyisn’tanything I can offer her that her other three matches can’t provide even more of.
Twenty-Four
Elodie
With each step down from Cole and Asher’s porch, the enormity of what just happened hits me harder.
I told my matches the truth—well, most of it. The important parts. What happened with Uncle Nik doesn’t matter when he doesn’t appear to have any part in my life here.
And all of the men seem… happier now that they know. A little confused, sure, and we obviously have a lot more to hash out, but it’s almost as if they’d rather I was an interloper from another dimension than the Elodie they thought they knew.
I’m not sure how to process that. A weight has lifted off my chest with the confession, but I still feel as wrung out as a bean-nighe’s washing.
When we reach the sidewalk, I motion vaguely to the right. “I’ll book a ride to pick me up over there.”
Salvatore tucks a protective hand around my arm. “I’ll come with you. Who knows what jerks are hanging around in this neighborhood?”
Byron clasps my other hand and shoots the mafia heir an imperious look. “Then I’d better come too, because radiants only know how Cosgrave might fly off the handle if someone so much as looks at him wrong.”
