“The fuck did you just say to my girl?” he growls.
Shit. I place a hand on Ember’s knee, giving her a warning squeeze.
She ignores me and shrugs. “I just asked a question coming from genuine curiosity.”
“Keep your questions to yourself,” he snaps.
“It’s alright,” Scarlett says quietly, straightening. “I haven’t been Stockholm Syndromed, and Greyson isn’t forcing me to sit here. I’m choosing to.”
Ember gazes at her dubiously. “Uh-huh.”
The short answer seems to get Scarlett’s back up. I want to intervene, carry Ember out of here and try again in another day or ten, but I force myself to remain still. This ought to happen sooner or later.
“Iam,” Scarlett insists, frowning. “I love him.”
Ember inclines her head. “If you say so.”
Now, Scarlett’s getting angry. “Ido!”
“Enough,” I cut in. “Ember, stop being mean. Scarlett, we’re well aware you love Greyson.”
“Is it true that you’re Viper?” Toby interjects, thank fuck.
Ember’s gaze swings over to him. “Yup.”
His eyes darken, and warning skitters up my spine. “Viper killed my cousin.”
Shitshitshit.She’s also killed multiple Nighthawks; things I should’ve considered more thoroughly before bringing her down here.
This appears to interest Ember. She tilts her head to the side, appraising him. “Did I?”
“If you are who you say you are.”
“Huh.” She nods. “Alright, then.”
Toby’s hands slam on the table. “Are you gonna fucking apologize?”
“Toby,” I warn.
“For following orders?” Ember asks, yawning. “No. I did what I had to do to survive. If your cousin got caught up in the mix, that was his fault, not mine.”
“He wasinnocent,” Toby hisses.
Emberlaughs.“Then I didn’t kill him. I only kill two types of people; those who cross and piss off Dagon—usually by fucking with his business or trying to assassinate him—and those who try to rape or kill me. If I killed your cousin, he fell into one of those categories.”
Toby’s cheeks heat with anger. I gaze up at the ceiling, shaking my head with a sigh. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be simple. “He’s not a rapist or a killer. He was a smuggler working for Eric.”
“Who?” Ember asks, frowning.
“The guy who sent him after your boss.” Toby’s eyes blaze. “He was just following orders, too.”
Ember shrugs. “Then I guess he was taking orders from the wrong guy.”
“I want her punished,” Toby addresses me. “She killed my cousin and has no remorse.”
Fuck. “Do any of us apologize to the families of our marks? No. The past is in the past. Ember’s loyalties have changed. Holding what she had to do against her is plain stupid. I’m sorry for your loss, Toby, but you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Ember turns to look at me. “Since when did my loyalties change?”
