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“Of course—early February, back when he first thought about buying it. He wanted my opinion. I advised him to make the purchase. What did you say?”
Lila typed so heavily that the keys might have gone flying off. Tristan hadn’t brought her to the shop until after he’d abandoned the last safe house. They’d been in the middle of a job together, and she’d had no idea where he’d gone.
He’d brought his ex-lover, though.
“It’s much better than that drafty old hotel, don’t you think?” Katia asked. “The renovations might take ages, but the shop is a good cover. It was worth it in the end.”
Lila transferred the kitten pictures onto the computer. “I think it’s great that you guys kept in touch while you were away at college.”
“Of course we kept in touch. We’ll always be together in some form or fashion. Why else would Tristan keep me around?” Katia’s eyes widened suddenly. “No, I didn’t mean it like—”
“Of course you meant it,” Lila said, waving her off. “You didn’t mean it as a slight, though. I know when someone’s being catty. Besides, you’re right. He wouldn’t have remained friends with you unless he wanted to get back together.”
“I didn’t mean get back together.”
“Why not? You and Tristan seem like a good couple.”
“Did you and Tristan seem like a good couple?”
“No.” Lila set her programs to run. “Look, I don’t know what he’s told you, but I think you have the wrong idea about us. We weren’t lovers. What happened between us was brief and stupid and never should have happened at all. It was a mistake on both our parts.”
“Really?” Katia turned her head back toward the kitchen.
“Really.”
The truth struck Lila once more. She really had made a mistake. A big one. She’d believed Tristan when he claimed that he’d fallen in love with her, that she was the only one for him. He’d taken an ex-lover more seriously. He’d given Katia far more of his trust and time. If Lila had abandoned her family for him, she would have woken up to a reality he hadn’t promised, to a man who hadn’t cared that deeply about her, to a man who had done nothing but lie.
What would she have done when he introduced her to Katia?
If he introduced her?
She would have felt like a fool.
Perhaps Tristan wasn’t as monogamous as he claimed. All that bullshit about highborn cheating. All that shaming about the highborn taking multiple lovers. All of that, and he’d kept Katia in the background, waiting.
Gods, Katia could have him. She was done with Tristan.
She was done with all men.
“Here’s a piece of advice, Katia. Never sleep with someone you work with. Shit just gets awkward.”
Katia scratched at her slave’s scar. “Are you sure it was just sex? He called you his ex.”
“He broke up with you ages ago, yet you two never stopped talking to one another. He can’t wait to get rid of me. What does that tell you?”
Katia turned back to the kitchen.
“In any case, I won’t be staying for long. I only needed to get the rest of my things, and perhaps Toxic’s help in reviewing some logs.”
“Toxic? I think she’s gone on a job. Can I help?”
Lila nodded, hoping she wouldn’t regret it later. Even ten minutes of help would be ten minutes. “All right, just until Dixon and Tristan are finished with their tête-à-tête in the kitchen. The more eyes the better. What was your degree in?”
“Business, with a concentration in natural resources. A lot of lowborn are hiring, trying to compete against the highborn in the industry. I might even have a job lined up next month. I’m reading through a half-dozen contracts right now, seeing which one offers the best benefits.”
“A half-dozen? Congratulations,” Lila said sincerely. “Use that business expertise from school and your common sense on the logs I’m giving you. Look for things that seem weird to you. Messages that sound awkward, like they’ve been written in code or by lawyers using doublespeak. Or people sending nothing but kitten pictures.”
“Oh, I like kitten pictures!”
