Page 62 of Tattletale

Standing next to him is a woman, clearly older than all of us. She’s dressed like Fiona, in all black, but they couldn’t look more different. She has straight, dark hair and pale skin that’s practically glowing off the moonlight. It’s a stark contrast to her ruby-red lips.

“Levi,” she says in a deep, husky tone. “I’m sorry. We need to take you back now. Get in the car. We’re meeting my contact in child services.”

Oh, shit.

Linc’s cold stare is on the ground. His icy demeanor is evidence he didn’t get his way. I’m grateful he tried.

I shake my head. “I… Please… I can make myself useful here. I don’t want to go into the system.” I also don’t want Colt’s gang poking around asking me where he went. Even if I were to escape child services, I’d end up biting the curb with a boot wedged into the back of my skull.

“Vesper,” Linc says, “I really think—”

Vesper raises her hand. “Levi has a better shot at a normal life if he forgets all of this. Colt will live, and his mother will live. He can’t disappear like the rest of us.” She looks at me. “Our way of life is a last resort, Levi. If you have a chance at anything else, you should take it. Please understand, I’m not trying to put you in harm’s way. I’m trying to keep you from it. You’ve been through enough.”

“But I…” I trail off, seeing the hard look in her eyes. Her decision has been made. Now, all I can do is let the fear and worry flood through my veins.What now?What the fuck am I going to do?

“He goes, I go,” Fiona says.

Four simple words that are barely above a whisper. But they ring through like a fucking bullhorn. I look at Fiona, my eyes wide.

“Look at this, Vesper.” She holds up the target sheet. “Not Linc, or even you could teach me how to do this. Levi taught me with two sentences. He needs us…and we need him.He stays.” She meets my eyes. “If you want to, I mean.”

“I want to stay,” I say, looking back into her bright, emerald eyes. At first, my desire to stay was for safety. Now, it’s for an entirely different reason.

Vesper lets out a deep sigh. “Linc, if we take a vote, will it be two against one?”

“Yes,” he says. “He stays.”

“Then I won’t bother.” Vesper looks me right in the eye. “You understand Levi died tonight? That’s what we’re going to tellyour brother when he wakes. We’ll get your mother to a safe place, and she’ll be taken care of, but you’ll have no more contact with her. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

I didn’t realize I wouldn’t get to see my mom again. Then again, at this point, she doesn’t even recognize me. Colt would never want to see me again, anyway. As far as I’m concerned, I’m in the hunt for a new family. “I understand,” I say.

Vesper hangs her head. “Welcome to PALADIN. Excuse me… Now I havea lotof phone calls to make.” She turns on her heel and stalks back to the main house.

“She’ll warm up,” Fiona says.

“That’s our boss?” I ask.

“Yes,” Linc answers.

“She hates me already. Wonderful.”

“She doesn’t hate you,” Linc says. “In her mind, she just sentenced you to death, so she doesn’t feel great about it.”

“Thank you both,” I say. “For having my back. You don’t even know me.”

“We know how to spot one of our own.” Fiona smiles at me so wide, it sends a flood of nerves down my spine. Damn, that’s a beautiful smile. “Now, you need an operative name.”

Linc laughs. The sound kind of shocks me.

“You laugh?” I ask. “I didn’t think your model came with that feature.”

He goes back to scowling at my robot joke. “Yeah, yeah, sidekick. I’ve got a name for you.”

SEVENTEEN

CRICKET

I’ve visiteda lot of strip clubs. Not for enjoyment, but mainly for work. Mafia men and gangsters love to do their dirty dealings among bare tits, I swear. There was that one time Lance and I mistook a strip joint for a bar. They served good wings, and we were high out of our minds, so we stayed for a show. But outside of that, I keep my sex life relatively private.

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