“No,” she said slowly. Too slowly.
Drake cocked his head to the side. “Lying never goes over well with us, Miss Turner.”
“Drake,” Maxen warned.
But Calliope didn’t flinch at his brother’s tone. Instead, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Everyone has an enemy or two, but that man, whoever sent him, is not mine.”
“Do you know that for certain?” Maxen asked her. Rather be sure than careless.
She reached down to pat Prince’s head, as if the action brought her comfort. “No enemy of mine would send a lone ruffian to break into my shop.”
Maxen’s gaze sharpened. “Aloneone? They’d send more, then?”
She hesitated, just a blink, but he caught the falter.
“That is... I misspoke. Whatever enemy I may have, they are no one you have to worry about.”
Wrong.
He also didn’t miss thetheyof that sentence.
His brother arched a brow. “If you believe that, you don’t know us all that well.”
“Drake,” Maxen warned again, quieter this time, but with no less authority. He glared at his brother.Get your brute hide gone.
“I’ll leave,” Drake acquiesced. “Hopefully Saint will have found some answers for us by the time I return.”
“Let me know if there’s anything.”
Drake nodded, turning to Calliope. “A pleasure to meet you, MissTurner. Until next time.”
She offered a small smile, but her eyes remained guarded.
When the door clicked shut behind Drake, Maxen dragged a hand through his hair.
“He’s your brother.”
“He is.”
“That’s quite a scar he has,” she murmured, her gaze dropping to his.
Yes, well, they were all scarred one way or another.
She didn’t press. Instead, she asked, “What about the man from last night? Also your brother?”
Maxen gave a curt not. “The least favorite one.”
Her smile lifted somewhat. “I see.”
“Who are your enemies?” Maxen asked her. That was his biggest concern at the moment. They were unknown variables.
She shook her head. “Like I said, no one you need to worry about.”
“If it affects me or mine, I worry about it, Calliope.”
“Well, please don’t waste time for my sake. My troubles won’t affect you or yours.”
Maxen wasn’t so sure about that, but he let the matter go. For now. She looked tired. Wary. And if he had to wager, not from lack of sleep, but from the kind of exhaustion that ran much deeper. The kind that rose from the ashes of pain. It was no use pressing her in this state. Best focus on the answers the bald intruder could provide.
