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He doesn’t say anything to that. It’s clear he doesn’t believe me. I close my eyes, my breath shuddering when I inhale. “What you need to do is get me close to him. I don’t know if you’re going to be able to do this by yourself.”
“I need to do it by myself. I don’t see you rushing to help.”
“I am helping, but if you need me to have a more hands-on role, I’m sure you can arrange for that.”
“Oh, yeah? And how do you suggest I do that?”
He turns to look at me, sunlight suddenly breaking through the clouds, making his dark skin glow. “He said he intends to keep all of your needs fulfilled,” he says. “And I can smell how insatiable you are.”
“Wait. Are you saying you want us to sleep together?”
“I’m saying that I can smell how much you want it,” Corvus replies. “Whenever you’re around. You can try to deny it all you want, but it’s obvious to all of us. Ask your king, Penn, and just give into it. If that’s what you need to do so you can do your job.”
“So it’s all business, huh?”
He smiles at me. There is some levity there, a sparkle of something that feels like he’s being good-humored about it. I don’t know how long that’ll last, though. “Well,” he says. “We’re both here to do our job.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
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PENN
I feel like I’m just finding my footing when Atlas pulls the rug out from under me.
Apparently Atlas doesn’t like spending time in Solis, and he was only here to greet me when I arrived from Earth. Therefore, he tells me that afternoon that we’re going back to his home: the Ganivet Valley, a whole continent away.
It’s the Ganivet stronghold—of course—and it’s about as deep into enemy territory as a First Wave agent can go, on the opposite side from the Families humanity knows best. That’s the downside. The upside is that, if the Ganivets have Layla, this will take me much closer to her.
And hopefully I won’t get taken, too.
I don’t have much to pack, drones taking care of all my clothes for me. Corvus keeps an eye on me from the door while I stash all my sex toys in my satchel, basically the only personal belongings I have left here. I look around the room as I sit down on the bed, twirling a strand of my hair in my fingers.
I look at Corvus.
He looks at me.
We don’t say a damn thing.
I can tell he’s still angry with me, and I really do get it. Because at this point, he doesn’t know if he can trust me…and not evenIknow if he can trust me. Keon told me that it was Corvus’ people who took Layla, and now I’m caught between the two of them, only having learned two things that don’t get me much of anywhere.
One, that Keon is far more devious than deviant.
And two, that I actually like him.
The door slides open without any preamble and Keon strolls in, hands in the pockets of his skinny pants. He’s wearing some shiny black leather shoes with pointed toes, and a shimmery silver shirt, looking downright devilish. Corvus gives him just a touch of an annoyed look as he walks in, and I wonder if my handler is just frustrated with me for bailing last night, or if he’s a little bit jealous.
He says he’s all business, but the way he touched me last night at the show says otherwise.
“Hello, darling,” Keon says as he walks toward me. I stand and, taking me by surprise, he scoops me into his arms and kisses me deeply. I melt against him, not sure if he’s putting on a show or if he just wants to kiss me.
I find that I don’t really care.
“So this is just what we do now?” I ask after he pulls away. “I feel like I shouldn’t need to remind you that I’m marrying your boss…”
“Alreadymarried to my boss, as far as he’s concerned,” Keon says. “And he told me he talked to you about this. That you need touch…”
He trails his finger up my arm, and I shudder at the electric sensation that zings up my spine. “Atlas is a generous man,” I say, biting my lip. “But that isn’t why you’re here, is it? I figured he would be here, too—to watch.”
