Page 86 of Retribution

‘I can prove it.’

The door opens. ‘Sir, I found these in the lining of her bag.’ Mr. In-charge holds up the bag of green pills. ‘Looks like Envy to me.’

‘Where did you get these?’ Sauvage asks, gesturing to the bag. ‘Did you steal them for your deception? Buy them? Or perhaps they are pretend, to convince us that you speak the truth. Do you believe you can come here and demand payment for nothing?’

He tuts, pursing his lips. ‘So entitled, these Americans.’

‘I made them, but you’re right. That isn’t Envy.’

Mr. In-charge gets one out of the bag and smirks. ‘Looks like Envy to me.’

He pops one into his mouth and my eyes widen.

‘Oh!’

Sauvage laughs. ‘Soon we know the truth, petite menteurlittle liar.Are you afraid now?’

I wince at Mr. In-charge. I sort of like him. Regardless of the cattle prodding, he did tell me that Sauvage wasn’t intending to assault me, which, lately, means he’s pretty much a good friend.

‘I’m very sorry,’ I say to him sincerely, ignoring Sauvage. ‘I should have labelled them, maybe. I made those ones to look like Envy, but they won’t give you a high.’

‘What will they do?’ he asks, sounding a little more uncertain now I think as his eyes dark to Sauvage and then back to me.

‘You might want to find a bathroom. Within about twenty minutes.’

He looks at Sauvage. ‘What? Why?’

‘Because you just took a very powerful laxative, Mr. In-charge.’

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. ‘Yeah, okay. Cute story,sweetheart.’

Sauvage waves him out and then sits down across from me. ‘I have had you checked out, Miss Novelle. You do English Literature at the university.’

He gives me a small, condescending smile. ‘Do you wish to change your story? Tell the truth and perhaps I have my men take you back to the club where they found you. You go on your way and forget about this little…interlude.’

I frown. ‘If the information you have under the name Marguerite Novelle says that I do English Lit, perhaps you should check on Daisy Evans and you will find that I’m actually doing Physics and Chemistry.’

Sauvage’s shoulders shake with an incredulous laugh. ‘You continue to dig yourself deeper into the hole, chéri. You expect me to believe you arele chimistewho invented the drug?’

I shake my head. ‘I didn’t invent it, but I’m the one who fixed the formula so that it would do what it’s supposed to. I’m the one who’s been making it for all these weeks until the club lab was destroyed. I’ve come here to make it for you.’

‘Why? If you can do this, why do you come to me?’

‘You have a lab,’ I say simply. ‘It needs to be made. I can make it.’

Sauvage lets out a sigh. ‘You’re telling me, petite fille, that if I put you in my laborioatie at this moment, you could simply make my pills. Just like that?’

I nod.

‘You truly believe you can succeed where your friend has failed?’

‘Yes. I just need your lab. And supplies, of course. I can give you a list.’

‘And you just expect this. You are…intituléentitled. A little rich girl.’

I shrug. ‘Mav hasn’t been able to make it. Don’t get me wrong. He’s a gifted chemist, but Envy is temperamental. Do you really lose anything by letting me try?’

‘Fine,’ he snarls after a moment. ‘But when you fail, you will regret wasting my time, chéri. Come.’