So much for spanking her into submission. She’s losing her fear, and that makes her dangerous. Because once fear is gone, there’s only trust—or defiance. Neither bodes well for me.
My grip tightens as I pull her toward the elevator, the doors sliding open on a rush of cold air. The scent of metal and lemon polish escapes, sharp and sterile. Ella glances up at me, chin stubborn, eyes unyielding.
Well, that attitude won’t do at all.
NINETEEN
Ella
Justice’s burner phone feels small and cheap in my hand, the kind that’s meant to be disposable, to disappear without a trace. I turn it once between my fingers, weighing my options. He drives with that same maddening calm, eyes forward, hands loose on the wheel like he owns the road. Leo snores in the back, a soft, steady rumble that makes the silence heavier.
“What if I promise not to leave town?” My voice is quiet, meant more for myself than him.
“No. Put the call on speaker.”
The words snap like a lock clicking into place. He doesn’t even look at me when he says it. My butt is tender, and I want to smack him. The guy spanks hard. I bite back the retort rising to my lips and instead punch in a number, pressing the speaker button.
Rosalie answers on the third ring, voice tight. “Hello?”
“Hey. It’s me.”
“Where in the world are you?” Relief bursts throughher tone, tangled up with annoyance. “I’ve been looking everywhere. You need to stop hiding in those stupid safe houses. It’s not safe, Ella. Just come to my place.”
My forehead presses against the glass, the window cold against my skin. The road blurs past, sunlight striking in flashes. “I’m working, and I’m fine. Quit fussing over me like somebody’s grandma.”
“Did you just call me old?”
I grin despite myself. “How’s the house construction coming?”
“Perfect. I’ve set up a whole suite for you. An office too. You’d have space.”
“I appreciate it.” The words come easy, but my gut knots. “I don’t really want to live under Bratva lock and key.”
“You’d have freedom, Ella,” Rosalie says.
Yeah, just like the freedom at that boarding school my stepmother had shipped me off to for my childhood. There was no escape, and every time I got in trouble, usually by taking apart computers to figure out how they worked, I ended up on cleaning duty. If I never have to clean another filthy kitchen, I’ll die happy. “Thanks,” I say. “If I need a place, you’ll be the first I call.”
The hum of the SUV fills the pause. Justice doesn’t look my way, but I feel the weight of his awareness. He hears everything. He trusts me not to give Rosalie the truth, or he thinks it doesn’t matter if I do.
Rosalie clears her throat. “There was an attack on Malice Media last night, and it wasn’t from Alexei and Hologrid Hub. I can’t imagine that Alana’s dad would attack his new son-in-law’s building, so it’s probably not the group from Aquarius Social. That leaves TimeGem.”
“It’s possible,” I allow. “But I don’t think Sylveriais dumb enough to come at Justice directly.” But who knows.
Rosalie breathes out.
I stiffen. “What?”
She sighs now. “I don’t know, but what if Sylveria is trying to start a war in which you get caught? She wants you dead. If it’s known that the Rendales and the Beathachs are at war, at least to those in the underground, then your death wouldn’t be blamed on her. She could have you killed and then scream bloody murder about Justice or Thorn taking you out.”
It’s a good hypothesis.
Justice glances at the phone and then back at the road. Yeah, Rosalie is wicked smart.
So I don’t tell her I was present for the attack and explosion. Has my stepmother made a move? “I’ll keep that in mind. Try not to worry.”
“I can’t help it. Also, and I have no idea if this is related, but Horace Whimple has gone underground. Sylveria has put out feelers to find him,” Rosalie says.
I can’t see the connection between Sylveria attacking me or Justice and the loss of her boyfriend. “He probably smartened up and left that witch.”
