“We have a rat.” Kyle snarled back at Verana harshly, making the other girl’s brows rise up in surprise, “We need to flush them out.”
Ray sighed.
Kyle’s green eyes cut to hers, and she stopped herself from bristling under the scrutiny of his gaze. She had to keep up her act.
“What?” she asked, forcing that note of nervousness in her tone. Kyle’s gaze softened, and he turned away, murmuring loud enough for her to hear,
“Not her.”
For fuck’s sake.
“Look Larsen,” Verana started, pushing away from the wall, “We always knew this was going to happen. Now’s not the time to cry about it.” Her eyes glittered, making Ray shudder, “It’s time to hunt.”
Kyle shot her a glare at the note of excitement in her voice. But she continued nonetheless,
“Our priority right now?” she inclined her chin in Ray’s direction, and Ray sighed again.
“Is damage control.” She murmured, and Verana clapped,
“Damage Control!”
God, she hated this place.
“So,” Verana said. She always probed Kyle’s brain, willing it to work, willing it to form ideas that could help them out of their messes.
“So,” Kyle repeated, his voice softer now. He wasn’t pacing anymore, was just staring down at his hands with his eyes darting around. Ray could almost hear the gears clucking against one another in his head. She waited. And waited.
Kyle lifted his head, and turned his head slowly in Ray’s direction, a dangerous sort of smile shaping his lips. Ray’s brows rose, and he clapped his hands,
“You wanted to prove your loyalty?” he said, and Ray nodded. The grin on his face widened, “All you have to do is return some favors.”
Not yet,she told herself,not yet.
“Return favors to–” she started innocently, and Kyle’s eyes matched Verana’s and she saw the confidence, the malicious intent in their shared glance.
“They planted a rat between us,” Verana said softly as if she were talking to a child. Ray wanted to spit in her face.
“So, we plant one in them.” Kyle completed as Ray forced the realization to dawn in her gaze, even as her skin prickled with excitement.
Finally.
“I understand.” Ray responded obediently and Kyle’s grin widened. At that moment, as she saw both, Kyle and Verana look at each other with a smile hidden with a thousand knives, she couldn’t help but think about howeasyit was. How simple it was to manipulate someone for your own good. She wanted to laugh, wanted to screech with joy at how simply it was all coming together.
It had all begun because of a slip of the tongue.
And it was going to end in pure, unlimitedchaos.
“So, what’s the plan?” Verana’s question hauled Ray back to reality. Kyle turned to Ray in response, raising his brows as if asking her the same question.
“Make the alliance official.” Ray said, but their conversation was cut short with a loud thud echoing through the room. The doors behind them slammed open.
Ray whirled to the origin of the sound, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw a man she knew well stride in. He was wearing a three-piece emerald suit that hugged his rugged body. And when Ray finally matched his gaze, she saw that although his hair was dark, his dead green eyes shone far more dangerously than Kyle’s. Ray could feel the excitement jumping in her veins as he stepped through the doors, with his hands tucked in his pockets.
Alessandro Larsen.
Ray almost didn’t noticeherwalk in behind him.
But then she turned, and Ray saw the back of her silk gown as she closed the door behind her husband and turned on her heels. Ray’s breathing almost turned harsh when Maya Larsen lifted her chin and stepped right beside her husband. Where Alessandro was all rugged, Maya was double. Despite the hatred burning through her blood, Ray couldn’t stop to admire the woman who stepped ahead of her husband in her silk green dress that touched every single curve she bore. Ray wasn’t moving when Maya’s heels clacked close to where she stood.
