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“Well, don’t keep hedging around it,” I say. “Out with it.”
“She’s First Wave.”
It takes me a moment to process that.
Then another.
Then I almost get to my feet—but theflorain the cigarette drags me back down. I lean back in my seat instead, my eyes wide. I feel dazed, like I’ve just been struck a heavy blow.
In a way, I have.
“This isn’t entirely unexpected,” Keon says, as if this is the most ordinary thing in the world. “The Widow has her hands in most of the bride programs. I suspected her as soon as she was vetted.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” I demand.
“No,” he says. “Because I was hoping she would help us find the mole in our operation.”
I scoff, shaking my head. “This isn’t doing much to set me at ease,” I say.
“It isn’t meant to,” Keon replies. “But you should know that Penn is already aware I know of her status, and I suspected you would keep yourself safe from any subterfuge. In addition…I think we may have an in with her.”
“Is that so?” I say. “You want me to just act like she wasn’t sent here to kill me?”
“On the contrary,” he says. “I think you should confront her about it.”
“Why?”
“Because her best friend was kidnapped by the Diavolos.”
My jaw drops as I register what he’s just said—and I wish he would have kept me in the loop. If he had, I would have…
…well, I would have killed her on the spot, in all likelihood.
“You understand I couldn’t tell you,” he says, like he’s reading my mind. He’s always been good at that. I hate it. “Because you would’ve—”
“I’m impulsive at times, I know,” I growl. “You were waiting until I came to care for her.”
“And you have,” he says, “and she’s come to care for you, for what it’s worth.”
“So what’s this about her friend?” I ask. “I presume that’s the reason she’s here?”
“It is,” he says. “You remember when I went to the moon to move product a few months ago?”
I nod.
“The product was her friend: Layla Dara,” he says. “And I got a Diavolo diplomat out of their operation as well. Dara was pregnant.”
I want to tear my hair out. Yes, it’s nice that Keon is telling me all this now…but it would have been nice if he kept me informed. I’m his boss; this isn’t right.
“In the future, you’re to tell me all of this right away,” I say.
He snickers. “I would be a horrible spymaster if I told you everything.”
I groan, then take another long drag. I’m going to be high as fuck when I’m done with this—but at least I’m not panicking anymore. My mind is oriented toward business now, knowing I need to grapple with this as soon as possible. “So what do you want me to do?” I ask. “Even though, I want to point out, I shouldnotbe taking orders from you.”
“Not orders,” Keon scoffs. “Suggestions. And my suggestion is that you go and talk to her—alone—and you offer to help her find her friend.”
“I don’t even know if I can,” I say.
