Her lips thinned. “Just said my name again, asking if I was there.”
“Did you respond?”
“No.” She rubbed her eyes. “It still feels like a trap.”
Maybe it was meant to be a trap, but Ciel had already confirmed that there was no malware on Leona’s physical device, and he had protected it should she send any outgoing messages. Maybe we could use it to our advantage.
“Perhaps you should respond.”
Her eyes flicked up to mine. “Really? What should I say?”
“Try to get information. We could use her to understand Volpe’s movements or intentions.”
Her fingers curled into fists. “I don’t want touseher. I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
I exhaled. “It may be uncomfortable, but we must wield the tools we have at our disposal.”
Her arms tightened around her middle. “Maybe. But maybe not always.”
The conversation lapsed into uncomfortable silence. The way her eyebrows furrowed only solidified the plan forming in my head. We needed allies, and she was not ready to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve them. We would eventually need to cross that bridge, but I hoped she would not set it on fire in our wake.
I nudged her shoulder. “What was the nightmare?”
“One moment we were laughing and dancing and joking. The next, she held a gun to my head while Max laughed behind her. Then the scene switched, and I had the gun inmyhand. She bled out at my feet, begging me to help her. I woke up after that.”
I glanced at her. “I’m sorry.”
She braced her head in her palm and her elbow against the back of the couch. “I feel stupid that I’m bothered by whatever relationship they have.”
“I am upset for you,” I said, speaking honestly. I meant it when I swore we’d never let anyone hurt her again. It pained me to see her conflicted and confused.
“You don’t think I’m stupid?” Her eyes were piercing, her voice quiet. “Immature?”
“No, I do not think that.” Inexperienced, perhaps, but brilliant. I envied her ability tofeel. I used my need for control to suck all feeling from of my life. Only violence brought peace, and to perpetrate the violence I had, I couldn’t feel. But this wasn’t about me. It was about her. “In fact…”
Her head lifted. “In fact?”
“I’d like to mentor you,” I said, then cleared my throat. “To teach you how to navigate the underworld.”
Her mouth parted as her cheeks darkened. A few emotions flitted across her face, ending in a slight frown. What was she thinking?
“You are clever and determined, Leona,” I murmured. I hooked my finger under her chin and nudged her so she lockedeyes with me. “I want to help you reach your full potential. There’s so much I can teach you.”
The world would bow at her feet if only she knew how to make them. I could teach her that. For all of us. For our future. I could keep her, all of us, on the right path.
She shifted forward as her gaze lowered to my lips; her eyes became lidded. The air between us supercharged. It would take such a small movement to taste her.
Focus.
I pulled back my hand, and she blinked. She moved back, clearing her throat, before she finally spoke. “Thank you, Obi. I would like that.”
A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth, pleased she agreed. “I know you’re worried about Chiara, but this world is a chessboard, and we are all pieces on it. You must learn to see ten moves ahead if we are going to win the game.”
She nodded. “I will.”
“You must be willing to do whatever it takes,” I added. I’d only gained the power I had because I did whatever was necessary. That was how you survived in our world. That was how we created safety.
“I am. I promise.” Her fingers absentmindedly picked at the seam of the leather couch. “There’s something else I can’t get off my mind.”
