Page 93 of Tattletale

“What? Why are you saying that?”

“Because you’re innocent, and you’re surrounded by villains. Listen to me.” I wait until his eyes are locked on mine. “There are a lot of secrets that I think you should know about the woman you’re hurting over. I want to help you, but I have no idea where to start.”

The bewilderment is strewn across his face. His eyes shift back and forth as his mental cogs start spinning. He relaxes back into the mattress as he holds up his bandaged hand. I can tell it aches because he winces when it’s elevated above his chest. His bicep flexes as he rotates his wrist, seemingly testing the mobility of his right arm.

“Don’t you have some questions?” I’m struggling to read his reaction.

“I’m just relishing this moment,” he says quietly.

“What moment?” I tilt my head to the side, studying his furrowed brows.

I see the medley of emotions in his eyes—fear, apprehension, and a glint of anger. “The calm before the storm,” he answers. “Is the truth going to piss me off?”

“It’s going to infuriate you,” I admit. “But I want you to know, I’m on your side. In the month I’ve known you, all I’ve seen is a tender heart. I’ll do everything I can to protect it.” It’s all I can offer him. I’ll never love him. But at the very least, I can keep him alive.

“Okay, let’s do this.” He inhales and exhales one more time. “Let’s start from the top. What’s your name?Your real name?”

“Fiona… Fiona O’Leary.” Gabriel squints one eye at me, indicating his mistrust, so I add, “But they call me Cricket. And I was hired to keep an eye on you.” There’s no way I can tell himI’m an assassin for PALADIN. This is as close to the truth as I can get.

His eyes darken as he looks at me like I’m the world’s biggest disappointment. “Vienne hired you to spy on me?”

“She told us you’re dangerous and the leader of an evil cult-like organization.”

His expression goes stony. I can see the walls being built up. “Aeon?” he asks.

“Are you?” I ask.

“Get the fuck out,” Gabriel says, ignoring my question.

I exhale, debating doing as he says. But I feel too much pity and regret. I can’t leave it like this. “I want to help you. My team can help protect you.”

“Protect me?” His chuckle is laced with sarcasm. “From whom? You?”

“From Vienne,” I insist. “If my team doesn’t help her, she has other options. This’ll escalate from spies to assassins, I promise you that. You need to leave the country, Gabriel. Just lie low until Sal’s term is over. If all she’s trying to do is avoid a scandal, then when she’s no longer the First Lady, her motivation subsides.”

“For all I know, you could be leading me to another country to cover up a hit. I don’t trust you, and I don’t trust Vienne.” He grimaces as he rotates his wrist so his palm is facing the ceiling. I see a red line starting to seep through the bandages.

“You might’ve popped a stitch,” I say, holding out my hand for his. “Let me see.”

“Leave,”he growls, refusing to show me his wound.

I take a deep, steadying breath. “What can I do to get you to trust me?”

“You want me to trust you?” he repeats, aghast, like I just suggested the most ridiculous notion.

“Yes.” I keep my eyes locked on his. “I’m on your side. And the way Vienne is telling the story, I might be the only one on your side. You need me, Gabriel.”

He presses his lips together in a hard, flat line. His jaw tenses, evidence of him gritting his teeth together hard. The silence is overwhelming. I’m afraid to even breathe in case it dissuades him from whatever is on the tip of his tongue.

“You can start by fetching the pain pills,” he grumbles out.

I reach for the orange prescription bottle the doctor left. After unscrewing the safety seal, I pull out two little white pills and deposit them into Gabriel’s open palm. He pops them in his mouth and swallows them dry. I offer him his orange juice. He takes a small sip before handing it back.

“Now what?” I ask.

“Now, you can tell me the truth.All of it.Who are you, really? What team? And what the hell did Vienne tell you about Aeon?”

“That you were building some sort of doomsday device, and you were about to attack the White House on behalf of Aeon.”

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