Closing my eyes, I focused on the feeling of the sun on my skin. The warmth was inviting, and I thought about the way we would resolve the issues as soon as the council meeting was done. We would hold all the cards if we could just make it to the vote.
“Quentin,” Larkin called.
My eyes snapped open, and I twisted to look over my shoulder. Following Larkin from the bottom of the stairs and moving towards me was Mabel. She wiggled her fingers at me and flashed a fake smile.
“Hunter—" Larkin started.
“Oh, Larkin,” Mabel trilled. “It’s hardly your place to convey his messages. He sent me for a reason. He trusts me.”
“He’s using you.”
“Green really isn’t your colour, babe,” Mabel said as I got to my feet. She looked at me. “Hunter’s requested to see you.”
“What for?” I asked.
“You’ll see.”
“I need to get Gray.”
There was no way I was about to step in front of Hunter without Gray by my side. He could read the room better than I could and make sure I didn’t mess up any further.
“Don’t worry about Grayson. Hunter already went to see him. He’ll be waiting for you.”
I glanced at Larkin. “Will you come with me?”
Mabel huffed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Did he say she couldn’t come?” I asked, seeking a loophole. “You don’t have to,” I said, turning to Larkin and realising my mistake. “I’ll be fine.”
I had no right to ask her to step foot back into a house that held awful memories for her and stand before a coward who’d created that situation.
“She can’t,” Mabel said, placing her hands on her hips. “You’ll receive instructions soon, Larkin.”
“Gray will be there,” Larkin told me. “I’ll see you as soon as you’re done with him.”
Nodding my head, I let Mabel wrap her fingers around my wrist before the neon pink clouded my vision. When it cleared away, we were standing in an office.
“You have some interesting choices for who you keep as company,” Hunter said.
Mabel abandoned her post and joined his side behind the desk. But I wasn’t concerned with either of them.
“What the fuck?” I asked, eyes landing on Gray.
He was sitting in a chair, looking suitably pissed off with a copper collar around his neck and wrists bound.
“Gray?” I walked over to him.
“He’s fine,” Hunter assured me. “He’ll be freed as soon as we conclude matters.”
“That’s ridiculous. This isn’t necessary.”
“I don’t trust either of you to keep your tempers in check if the vote goes against you.”
A heavy weight settled in my stomach and I looked over my shoulder at Hunter. “You’re calling the vote.”
Fingers brushed against my hands and my attention was drawn back to Gray. “It’s just until after the vote. He wouldn’t agree to hold it without us being in the restraints. We’ll be released from them before you know it, but you need to do this for now.”
He didn’t look happy with the arrangement and I wasn’t convinced, either. After figuring out what Archer was up to and that Hunter was encouraging it, my distrust had grown to paramount proportions. But if we caused a scene before the vote, there was every possibility of people changing their minds. We’d worked too hard to watch it crumble now.
