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K ez takes a long sip of tea but doesn’t say anything. So I do. “How’s that?”

“Mister Mereia was our chief contact in the Eastern Colony,” Payton says unapologetically. I gotta give her points for spine. “He told Father about the incident.”

Finally.

“How long’s he been in the E.C.?” I ask.

Payton gives me a small smile. “Is that absolutely the last question?”

“Probably not. If you’d told me you knew him at the beginnin’, this woulda been a shorter conversation.”

Payton spreads her hands. “I have no way of knowing what you wish to know, Mister Snow. I went to the Eastern Colony eleven times over the course of two years.” That’s not in her file.

At my scowl, she says with a hint of apology, “I gathered a great deal of information and met with a large number of individuals. Telling you everything I learned would take days. I can tell you that I met Mister Mereia on my fifth trip to the Eastern Colony. He was in Kaliddy at the time. Father ordered me to become intimate with Mister Mereia and I did. That intimacy did not lead where Father wished it to go, however. Mister Mereia did not give me any useful information nor help me establish a network of contacts. I came to realize that this was because Mister Mereia is a profound misogynist. So I introduced him to Father directly. Their relationship was more successful.”

“Successful in what way?” Kez asks.

“Despite the potential difficulties, Father intended to proceed with rho distribution. As a first step, that would have involved distribution into Eastern Colony. Mister Mereia would have been our first distributor. Father felt he had sufficient contacts to?—”

I wave that away. I got no intention of expanding into the E.C. Only one thing I care about. “Where is he now?”

“That, I have no way of knowing.”

“No? You don’t keep in touch with your old flames?”

“Mister Mereia is hardly that, Mister Snow.”

“What is he, then?” Kez asks.

“A target, Miz Kerryon.” Payton’s dark eyes glint. “I do not expect you to understand.”

“Why’s that?” Kez asks flatly.

“Because I’ve read your file. You have been free to follow your heart. Wherever it led.” Those dark eyes flick to me. “I have not had that luxury.”

Kez lets out a long breath. “Sorry.” She rolls her neck to release tension. “All this talk about Jaxon.”

“Three words,” I say softly. She meets my eyes and smiles. To Payton, I say, “You got no idea where he is now?”

“No.” She takes a long breath, holds it and lets it out. “But I know where he will be. And I am willing to tell you, but I have a question of my own.”

I lean forward in my chair and flick my fingers at her.

“You asked me if I planned to continue Father’s cloning activities. ”

“You said no.” I give her a smile. “No means no.”

“Will there be any consequences if I do not continue ... any of Father’s activities?”

I take a moment to parse through her question. “There are always consequences,” I say slowly. “But not from Kez or me, or anyone who works for us. You owe us nothin’.”

Payton bows her head. “I owe Tyng Enterprises everything. My very existence.”

“We ain’t runnin’ a slave ring.” A Hex ring, sure. But slavery’s where I draw the line. “Maybe Tyng paid to have you made, but that don’t mean you owe the company your life. You’re an employee. You wanna quit, that’s your choice.”

“You’re giving me that choice?” Payton asks slowly.

“Yeah,” I say, just as Kez says, “Always.”

I catch Kez’s eyes. Let her see how proud I am of her. My kitten.

Payton lifts her head. Her features are composed, but her eyes are over-bright. “It is the first ... true choice ... I have had.”

I nod in acknowledgement. “Where’s Jaxon gonna be, and when?”

“Here. Four days from now. At sixteen-hundred standard. Before he died, Father arranged for something to be delivered to Mister Mereia here.” She holds up her hand.

“Before you ask, I don’t know exactly what it is.

But if I had to guess, I would think it’s the first shipment bound for the Eastern Colony.

A sweetener, Father called it. I cannot think of what else that could be. ”

Kez and I shake our heads almost in unison.

“There’s no shipment headed for the E.C. No increase in production. I’d know,” I say. Because I’ve made it my business to know about every flake that’s produced and where it’s headed.

