Page 71 of The Pawn

23

CASSIAN

“What were you talking about with him?” I ask as I add cuff links to a black button down.

“The funeral. I wanted him to take me if you didn’t get back in time.”

“That’s all?”

She shrugs. “When did you bring my clothes over?” She’s rifling through the part of the closet where her clothes hang.

“Had someone bring them a few days ago. I thought we weren’t lying anymore. I’m back in time to take you and that’s not what you were talking about. Tell me, Allegra.”

“Fine. I told him I didn’t want you to be like all the other men in my life have been. I didn’t want you to be a liar too. He said most people in your life are liars too. Is that true?”

“That’s an interesting thing to say.”

“Jet seems to know a lot about you,” she says, holding up two black dresses, surveying them.

I knot my tie watching her in the reflection of the full-length mirror. “We were close once.”

“You’re not close now?” she asks, meeting my gaze in the mirror.

“It’s different now.”

“But you trust him.”

I nod, adjust my hair, then pick up my holster and put it on.

“You’re going to bring a weapon?” she asks.

“Just a precaution,” I say, facing her. “There will be a lot of people there. People I don’t know.” She studies me, but I’m sure she’s considered this. She must know most of the people who show up today will show up armed. “We leave in about half an hour. I’m going to take care of some business while you finish getting ready.”

I grab my jacket, pull it on and head to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. Jet’s leaning against the counter eating the last of his toast while watching some video that has him chuckling.

“You’re getting crumbs everywhere,” I tell him after I pour myself a cup.

He takes another loud bite and crumbs fly. “Do I need to change my sheets?”

I grin. “Depends. Do you enjoy sleeping in other people’s come?”

“Asshole.”

I laugh. It’s good to laugh, actually. “Come with me.”

He tops up his coffee and falls into step beside me.

“Did you know your brother has surveillance on most of the men who work for him?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he says as we step into my office.

“Is that normal for him?”

“Sev’s paranoid. He had something for you?”

I close the door once we’re inside and walk to my desk where I drink a sip of coffee before putting the mug down. I unlock the top drawer and take out the flash drive. I already watched the footage once, but can’t quite wrap my brain around it.

I hold up the drive. “Yep.”