“I fucking hate technology,” he growls. “Fuckinghateit.”
When he lifts the phone, I fear he’s going to throw it through a window, but there’s too much going on right now for him to have the luxury of going dark.
“Take it,” I whisper. “You have to.”
We stare at each other.
“It’s Thayer’s ringer.”
“Fucking Thayer,” I mutter. “Does he wipe his ass without telling you?”
A corner of his lips quirks up and my heart thumps with a flicker of hope.
“What?” he snaps into the phone, his eyes on me.
I watch the flare of surprise.
His parted mouth.
The heartbreaking shutter of his gaze on mine.
I watch as, one by one, the dominoes fall.
He shakes his head. “Montague?”
Noooo.
No, not now. Not this way?—
He places the phone on the table and hits speaker.
“Say it again, Thayer. Tell me what you just said, loud and clear for both of us to hear.”
The tone of Lyam’s voice tells me everything I need to know before Thayer speaks another word.
“Cosette, are you there?” Thayer’s harsh voice makes me flinch.
I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I will myself to push through this, to tell them, to explain everything.
I manage a shaky, “Yes, I’m here.”
“Tell him, why don’t you?”
“I was going to,” I say in a whisper, but even I feel my words lack authenticity now. They took me into custody for betrayal, and now I know I’ve only confirmed their suspicions.
“François Montague is my father.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Lyam
I thoughtI couldn’t protect her.
I thought that being with me meant that she wasn’t safe anymore.
I never dreamed she would betray us. Again.
I hang up the phone and shake my head, staring at her.
