Tink snorts and sets to work getting the racks arranged how she wants them. “As if we have a choice. You’re the boss lady.”
“Hardly.” Meg lifts one shoulder in a graceful shrug. “We all answer to Hades.”
She seemed happy enough to stand at his right hand the other night, but if I’ve learned anything, it’s that appearances can be deceiving. It’s a whole new world out there, and I can’t afford to assume anything. “Good afternoon, Meg.”
“So proper, this one.” She shares a telling glance with Tink. “We’re not on the books right now. You can relax.”
Somehow, I don’t think that’s remotely the truth. I wonder if Jafar knows Meg planned on showing up when he’s not around, and I suspect he wouldn’t like it. I open my mouth to tell her as much, but stop myself. We’re in Jafar’s penthouse, and no doubt the exits are all watched by guards and more cameras than I care to think about. It’s not as if Meg can knock me over the head and smuggle me off to a secondary location.
I finally perch on the edge of the couch across the one she’s sprawled over. “You have a reason for being here.”
“Do I?” She stops playing with her hair and gives me a slow grin that sends my stomach tumbling over itself. “Maybe I just wanted to play, Jasmine. You’re a gorgeous girl, and watching Jafar fuck you was really something else.”
My skin heats at the thought of what kind of games she could mean, but it’s a distant feeling. Not overwhelming like my desire for Jafar. I am attracted to Meg. If Jafar arranged for us to play in the kind of scenario he described the other night, I would allow myself to be swept away.
But not like this.
Not behind his back.
I keep my spine straight and my expression even. “Tell me why you’re really here or get out.”
She considers me for a long moment and shrugs. Just like that, all signs of seduction disappear and she goes cold in a way that has me realizing exactly how badly I’ve underestimated her. Meg leans forward and props her elbows on her knees. “I can get you out.”
I barely dare draw breath. I don’t let myself look to where Tink stands to the side, uncharacteristically silent. “Excuse me?”
“You’re a pretty bird locked in a prettier cage.” She flicks a hand to encompass the penthouse. “I can get you out.”
“Freedom doesn’t feel much like freedom when I have nothing.” Jafar offered to release my trust fund. I don’t know that I trust him enough to believe that it’s not some kind of trap, but I certainly don’t trust Meg to offer something without a thousand strings attached.
She eyes me. “I’ll give you enough funds to get you going and a new identity that can pave the way for a fresh start. You show every evidence of being a smart girl. I’m sure you’ll land on your feet if you give yourself the chance to.”
Temptation slithers through me. She’s the snake in the garden of Eden, whispering about a world I’ve only glimpsed through the wall that surrounds me. Offering me freedom that might be anything but. “There’s a catch.”
“The only catch is that you leave Carver City and don’t come back. I can cover your trail so no one will find you as long as you’re not an idiot.”
Her plan unfurls before me, and I can almost admire her for the move. Without me here, playing the part of the war prize, Jafar’s position will be weakened. I doubt it’s enough to oust him completely, but it means that he’ll be challenged. Repeatedly. It will keep him busy enough that he won’t be able to look to expand until he’s ground up every bit of rebellion within his own territory. I tilt my head to the side. “You have no reason to think Jafar won’t be happy with what he has.”
“Smart little thing, aren’t you?” A little respect filters into her blue eyes. “Jafar was born hungry. He might be satisfied with what he has for a few years, but eventually he’ll start eyeing the territory boundaries and pushing against the other players. He’ll take Hook first, because it’s the smallest amount of ground to cover, but that will only buoy him.” She shakes her head. “We don’t exactly have peace in Carver City, but what we have is close enough to it. No one is allowed to rock the boat. Not even Jafar.”
On the surface, it makes sense, but …
Something’s still off.
“What price?”
Meg doesn’t blink. “What price can you put on freedom? No, Jasmine. No price, no deal. Just an offer that’s mutually beneficial.”
I don’t know if I believe her. Does it make sense to undermine Jafar now, rather than wait until he’s secured his base? Yes, most definitely. But after Tink’s talk about Hades’s deals—and this offer can only come from Hades, for all that it’s Meg’s mouth forming the words—I can’t help thinking that there’s another shoe waiting to drop. That when it does, it will crush me.