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Vance hums. "Nero and Caius have been at odds for months, but neither of them are willing to talk with me or my contacts. It might be a lead, though."
"So what are you going to do with me?"
He meets my eyes.
"This is the safest place in the city," he says. "You should stay here."
"With Gunnar," I say.
Vance rolls his neck. "Yes...with Gunnar. I don't think there's any point trying to separate you two again unless I want my security guys to have permanent black eyes, hm?"
I chuckle softly at Vance's comment, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. Despite the chaos and danger that surrounds us, there's something comforting about his words. At least for now, I can find solace in knowing that Gunnar is nearby, that we're together.
"And what will we do here?" I ask, tilting my head curiously.
Vance leans back in his chair, his eyes searching mine. "We wait," he says simply. "We gather more information. With yourhelp, we may be able to uncover the truth behind this new drug and put an end to the chaos it's causing."
"I have one more request," I say.
He laughs, shaking his head. "You're a demanding woman, you know that?"
"I want my friends out of Dreamland," I shoot back.
Vance sighs. "More of your 'friends'," he says. "How many?"
"There are four other dancers there that need our help--women in debt to the Eclipse, trafficked in from other parts of the continent," I say. "And...and an Eclipse bodyguard who helped me escape, but he's probably dead."
"People around you do have a tendency to end up that way, don't they?" Vance says.
I ignore the jibe.
"Will you help me?"
He steeples his fingers and leans forward. "Perhaps," he says. "But for now...just sit tight, Miss Faye. You've caused enough trouble already."
Chapter twenty-three
Gunnar
Ishould really bedead.
If it weren't for the power of my name and Vance's debt to my family--he wouldn't exist without my dad's intervention--I definitelywouldbe dead. But I'm still sitting here in this cell with Luka, biding time while Vance does god knows what with Aisling.
The air in the room is close, thick with tension and the scent of both our frustration. Conversation got a little stifled once Luka suggested packing up, and I still haven't had the will to address it again. That means the room is in complete silence--quiet enough that I'm able to hear footsteps in the hall outside. Luka gives me a look telling me to stay quiet and calm, but I can barely take the anxiety of being separated from her so soon after I marked her.
Three of Vance's guards step into the room, each wearing a suit and a wire. The middle one steps toward me, then gestures at my shackles.
"Mr. Finch," he says. "You are effectively on house arrest until further notice. You will stay here with Miss Faye, and youwill notflee again. We've been told to inform you that you won't get another pass when it comes to disobeying Mr. Solace."
I grit my teeth. "Understood."
He meets my eyes. "We're clear?"
"Crystal."
He unlocks my cuffs and I flex my hands, watching as they unlock Luka as well. Luka rolls his shoulders. "And what about me?" he asks.
"You're free to go."
