“I do. I don’t want to investigate this psychopath, but I don’t believe we have a choice.”
“We?” He shook his head. “No,we’vegotten the translation. Now,Ican use it for revenge. Your contributions are no longer required.”
She crossed her arms, jaw tensing. “Then someone else continues his experiment and more people die.”
“Listen, sweetheart, you may be cursed with a bloody conscience, but I hold no such qualms about letting nature take its course. I am here for one reason.” He stared at her, resolute. Except, she wouldn’t accept that he would let such atrocities slide.
“You can still do what you like with…him,” she said, casting her eyes around to make sure they weren’t being overheard, “All I’m suggesting is that we get at least some tangible information on his plan before we move forward. This could affect the entire city, you included. Your club, included.”
She tried to appeal to his selfish nature, hoping that she could get him to agree. They could go their separate ways here, but he was the only other person who knew what she was doing and she feared that taking things a step further would require their continued partnership. She couldn’t collect this informationalone. It was her turn to manipulate him into agreeing to work together.
He shook his head, sighing. “I’m not a monster, I know that it’s the right thing to do.”
“Then why are you resisting me so much?”
“Because this is going to be dangerous and the last thing I need to worry about is babysitting.”
Miranda stepped forward, nearly lunging. “Babysitting? I could level you without breaking a sweat. If anything, I’d be babysitting you.”
Drake hung his head, his posture loosening.
She stepped away again, not expecting him to be defeated so easily. He hadn’t even baited her since they arrived here.
“You do realize that this will make us a target,” he said coolly.
Her heart squeezed. Did he care about her safety? Genuinely? She refused to believe he was trying to be noble and spare her from danger. He wasn’t…he was an asshole. He didn’t do nice things orcare. Miranda’s thoughts sputtered along with her attempt to retort.
“I see there is no arguing with you, since you’re about as moveable as concrete. I want it known that I did try to stop you. Besides," he smiled, some of his humor returning and Miranda wasn't expecting how relieved she felt. "I was the one who duped you into working together in the first place. Reap what you sow, I suppose.”
“Fine,” she said, raising her chin in the air to hide her unease.
“Fine,” he agreed, crossing his arms.
“I don’t suppose you have a plan then, love?”
“I do, actually,” she said, earning a raised brow in return. “My parents are throwing an engagement party. It’s at his mansion in the Ring. I can get you inside. Then we can look around while he’s distracted.”
He laughed now, with more mirth than before. “That’syour plan. To sneak into his heavily guarded home and rifle through his drawers?”
She rolled her eyes. “It gets us in his territory. All we need is a mention of what this experiment is about and then we get out of there and let the Watchmen take over.” She paused, but quickly added, “Or you can kill him, I guess. Though in the middle of a ball is not ideal considering the amount of potential witnesses.”
“And what about the address? I’m sure there’s plenty of information to be gathered at the source.”
“True, but I don’t have an easy way to get into whatever this address turns out to be. I have a personal invite to his home, I think we should pursue that connection before we lose our chance. If we’re discovered snooping at this building, we end up in his sights and there’s no way we’d make it to his private office at the ball.”
Devin rubbed at the back of his neck, some inner battle waging in his silence. Miranda bobbed on her toes, never good at waiting for others to catch up to her.
Finally, he said, “This is not a good idea. For a multitude of reasons.”
“Oh? Name one.”
“The first is me not killing the bastard while he cuts the cake.”
Chapter Five
Devinhaddoneavery good job avoiding soirées and fancy gatherings of any kind since inheriting his father’s house and lands. It helped that society was hesitant to invite him in the first place, but he wouldn’t have accepted anyway. He grew up observing from the outside, like the rest of the city. Grand balls. Fancy dinners. Overnight excursions to private mansions in the country. Only rich humans did those things.
Devin preferred his club and apartment in the Fells. It was grander than anything he had growing up. Large, spacious. Long hallways that led to rooms with purposes he never bothered to learn. It had been furnished by the previous tenant, and he hadn’t bothered to change it except to buy his own bed in the master suite. It was the first time he’d ever had a proper bed that belonged solely to him.
