Page 118 of Seizing Control: Part Two

We lock eyes and I grin at her.

She rolls her eyes.

Having metukà shelì’s best friend on my team is an ace in my pocket that I don’t take for granted. The moment Nadia informed me my sweet thing was planning to establish her independence from her husband while remaining within easy distance in case he stepped up as a dad, it was obvious that the best solution was to have her purchase the home I had planned on giving to her as soon as I could move from the shadows into the light as Lazarus. Lily gets freedom and I am able to keep her safe within a custom-designed mansion. It’s a win-win that helps me as I move ahead with my plans for our future.

The back door slams shut behind me.

“I’ve done my best,” I grumble to myself as I stomp the dirt off my boots in the mudroom. “Not my job to play conscience soother... the ball’s in his court now.”

“There’s not much more you can do,” Layla responds to my rhetorical question. She smirks when I glare at her since she’s supposed to be off duty until this afternoon. “Slash is basically a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point.”

Ignoring her commentary on the conversation she was obviously eavesdropping on via remote technology, I ask, “Why are you here?”

“Was hungry.” My consigliere lifts herself onto the kitchen counter. After swiping an apple from the fruit bowl, she swings her legs like a little kid. If I didn’t know her lethal side, she’d almost appear innocent. “And I have a few updates that I wanted to deliver in person before we head back to the hospital.”

“Harrumph,” I grumble unintelligibly. “More like you wanted to see my reaction in person.”

“Not me... I am a professional with a high EQ,” she retorts in her best high society voice. “Have the journalist awards to prove it.”

Dressed in her preppy best, Layla’s ability to switch between identities is astounding. Cub is falling for Layla de La Rue, the rich girl he went to high school with and coincidentally met at a local nightclub while the Shamrocks were in the midst of allying with the Trinity. He doesn’t realise that she’s my 2IC, the newly promoted consigliere to the Adjudicator’s curia, his online nemesis, All-seeing Skye, and a rebel at heart. I’m not sure how she’s pulling it off, but no one has blinked an eye over her ruse. They seem to genuinely believe that she’s shadowing me as part of a profile on sustainable viticulture.

“You’re a professional provocateur, goth girl... haven’t seen a sign of your journalism so far. ”

“Agree to disagree.” After crunching away with loud bites, Layla smiles at me, then launches into the status update she promised. “The Moscato & Monet club are flying in—they’ll land just after nightfall. The Blackards have arrived in Perth, secret members of the triad in tow.” A low hum is all I offer her description of Amy and Saki Nguyen. “The Trinity is sending a representative to confirm paternity and tick off the final part sealing the alliance. Everything is on track, except for Brutus, but that’s to be expected since that rat has more lives than a cat.”

“Interesting,” I remark.

Layla rolls her eyes. “As if you have anything more to report.”

“The twins are mine.”

Unimpressed by my admission of a new problem, Layla takes another bite of her apple.

“I have agreed to a truce with Slash.”

Another apathetic crunch is her sole response.

“Amy and Saki don’t know who their father really is... they were born and raised in Australia, never been back to China or Vietnam, and they believe he owns a bunch of laundromats.” When she freezes, I tilt my head to the side. Seems my right-hand-woman wasn’t up on the latest news about the two sisters who’ve recently become officially connected to the Blackards via the elder sister’s relationship with Diablo’s nephew. I consider not telling Layla who uncovered that tidbit since it’ll rile her up, but the temptation is too much. With a smirk, I say, “Cub found all that out this morning.”

“Cub?” Layla jumps back to her feet. She paces back and forth with her hands on her hips. I swear fire should be erupting from her nose with the intensity of her angry breathing. “Cub? Like, how? I’ve hacked every system. Tracked every person involved. Checked every?—”

“He spoke to them,” I reply as benignly as I can manage. My decision to annoy her is at risk of backfiring. “Used some kind of portable lie detector on them.”

“He has access to an Efferent device?”

“Sure.” I shrug as worrying visions of Layla storming across the property line to smack Cub upside the head for daring to encroach on her territory materialise in my head. Forget a truce between me and Slash, it might be our tech geniuses who need to reach an impasse. “Don’t you?”

Continuing to breathe like an irritated bull, my consigliere glares at me. “That’s beside the point.”

“It’s not patented.” Holding up a finger, I silence Layla when she tries to object. “He built it himself, made it small enough to be close to undetectable.”

“I hate him,” she snaps. Stomping toward the garage exit, Layla spins back to face me. “I hate you, too, but you’re my ride... I, um, I was dropped off by Cub this morning.”

Grabbing my keys, I follow her. “At this house?”

“No. I had a taxi bring me here.”

We’re already halfway to the hospital before I realise that I skimmed over the important point. My 2IC spent the night with the Shamrocks Technology officer. I can see Layla bracing for my taunts while she waits for me to grasp the lede she buried. Seeing how uncomfortable she is, I keep my mouth shut. I’ve already riled her up enough for one day, and I know when to draw the line.

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