Taylor nods and slides the newspaper back to Delilah. “Miss Piccolo, I promise you are in the safest possible place you could be.”
“Here in the brothel?” It’s not that I don’t like the place—it’s been quite nice as a matter of fact—but the number of people coming and going at all times puts my life in danger. Loyalty is the currency for the Order, and, like currency, it can be exchanged for something else.
“You’re safe with me.” She stands from her seat and places her napkin next to her plate. The eyes of everyone in the room turn to her, as they often have since we arrived. “I want that meeting today.”
“No.”
Taylor peers down at Delilah as if she’s misheard. It’s a regal assumption of authority, Theia’s influence rolling off her in waves. Deliberately, Delilah takes a languid sip of her beverage and brings her eyes to Taylor’s. “I told them we would have a meeting tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, tell them it is today.”
“Attend the party I’m throwing tonight,” Delilah urges. “We give our people a night of revelry before we ask them to potentially lay down their lives.”
“Revelry?” Taylor barely catches herself before she rolls her eyes. “I do not see how getting inebriated is helpful to the cause.”
“My darling girl, you’ve spent too much time with Theia,” Delilah says with an affectionate smile. “Not everything is about the missions. Life is much more than that. What good is a revolution if we forget why we’re fighting?”
“I have not forgotten why we fight.”
Glancing between them, I gently interrupt. “If you intend to lead these soldiers, it would be beneficial for you to get to know them, right? What better way to get to know them than when their guard is down at a party? Think of it as personnel recon.”
Taylor’s expression softens and Delilah shoots me an impressed look as she stands and wraps a hand around each of Taylor’s upper arms. “I’ll reschedule the meeting for this afternoon, as long as I don’t hear any objections about the party tonight.”
“I suppose that is sufficient,” Taylor replies.
“Wonderful, I’ll make the arrangements. Now, darling, I must ask you to carry out one mission for me tonight.”
“Of course.” Taylor straightens up. “What is it?”
Her hand moves from Taylor’s arm to her chin, arresting it with a shake. “Have fun.”
Taylor grunts, backing away from Delilah and turns toward the door. Mason stumbles in at the same time and knocks chest-first into Taylor. She catches him at his shoulders, chuckles, and lets him go, patting him on the back as she leaves.
He sits next to me and holds out his fist in greeting. I bump it with mine. Immediately, someone pours him a hot coffee and brings him a plate. “Morning, everybody.”
Delilah snickers and picks up Taylor’s discarded newspaper, sitting back down in her chair. “Sleep well, Mason?”
Mason grins and nods his head. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Where’s Maria?”
“Still asleep.” Mason glances at me and I smirk around my fork.
Delilah’s catlike grin glissades across her face. “Making up for lost time?”
Mason sips his coffee. “Ain’t never enough time to treat a lady like how she oughtta be treated.”
“You always were our heartbreaker, weren’t you?” She turns to me. “Mason’s strong and silent act has wooed many a woman in this establishment. He spent his summers here romancing them, and when he’d leave, I’d be tasked with consoling them in their discontented winters.”
I shrug and fondly nudge him with my shoulder. “No surprise there. I know a charmer when I see one.”
“However, since Maria came into my employ, he’s only had eyes for her.” Delilah fixes a pleased look on him and we silently go back to our breakfast.
People breeze in and out of the dining room, engaging Delilah in casual conversation. Most do not notice me, but the few who do give me some lingering, suspicious stares thatDelilah catches on to rather quickly. Coupled with the giant photo of me in the newspaper, I can tell she’s thinking what I’m thinking.
“We need to fix you up,” she announces.
“Excuse me?” That’s not what I was thinking. I place my fork next to my plate and politely dab my mouth with a napkin. “Like on a date? I think my life is complicated enough, thank you.”
