“No.” He winces slightly. “I’ve made sure I’ve blocked it. But that’s why I had to stop, because I was about to completely lose control in more ways than one.” He cups my cheek. “I’m going to be honest. So much of me wants to say fuck it, and make love to you until you can’t speak or think, until you’re mine and no one else’s, but, C . . . I’m selfish. If we make love, it’s going to be because you picked me. I told you before. I want you to want us. Even more, I want you to be sure of it. I refuse to accept anything else.”
And yet I’d been willing to risk everything because of my selfishness. My stomach spasms violently, and I want to cry, just bawl about the unfairness of it all, but I go numb instead. Kellan wraps his arms around me, and instead of us making love on this beautiful yacht, he spends the rest of the evening holding me, swearing to me that, somehow, things would be okay.
And I lie to him. I tell him I believe him.
But I know better.
Jens Belladonna has gone missing, and the first person Paavo Battletracker wants to question is me. Naturally, this makes Jonah go nearly berserk.
I’m sitting on the couch, watching Jonah and Paavo argue the whole Council versus Guard bit, wondering what the hell is going on. One thing is clear, though. Nobody has been able to get ahold of Jens for over a week.
The fact that he’s still in contact with people in the Guard comes as no surprise to me. It royally pisses Jonah off, though, who threatens to demote anybody helping Belladonna out, including Paavo. And I think this scares the crap out of Paavo, but he must be a good friend to Jens, because he’s doing his best to stand his ground against a Council member who wields an incredible amount of influence and power nowadays.
“I want to know where she was,” Paavo is telling Jonah. “That’s not too much to ask, is it? All Councilwoman Lilywhite has to do is provide me a location and an irrefutable alibi, and then I’ll leave.”
Jonah’s eyes narrow dangerously. I’ve seen that look before. Right before he banished Jens. As much as I dislike this conversation, I can’t have Jonah kick every single person who doesn’t like me out of Annar, though. “Oh, for gods’ sakes,” I mutter, standing up. “I’ll be more than happy to tell you what you want to know. What date are you looking for?”
Jonah looks like he’s about to strangle Paavo, but he backtracks in the apartment until he’s standing right next to me. “Are you sure?”
“I’m so sick of being the number one culprit! Of course I’m sure. You’d think I’d be at the bottom of the list after the last time they were proven wrong about me.”
“And yet Belladonna continued to harass you,” Paavo says tightly. “So no one doubts you were angry at him.”
“What?” Jonah is livid. “Why am I just now hearing this?”
But I’m just as surprised as he is to learn this. Mac, Alex, and Etienne assured me that the Trackers on me disappeared once Jens was gone. “I have no idea what he’s talking about!” I tell Jonah. “I swear I haven’t seen Jens since he left Annar.”
Battletracker’s lips flatten. “Like you haven’t noticed your tails here in the city.”
Jonah and I both stare at him incredulously. More Trackers? Ones that slipped by a wily and all-knowing first tier Storyteller? Oh, Etienne is going to be so pissed.
I’m already so. “As a matter of fact, I have not noticed. But let me make it clear—whoever these people are, they better stop now. I have nothing to hide, but the idea of these goons following me around is creepy.” It’s so stereotypical, but I physically shudder.
“I only just found out myself,” Paavo says. He actually seems embarrassed. “And before you lose your mind, Whitecomb, the Tracker who was working for Belladonna has been sufficiently punished by Guard standards.”
“I hope you mean he was banned from Annar,” Jonah says in a calm, low voice. “Councilwoman Lilywhite is being kind right now by insisting they merely quit tailing her, because, frankly, any other option other than banishment isn’t acceptable to me or the Council.”
Paavo nods wearily. “Please tell me where and what you were doing last Thursday.”
My stomach drops. “Time frame?” The word cracks; I cough to cover it. “There are twenty-four hours in a day.”
Paavo takes out a pad of paper. “Between four and nine p.m.”
I want to pinch myself and wake myself for the nightmare I’ve just found myself in. As far as Jonah knows, I was with Callie Lotus while he was surfing. And now . . .
Now he’ll know I was with Kellan. And that I lied about it.
I quickly calculate if Callie would cover for me. Of course she would. She’d pretty much do anything for Kellan. But, the Guard is good at sussing out lies, so . . .
I swallow hard, looking at my fiancé. I didn’t think I could detest Jens Belladonna any more than I already do, but he’s still causing me trouble even when he’s gone missing.
“I was with Kellan Whitecomb.”
Jonah doesn’t even bother to hide his shock.
“Where were you two? Here in Annar?” Paavo writes what I’d said down.
“No,” I whisper. Jonah is staring at me like he’s never seen me before. Or like I’m something out of a horror movie. I don’t know which is worse.
“Where were you two?” Paavo repeats, oblivious to Jonah’s altered state.
I feel the anxiety attack building. “The Human plane. Um, Hawaii.”