I frowned at the shiftiness in her eyes. The grip on her champagne, ready to shatter. She hadn’t been in distress until the moment I grabbed her.
She waslying.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked, each word slow and drawn out.
I felt movement beside me; Lee had caught up. He was smart enough to stay silent, but there was a suspicious furrow between his brow. I couldn’t hope to wave him off or steer Tammy away to keep the conversation private.
Tammy glanced between us, sizing him up in turn. “I can’t say, even if you didn’t partner up with Calvin Klein here.”
“Why not?” I demanded, too bewildered to care about my ulterior mission being laid bare in front of Lee.
Her eyes shone, and for a second, I thought I might have won her over. “I need you to trust me, Jon. This is bigger than all of us, and I don’t need you here. In fact, clear across the country would be preferred.”
What the fuck?
“We’re aligned, and this doesn’t work if we’re hiding things from the people we need to trust to survive,” I pushed, my voice heating to a growl with every word. “You taught us that.”
A server stepped in, offering a tray of sparkling flutes. “Champagne?”
“Not now,” I snapped, both Tammy and I shooting matching glares that had the man blanching as he retreated.
Lee smiled at the waiter, doing a meager smooth-over on our behalf, though annoyance flashed when he looked back at me. Less than an hour into this event, and I had a feeling he was sick of covering for me.
“We can’t afford to be keeping secrets right now,” I insisted, frowning urgently at Tammy.
“Secrets,” she tsked coldly. “Interesting you should push that. I’ve heard some harrowing things about you through the grapevine, sweet boy.” Her brows knitted as she waited for a moment, as though I might volunteer a confession. “Folks are telling me they’ve seen you allying with one of the fae folk.Protectingher, even at risk to yourself.”
My stomach bottomed out. I scrambled to think of an explanation.Say something. Anything.
Blood drained from my face as I clenched my jaw. Goddammit, a survivor from the outpost must be spreading word about us.
Tammy clapped a hand over her mouth, my silence answering enough.
“What’s become of you?” she whispered. “I raised you better than to align with any of these creatures. They’renotour allies. Certainly not some indulgence for your curiosity!”
“I’m not—”I stopped myself, glancing around and lowering my voice to a hiss. “It’s not like that.”
But she wouldn’t like the truth, either.
Behind us, the hum of the crowd was escalating to a dull roar as the bidding over that pale little niamh became a war.“I have sixteen million, give me sixteen point five, sixteen point five, now seventeen million.”
“If you’ve got an explanation, I’m all ears,” Tammy scoffed. “Because from where I’m standing, it seems like you’re being a suicidal idiot.”
The words stung deeper than I cared to admit. There had been years when her praise had meant the promise of survival. “Come with us, Tammy,” I said. “Help us, and we can all get out of here. We’ll explain everything.”
She shook her head, but I could see the war in her expression. That maternal affection fostered for Cliff and me was battling with something sinister. She wasso fucking scared, but why?
Gently, I grasped her shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“Where is Cliff?” Tammy asked again.
“Why him?”
“He’s in danger like you can’t imagine. Jon,please. Answer the question.”
I pulled back from her, exchanging a glance with Lee. Given Cliff had both fairiesandDelilah watching his back, the person in Cliff’s crosshairs was more likely the one in imminent peril.
“He’s on his way to kill Eros,” I told her quietly.
