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Lila withdrew the woman’s palm from her pocket.
Dixon craned his neck as Lila dug through the data. When she spied a familiar name, Lila dropped the palm onto the floorboards. “Damn it!”
Is it the mole?
Lila shook her head. “No, she’s just one of my mother’s spies.”
Chapter 20
Lila slipped on her hood as Dixon pulled into the shop, parking between a wall and another Cruz truck of the same make, model, and color. When they’d stopped in an alley so that Lila could check for bugs, Dixon had suggested that they return to the shop for the night, rather than go back to the oracle’s compound. It was already late, and they’d be up early tomorrow to seek entrance into Falcon Home. It wasn’t worth returning to the cabin, and she needed sleep.
He refused to take no for an answer.
Lila exited through the driver’s side, hitching her satchel higher. She strode through the shop, glad not to see Shirley or her assistants. Only Samantha had seen them enter. She’d slammed the dock door closed again after they pulled inside.
Dixon led her up the stairs and opened the apartment door. Katia and Tristan lay upon the couch watching a screen, bundled up under a blanket.
Tristan sat up, shirtless. “I didn’t know you’d be coming back.”
Lila averted her eyes. She used to trace his skin with her fingers, letting it dip and rise over the ridges in his chest and abdomen. That pastime now belonged to the woman on the couch. She’d probably been doing it all night.
Tristan dug into the couch, found his shirt, and pulled it over his head.
Lila left him and Dixon to their updates. She plopped down on the sofa chair in the center of the room, ignoring her name as Tristan whispered it, ignoring their stares.
She pulled out her palm and tapped a message. Father? Message me after your meeting!
“We were just about to get a late dinner,” Katia said, folding the blanket she and Tristan had been cuddling under. “Can we order something for you too?”
“Dixon and I already ate.” Lila called up Shiloh’s information on her palm, wondering if he might know anything.
But perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to worry the boy. She’d only spook him.
“Something’s happening to your father,” Katia said. “I might not be able to see your face, but I can tell from how you’re gripping that palm that you’re worried. I’ve held one like that too.”
Lila looked past her to the arguing brothers.
“I also might have heard Tristan whisper ‘father’ a few times and look at you. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“My father is going to be fine.” Lila scrolled through her contact list. She had many spies in Bullstow, but none would work without credits.
She’d never felt so helpless before.
Perhaps her mother and father had a point about money. Maybe it did offer security and power.
Was this how the workborn felt every day? The lowborn too?
“Of course. I’m sure your father will be okay.” Katia’s gaze flitted back to the brothers. “Have you noticed how much Tristan and Dixon have been arguing these days? I’ve never seen so much discord between them.”
Lila barely heard her words as she tapped out a message to Max. She then thrust her palm into her pocket. Max would find out what she couldn’t.
In the meantime, she’d work. Max would let her know if he found out anything new.
Lila booted up her laptop and opened the list of forty names. She filtered it, removing those who had arrived for the Squab’s Sojourn, even though it went against her instincts. The assumption felt sloppy, especially when it removed a certain name from the list. Nico seemed far too interested in her, and for very little reason. More to the point, he seemed to be everywhere. He’d investigated the intruders in her cabin. He’d lingered nearby when she visited the basement. He’d asked Camille and Connell all sorts of questions about her. Camille had claimed the latter was only to woo Lila, but also admitted that Nico wasn’t the type to do that.
It was too suspicious.
She added his name back to the list.
