And that was the crux of the issue. It seemed far too much like the job offer had come at the perfect time. Eliana’s parents hadn’t objected, or really even seemed surprised. She hadn’t had to fight against them for their support in coming here, so she hadn’t worried about why they didn’t disagree with her.
She had just done what she wanted to do and moved, as if coming to Chicago would solve all her problems.
Instead, it seemed as if she had opened a can of worms she never expected and put herself in the crosshairs of people who thought that her life was intertwined with their plans.
The Reverence Sisters and their “Mother.”
Lydia Rosenberg.
Eliana didn’t understand half of what was going on, but until she knew Carolena was no longer missing, how could she walk away?
“There are extenuating circumstances at work here,” Tony said. “But there always were going to be, no matter when you would’ve decided to finally embrace who you are. It’s never a perfect time to take hold of your destiny. Somehow, it always wants to take hold of you.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Eliana was about to ask him what he meant by destiny when Sylvia strode into the waiting room, carrying a briefcase-sized leather bag, and spotted them. She wore her usual slacks and blouse with heels, as if it were the afternoon and not almost midnight after a long day.
Compared to the very put-together director, Eliana felt a little disheveled and in need of a hair tie.
Sylvia took a seat one down from Tony. “Update.”
Before Eliana could answer, he said, “Everything here has been quiet.”
Eliana frowned. “Are you expecting something to happen?” She glanced between them. “Or are you talking about me?”
Her mom had called her back, but she just texted to tell them she couldn’t talk right now. The last thing she wanted to do was hash this out over the phone when they were thousands of miles away and she was exhausted. It would be much better to have the conversation in person when they were here, and when there was less threat of people dying.
“It’s been a busy day,” Sylvia said. “I’m glad things here have been quiet. And I am sorry about your friend. The Shrine will do everything we can to assist with Luci Ryson’s medical care.”
“Not that I’m not grateful, but are you guys really doing that just out of the goodness of your hearts?”
Sylvia glanced at Tony, then back at her. “You know we consider you family. And you consider Luci to be family.” She shrugged, as if that settled it. “Would you like an update on what I’ve discovered?”
Eliana tapped her phone on her leg. “Sure.”
What else did she have to do when she was waiting for Carlos to come back with his coffee?
Sylvia reached into her bag and pulled out a paper file. She held it on her lap but didn’t open it. “A request came in today from City Hall that we host the meeting of religious leaders that is happening tomorrow night. They were considering us as one venue on a short list, and made this decision today. The location will be kept secret from everyone except those attending. Which includes Lydia Rosenberg.”
“I’m guessing you’re going to tell me I should stay far away from the meeting.” Eliana tipped her head to the side. “Won’t it be a little awkward when they realize you’re holding criminals in your basement prison cells?”
Sylvia waved her hand, a gold watch sliding down her forearm. “Our guests will not be a problem. They’ve been picked up by state police and transported to a facility elsewhere in the state.”
As if that was intended to be an explanation that would satisfy Eliana’s questions. What about due process? If the Shrine really thought that her being their boss was her destiny, they were going to have to start explaining things to her more thoroughly than that. Or doing things differently altogether.
Was this what her mom had thought when she took overDominatus? Kenna Banbury had dismantled the group from the inside, but first she’d conducted a full inventory of the entire organization. Every stone had been uncovered. No matter howugly what was underneath had been, the truth had come to light in a way her mom could then ensure it was all shut down.
It was possible Eliana could do the same thing with the Shrine. But was that really the destiny she wanted to claim for herself?
Tony shot her a pointed look. “I don’t think you should stay away from the meeting.”
“And if having the event at the Shrine is a setup?” She couldn’t think what the plan could be, or who was behind it, but she’d been through far too much lately. All of it was based on who people thought she was rather than who she actually wanted to be.
“We’ll deal with it.” Tony seemed so certain.
Sylvia opened the file on her lap. “We’ve been digging into Lydia Rosenberg since you provided us with her name.”
Eliana said, “I’m guessing she’s not just a lawyer.” Or not just a feature in Eliana’s dreams since she was a child. There had to be a reason Maizie had told her to get out of Chicago the second she heard Lydia’s name.