“I don’t doubt you, Mister Snow.”

I sit back with a grunt. “Your Father, he didn’t have any secret flake labs, did he?”

“No. All product we received was made in the triangle.”

She’s referring to the three Hex labs in Hemos, Zhonnys, and Roysten, which do form a rough triangle and are referred to that way by the Tyngalings. “You sure? Looked like he had a pretty big set-up downstairs.”

“Very sure,” Payton says. “Father kept many secrets, but I dealt with all of our financial affairs. A production lab would have costs. Outgoings. He couldn’t have kept it a secret from me.”

More financial analyses. I can see why Payton and Myhre don’t get along. They’re too much alike.

Kez replaces her teacup. “Is there anything you need?” she asks Payton.

Payton gives her a small smile. A real smile. Maybe the first real one she’s given us. “No, but thank you for asking.”

Guess that’s our cue. I stand and hold my hand out to Payton.

“You want out, you’re out. But don’t feel like we’re kickin’ you out.

If you want to stay, we’ll make a place for you.

” I’m not going to push her to stay, but losing the smarts that made her Father Number Two in the Old Man’s empire feels like a waste.

“You never have to touch a single flake, if you don’t want to. Things are changing.”

She stands, smoothes her skirt, and shakes my hand. “I can see that. Thank you, Mister Snow.”

When Kez holds her hand out, Payton shakes it and holds it. “Miz Kerryon, may I say something?”

Kez tilts her head, but doesn’t say no, and doesn’t withdraw her hand.

“You seem a decent person. I know nothing of this bounty, or where it comes from. But I can say that Mister Mereia hates you. Truly hates you. It was the only real emotion I ever saw him display. If he can see you dead, he will. No matter what the cost.”

Kez pales, going so white she looks blue. Her eyelids flutter. She’s gonna faint.

I round the table in one long stride and put my arm around her. “I got you,” I whisper into her hair .

Payton looks alarmed and releases Kez’s hand. I reel Kez into my arms. Tuck her close into my chest and put one hand on the back of her neck so she can feel me all around her. Her arm creeps around my ribs. She takes several jerky breaths.

“Forgive me,” Payton says. “I should not have said that?—”

“Better that we know what we’re up against,” I say to absolve her. She didn’t know this was such a raw nerve.

“Mister Mereia’s resources are not extensive. He was here only yesterday asking for money.” Payton presses her lips together briefly, a crimson slash. “Which I did not give him.”

If this is a trap, I’m going to make sure that crimson slash ends up across her throat. “Did you tell him we’d be here today?”

“No.” Payton meets my eyes, and either she’s the best fucking liar on Kuseros, or she’s telling the truth. “I owe Mister Mereia nothing. I made that clear yesterday. Whatever agreement he had with Father, died with Father.”

“You sure he’s still comin’ back for the sweetener?” I intend to hunt Jaxon down before then, but it’s a nice fall-back to know where he’s gonna be in four days.

“Yes.” Payton takes a breath that strains the tight silk of her dress. “He said Father’s death changed nothing. He made it clear that he would see me at the appointed hour. And that he would expect ... an obligation.”

Why does this fucker think he can rape any woman who crosses his path? I reach out of the tight circle I’ve got Kez locked into and touch Payton’s shoulder. “Fuck that shit. You got no obligation to anyone. You want a security detail here? I’ll arrange it.”

Payton wets her lips. “I would prefer not to be here at all. If such an arrangement could be made.”

“Make whatever arrangement you want. Call—” I almost say Myhre.

Fuck, I’m relying on her too much. “Call me on my ship code. SI2662. Tell me what you need. If you want outta here forever, that’s fine.

If you just want to be away for a couple of days, that’s fine, too. We gotta tab at the Cloud Palace.”

Payton gives me one of her small, real smiles. “Thank you, Mister Snow.”

I almost correct her, almost give her my real name. But the habit’s too ingrained. And for all that I can see she’s trying, I don’t know if we can trust Payton.