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Johnny sits back, his eyes meeting mine. “You’re right. This goes beyond just Chicago. I’ll put out some feelers, see what I can dig up. Do you need help with this Grandmother? I know Juno would be happy?—”
“No,” I say quickly. “It’s in hand. The Syndicate is all the help I need.”
Only if things get really bleak, of course. I can’t risk anyone knowing about Scarlett.
Scarlett…
I have a flash of our activities, just a few hours ago, and I hope like hell Johnny doesn’t have a well-developed sense of smell, because I can still smell her on me.
All over me.
And I want to go back to her right now, as I leave Johnny de Luca to enjoy his pie and his diner. But I can’t. I’m just about ready to drop from exhaustion, and tomorrow I need to make time to train the recruits, and get together a plan to infiltrate this industrial complex. I don’t have the bandwidth to drive back to that damn farm tonight, no matter how much my heart is begging for me to go.
No. For now, I need to get back to Hadria and show her this list, too, before Johnny starts spreading it around.
When I get back to Elysium, I head up to the war room. It’s still pretty empty but the familiar scents are still there: leather, wood, and something I’ve come to associate with determination. Hadria lounges regally in her “throne,” and looks almost annoyed as I approach.
“I was in the middle of something when I got your message,” she says. She means in the middle of Suzy Sunshine, I’m betting. “So this better be good.”
“It is,” I say, and slap down the list of names in front of her. “I found this at Grandmother’s house. Went back to have another look, and this is what I got—a list of names that could be potential targets.”
Hadria is already scanning the paper with interest.
“Listen,” I say, as she gets to the end and stares thoughtfully into space. “I just came from Johnny de Luca at the diner. I showed him the list, too, since the Bianchi Boss was on it.”
Another flash of annoyance crosses Hadria’s features. “You showed this to someone else before bringing it to me?”
“It was the right call, Hades. Grandmother is a threat to all of us. We need every advantage we can get, and I just happened to be seeing Johnny tonight right after I…found this.”
It’s only a little fudging of the truth, but for a moment, I’m not sure she’ll buy it. But at last, she concedes, “You’re right. But next time, bring it to me first.”
“I hear you, Boss.” Loud and clear.
Hadria likes being in charge. I like her being in charge. If Johnny hadn’t buzzed me in the middle of—well, in the middle of Scarlett—I would have gone to Hadria first.
She leans back in her chair, her fingers drumming on the armrest. “This changes things. We need to move more quickly. You need to take charge of a team, Lyssa. I know you like working alone, but the wedding is getting too close for comfort.”
The last thing I need is people dogging my footsteps. More people means more chances for Scarlett to be exposed. “I appreciate that, but it’s not time for a full-out assault yet,” I counter, thinking fast. “I plan to case the industrial complex tomorrow night, and then I’ll get together a plan for infiltration. That’s when I’ll need the team.”
“You’re being unusually cautious. Usually you’re the one urging me to act.”
I force a wry smile. “Maybe your influence is rubbing off on me. Better safe than sorry, right?”
“Fair enough. But don’t keep me in the dark, Wolf. We’re in this together, remember.”
I nod, the guilt gnawing at my insides. “Always, Hades.”
As I turn to leave, Hadria’s voice stops me. “Oh, and Lyssa? Aurora’s finished your room.”
“My—room?”
“The interior design. And by the way, she’s still waiting on those details for the wedding, clothes and a date. Don’t make me sic her on you.”
I roll my eyes, grateful for the change of subject. “Tell Suzy I’ll wear whatever she picks out. And no plus-one.”
Hadria’s laughter follows me out of the room, but it does little to ease the weight of my deception. Then I get up to my rooms and I feel even worse, if that’s possible. Crossing the threshold, I blink slowly as I take in the changes Suzy has clearly been hard at work crafting. Dark velvet drapes frame the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Elysium grounds, while in the bedroom, grey and cream satin sheets beckon me to come and lie down on the massive sleigh bed. In the living room, shelving units line one whole wall to house my extensive collection of antique weaponry.
It’s all…perfect. Exactly the sort of aesthetic I might pick for myself if I ever gave a fuck.
