“But he helped save Kai? Isn’t that what you said, or he did, the night we met?”
He shrugs, turning back to his tablet. “One good deed doesn’t rectify a lifetime of brutality.”
“So what do we…”
Michail stands abruptly, pulls his vibrating cell phone from his pocket, and walks out of the room without another word.
I definitely still hate this self-righteous asshole. Instead of finishing the salad I have no interest in, I abandon it on the table, grab a book from the shelf, and retreat to my room. He can finish his lunch alone for all I care. From now on, too, if we are going to have such scintillating conversations over our meals. I won’t bother if he’s not trying.
I settle in my bed with the book I grabbed. It doesn’t even matter what the title is. I’m bored out of my ever-loving mind and hate that I’m stuck sitting here and not out there taking back my territory. There has to be more I can do than lie around reading. Staying alive is important, but I don’t think I can handle staying alive to go back to nothing when this is all over.
They want me to give in. Surrender. And if I send word, I’ll back down and give up my seat on the council, they’ll probably stop coming for me. But I can’t do it. Not when they took it, not when they stole everything and expected to get away with what’s mine.
His voice interrupts the dark spiral of my thoughts. “I said you could borrow that book, not destroy it.”
I stare down at the way I’m clutching the book open, the spine bowed unnaturally. ‘My apologies. If I’ve ruined it, I’ll buy you another copy.”
His eyes narrow, and he crosses to sit on my bed. The man walks in without a knock and throws himself on my bed like he owns it, or like he’s been invited, and I sure as shit didn’t give him permission.
Maybe I’m just being irritable. Letting my emotions get to me. “What do you want? You walked away from the table without a word. I assumed that was your half-assed version of a dismissal.”
He shifts so he can look at me, his full lips drawn down as they usually are. “I’ll leave that one alone in the interest of saving time. We need to discuss a few things before the meeting tonight.”
I slap the book closed and set it beside me on the bed. “I’m not an idiot. I’ve been negotiating with people like this man for years. It’s what my parents trained me to do. Kai learned computers and guns. Julia learned knives and secrets. I learned people and power.”
His gaze roves my face and down my body, then back up. “You can’t defend yourself at all?”
“I didn’t say that. How do you think I got away after the initial attack? Between Kai and Julia, I learned what I needed to keep myself alive in the viper’s den of politics. They made sure I’d be able to handle myself if the need arose. Apparently our world has gotten darker, grittier, since my parents’ day. They didn’t think I needed such things.”
He huffs, or snorts. I can’t tell. “It wasn’t any less dark or gritty then, it was just more secretive. The crimes were hidden; the evil deeds tucked away so no one could see.”
I glance at his arm, below the rolled-up sleeve of his white button-down shirt. “Many crimes are still hidden away.”
“I didn’t come here to talk about any of this. What we need to discuss is how to get the councilman to give us what we need without you giving him anything in return.”
I open my mouth with a retort, but he walks out of the room. This time I surge out of the bedding, ready to go after him, but I don’t get to the door before he’s back, a garment bag in hand. “This is for tonight.”
“Why do you keep giving me clothing? I have very nice, very expensive clothing of my own. Besides, this is probably not even my”—I unzip the bag and spread it open—“style,” I finish in a whisper.
He’s hovering, his hands shoved into his slacks pockets. “If you can’t use it, you are welcome to find something local to wear, and I’ll have it delivered, but it won’t be tailored.”
I’m speechless staring at the rose-gold bandage dress. It’s stunning and will give me far more attention than either of us wants on me right now. “Are you sure about this? People will look.”
“You have a high opinion of yourself.”
I pull the dress out of the bag and resist petting the smooth fabric. “No, I just know what I look like. It’s a skill the same as anything else. I look the way I do, and maintain my look, so I can use it to my advantage.”