Page 58 of Sapphires and Snakes
Pat yanks him back out of my space, and he shrugs them off. He aims his vitriol at me, a far more interesting target than Sally. “Enjoy it while it lasts, princess.”
That word slaps me in the face with the echo of Tamayo, her betrayal, and now the sad reality of this wedding. But I just lift my chin higher.
Danny crowds closer, teeth bared. “Twelve days and you’ll be in my house.”
“You mean Alonso’s house,” I say the words like I’m apathetic, unafraid. It’s a lie.
“And put in your rightful place,” Danny jeers, “under a man.”
Sally winds up for a retort, but I seize her arm. This shit is par for the course with Danny, and while I’d really, really love to slice my favorite knife across his face while he’s tied to a chair, now is not the time.
“I’ll see you for the final fitting.” I guide Sally to my bedroom door. “Thank you for everything.”
She clutches my hand so tight, my bones strain against her grip. “Stay safe.”
“You, too.” And then I watch my only chance at getting out of this death sentence walk down the hall, out of my control, and hopefully into the hands of the District Attorney before four tomorrow.
TAMAYO
Irest my knuckles against the cold glass, easing the tight ache of the healing scabs there. Darius tried to offer me gauze and an ice pack, but I refused. I don’t want to soothe the pain. Not when each pang diverts my focus from the internal purgatory burning up my insides. Not when my fingers are bare of rings and rubies.
Darius clears his throat behind me in signal. The District Attorney has arrived. He called this morning and asked me to join him for an early lunch at a restaurant near his office. I agreed. There was no other answer to give, really. Now he’s smiling at the host as I switch my grip to raise my drink of club soda and lime to my lips. The thought of liquor sets my teeth on edge, but I refuse to appear less than fine. Hence, the fake cocktail.
“Good morning, Tamayo.” Logan Anderson sinks into the chair beside me. He signals the server, ordering before he pulls out a stack of papers and drops them onto the table between us. “Thank you for meeting me here.”
“I was surprised to hear from you.” I frown at the papers, confused. I don’t have any business with Logan, not recently. “Has Angela been taking good care of you at the Den?”
“Yes, thank you.” He sets his briefcase on the floor and accepts his drink from the waiter, taking a sip before he relaxes back into his armchair. “It’s early, but damn, I needed this.”
My curiosity grows with each moment he doesn’t explain. “Everything all right?”
“Sure, sure. Busy week is all.” Logan savors the amber liquor, eyes closed, and does notclarify.
My brain is filling in the blanks—the Accardis are suing me. The Council is brokering a deal to push me out of town. I’m being served for criminal activity. But outside, I hold myself still in my seat, keep my face relaxed, my grip on my glass loose.
I nod to the table. “Anything to do with the mountain between us?”
Logan chuckles. “Now that you mention it—go ahead and take a look.”
I almost don’t want to, but I shove that instinct away. The stack is separated by binder clips holding a bunch each. I lift the first few off the pile and lay them in my lap, flipping through the first couple pages before skipping to the next. And the next. And the next. I grab a couple more, my brow furrowing deeper with each one. My glass almost slips out of my grip before I catch it.
My brain could have never imagined this.
“What is this?” Disbelief colors my words, barely louder than a breath. Because this can’t be what I think it is. It simply can’t.
Zarina wouldn’t.
Logan settles deeper into his chair. “A young woman dropped them off at my office last week, included with clear instructions from Miss Gallo. All I was told is this should be enough.”
I frown at the contract on my lap, the smallest inkling of realization stirring in my toes. “Enough for what?”
He shrugs. “I asked the same, but the woman was adamant you would know what Miss Gallo meant.”
I stare at the stack of papers, calculating in my head. There’s no way I’m correct. It would mean her losing everything.Everything.
Except her life.
“It’s all in order.” Logan taps the pile where the majority still sits on the table. “All they need is your counter signature.”
