Zahra stuffs her face with the rest of the scone in a poor attempt to hide her amusement at me being scolded.
“Sorry about that. I was a bit distracted.” I don’t even bother to look at the woman next to me. Doing so would only suck me back into whatever magic spell she’s put in me to mess with my head. “What do you need?”
“Could you pass the butter, please?”
I reach out to the small dish right in front of me, but before I can grab it, my hand collides with another, much smaller and softer hand. Zahra gasps the moment we make contact, pulling her hand away and clutching it to her chest like I’ve physically shocked her. And maybe I had. Because the side of her hand she had grazed feels like it’s buzzing with electricity. I move quickly, so no one else notices how dumbstruck they are,handing the butter dish to Maura and completely ignoring the way she continues to look back and forth between Zahra and me, only to shrug her shoulders at the end.
“Once breakfast is over, I’d like to brief you all on the intel gathered about the shooter.” I shift back into boss mode, locking eyes with each member of Zahra’s team.
“Or we can just talk about it now,” Azula offers, clearly wanting to get on with her day instead of being here. I can’t say I blame her. Up until recently, Zahra assumed I was the one trying to kill her, and I had no doubts her second had been informed of all the evidence stacked against me.
Aidan and I shoot each other a look. “We can’t.”
“I’m sorry?” Azula blinks.
“We just can’t. As soon as breakfast is over?—”
“Are you stalling, McAlister? If I were in your shoes and I had information on the man who nearly killed me and tried to kill my ally, I wouldrunto update them on what I found. Not sit around waiting to finish my pancakes.” Taking a knife into her hand, Azula angles it ever so slightly in my direction that I can feel all of my guards shift their attention to her, ready to protect me.
“He’s eating waffles, actually,” Aidan cuts in before I can defuse the situation. “And out of respect for my parents, we don’t speak about business when we eat meals together. It’s something they instilled in us as kids and we continue to live by.”
“I see.” Azula shifts her attention to Zahra, who offers her a stern smile signaling Azula to back off.
“Corrine and Cillian would be so thrilled to see us all together today.” Maura lets out a small sigh. “There are few things your father wanted more than to see you continue to work with Naser’s heir side by side.”
Zahra extends her hand out to give Maura’s a squeeze. “The same can be said for my father. His friendship with Cillian was one that meant the world to him.”
“I know you two are still strangers to each other, but I have no doubt you will learn to lean on each other over time just like your fathers did.”
“Funny, this sounds like work-related conversation to me, but what do I know?” Azula rolls her eyes, aggressively stabbing into her omelet.
“Azula,” Zahra warns.
“The alliance between our two organizations is more than just business. It’sfamily,” Maura emphasizes.
Family. There were many moments growing up where that’s exactly what I felt, but now I wasn’t so sure. How could we be family when Naser kept Zahra hidden from me. Hidden fromus. I wonder if Zahra feels the same. It’s clear her father told her stories about us, but she never got to actually live it herself. I know she’s grateful for the sense of normalcy her father was able to give her growing up, but there had to be a part of her that also felt…left out.
Connor, one of my new security details, steps behind me and clears his throat. “Boss, I’m sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Greylock is here to see you and he’s being particularly insistent.”
Greylock? What the hell did the CEO of one of the largest auto enterprises in the city want from me?
“What do you mean he’shere?” The man was incredibly private and refused to be featured in any tabloids. No one had even seen him outside of his estate in years.
“He’s waiting in the foyer along with his daughter.”
As if on cue, a high-pitched voice followed by a loud clicking of heels fills the room. “I know this house is a bit more…vintage than what we’re used to, Daddy, but don’t worry. I’ll spruce it up in no time. Oh! I didn't expect to see so many people here. Our invitation must have gotten lost.”
The lanky blonde, wearing a bright pink pantsuit, sends me a massive smile that I can only guess is meant to come off as endearing, but the crazed look in her eye makes me feel more in danger than Azula ever did. Still, I can’t shake the fact that I had met her somewhere before. Probably one of a dozen women Aidan had arranged for me to meet the night of the banquet… Oh shit. That’s definitely where I knew her from.
I look for Aidan, hoping he’ll somehow get me out of this nightmare, but instead he’s nearly keeling over in laughter at the disaster that was about to unfold.
“Connor, can you be a doll and grab me and Daddy a chair, please?”
“Absolutely not. This is a private meeting between our two organizations,” Azula seethes, freezing Connor in place.
The blonde is undeterred. “Oh, don’t you worry, I’m very good at keeping a secret. Plus, I probably should be informed about Declan’s business operations, given our relationship.”
“Your relationship as his….new assistant?” Azula guesses, shooting me a dirty look. Damn, who spat in her Cheerios this morning?
