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"Lo siento, Teresa. I can't imagine what you went through."
"Mr. Mason told me about what happened at the halfway house yesterday, Miss Lily. You probably saved that little girl's life.Eres enviado por Dios," she says squeezing my shoulders. "Let me braid your hair, eh?" She smiles, reaching for a brush on the counter-top.
Me . . . God sent?
She styles my hair in a beautiful French-braid and brings me fresh clothes. I meander into the kitchen to find Blake and the team eating breakfast. An eerie silence hangs over them. I avert my eyes, bee lining to the coffee maker.
Teresa scoots next to me, bumping my hips with hers. I look down into her face, and she jerks her head toward the group. I glance over my shoulder to find Blake staring at me, unmistakable pain in his eyes. I shake my head.
"Is this how we're going to spend the next twenty-four hours? Everyone staring at me in horror and pity like I'm some wounded animal?" I snap, turning to face them.
"None of us wants to upset you, Lily," Sammi says softly.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, just ask your god-damned questions, so we can attempt to have a normal day. Y'all acting as if I'm a piece of glass is going to piss me off"
Dresden grins. "We don't want to invade your privacy, Lily. We had a long discussion about this last night."
"I think my privacy's a moot point, don't you? Can't say I'm comfortable with any of this, but, it is what it is, as you always say, Dres."
"Fair point," he says shaking his head.
"So, who wants to break the ice of the inquisition?" I slide to the island, bumping Blake playfully with my arm. The tension radiating off him is thick enough to cut with a butcher knife.
"Don't bump me. I'm not asking you a damn thing," he says, bumping me back.
A smile spreads across my face. "Well, that's going to ruin the game."
Jax sighs loudly. I regard him— his head hanging. My anger toward him vanishes, leaving behind shame and pity. We've both made a mess of this assignment right from the start.
"What's your issue, Jax? This makes things easier. No more hiding, no more lies, and cover stories. Just me, in all my fucked-up-ness."
"You don't need to answer questions or waste time with your little crush. You need to get ready for your assignment," he scolds, his voice cold and unfeeling.
"Excuse me?" The anger floods back, heating my face.
"You heard me. This shit between you and Mason is over. You're an agent, he's an assignment, and we don't fuck our clientele. I don't care what Monroe has to say about it."
"I think I'm old enough to decide what is and isn't appropriate for me as far as my assignments are concerned." My eyes narrow.
"Your age doesn't mean shit to me. I'm your boss, and you'll do as you're told," he says sternly, standing straight.
"No."
"What?"
"I've obeyed you for ten years. Tomorrow night, I'm going back on the block, ill prepared with no back up, just as you want. For the next twenty-four hours I'm going to do what I want, not what you deem appropriate," I say my voice steady and unyielding.
Jax glares at me, his eyes hard and filled with anger. "Fine. After this assignment, I'm sending you back to Interpol until our time with Mason is finished. Your conduct will be discussed then."
My eyes widened. "Well, in that case, I don't think we have anything to discuss. If you're sending me to Headquarters, then my time with this team and Interpol has come to an end."
"Lily!" Sammi shouts.
"Lily," Hayato says in a low voice.
I turn to stare at him, his eyes full of knowing and something else.
"Remember what I said to you before." He tilts his head toward me in a nod and walks from the room.