Page 28 of Tattletale

I scrunch my face. “I think he’s fully capable of leading this team, even if he’s in love.”

Vesper breathes out, her smile widening. “It won’t happen because I don’t want that for him. I want him to have a life with Eden. It brings me great joy to think maybe you, Cricket, and Linc can have a second chance. Maybe get back the life I stole from all of you.”

“What’re you talking about? You saved all our lives.”

“At a very high cost.” There’s a tortured expression on Vesper’s face that’s all too familiar. I’m probably the nosiest ofour family, but even I’ve never asked why she always looks so haunted.

“I’m nothing but grateful for you.” Leaning forward, I reach across the desk and pat her arm, which is cool to the touch. Now I feel like an ass for teasing about the hoodie.

She smiles. “I’m nothing but grateful for you, too.” Vesper pats my hand. “Now, where’s Cricket?”

“She stayed behind.” I lean back, shifting my eyes down to my lap.

“Is she okay?”

“The job was messy, but it got done.”

“Then why did she stay behind?” Vesper asks, her tone growing cool.

Normally, I’m a good liar, but not when Vesper is looking at me like this. It’s almost like she’s prepared for me to drum up some bullshit. I decide to deflect. “Cricket being Cricket. But hey, I got some interesting intel while I was at LaRoe.”

“Being?”

“What do you know about the Accardis?”

Vesper leans back in her executive chair. It wheezes as she crosses her legs. “What doyouknow about the Accardis?”

“I thought we were there to turn Conti and Colombo against Rossi and his men. I figured we were crowd control in preventing that alliance. But I met another hitwoman. Her name is Kezia Silver—goes by Sylvie. Ever heard of her?”

Vesper turns down her lips. “No.”

“She told meshewas the one to convince Rossi to form the alliance, and that it was only to coax the Accardis out of hiding. She apparently has a vendetta against Luca Accardi.”

Vesper’s jaw tenses at the mention of his name. “As much as I’d love to put a bullet through Luca’s fat head”—she exhales—“he must stay alive. The Accardis are a necessary evil.”

“Why?”

“Because PALADIN is sworn to protect them. I need to make a call to Leonardo. They aren’t to leave Italy without alerting me.”

“Vesper,”I gasp. “Do you… Do you have any idea… Do you know who Luca is and what he did to—”

“Cricket? Yes. He was punished severely for that. I assure you.”

“Punishment isn’t enough,” I growl out. “He hit her…rapedher…killed her family right in front of her eyes. How could you be in allegiance with such a vile piece of shit? Cricket will be crushed when she finds out.”

“You are not to tell her.” Vesper’s eyes widen. “Not a damn word. She’s not ready.”

Great, more lies. More opportunities for me to choose sides. Fuck.

Vesper continues, “When I was your age, I used to think the world was filled with monsters and heroes.”

“And now?” I ask.

“It’s far more complicated than that.” She lifts her eyes. “We’re all monsters. Just some with more convenient causes than others. I don’t condone Luca’s behavior. He hurt my daughter, before she was my daughter. Cricket became minebecauseof him. But our allegiance with the Accardis originated while Cricket was still in diapers.”

“Our allegiance?”

“The U.S. government. In locked files, buried very deep in the White House, there are rumors about a doomsday group that is still operating at large. There is an organization we nicknamed Aeon.”

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