Page 38 of Smoke and Mirrors

We don’t see him much, but when we do, we know there’s a major crisis. He works in the Loft—the top level of The Agency. He basically runs everything, and Mom reports directly to him, and I report to Mom.

That’s how things work around here. There’s structure, a ranking system, and you follow the rules.

Always.

Today I broke a cardinal rule. I know it. Luca, Axel, and Eli know it. It’s only a matter of time before Mom and Luthendale find out too—then shit will hit the proverbial fan.

Lily is in danger already.

When The Agency discovers that she knows about us, she may very well be in even more danger. I might have just fucked up, royally.

“You should think about having that weekend off, Kace. Go to the beach, spend time relaxing, you’re wound up so tight,” Mom says, furrowing her brows at me.

I shake my head. “You know I don’t take time off, Mom. There’s way too much to do here. You need me.”

She sighs and half-smiles tilting her head, a tendril of mahogany hair falls across her pale face. “So much like your father… it scares me sometimes.”

My brows crunch together at her odd choice of words, but I try to take it as a compliment.

“Okay, go and get the others and bring them to the boardroom. I’ll be in there in a little while.”

Nodding, I turn and walk out of her office and down the ramp. My feet feel heavy with guilt as they thump on the carpet that I didn’t tell her about my indiscretion with Lily. But I couldn’t, not just for my sake but for Lily’s as well.

Even though my head is down, I can feel eyes on me, so I glance up to see Luca leering with a look of utter disdain. Breathing harshly out of my nose, knowing he’s judging me, I turn and head for him.

“So, she looks pretty calm for someone who’s been told that our fucking secret is out of the bag?”

I can’t help the low groan that vibrates up through my chest as I walk past him. He moves to strut beside me, and I sneer at him sideways. “Don’t Luca… I feel shitty enough as it is.”

“So, you did tell her?” he asks his tone high like he’s shocked.

I huff. “No.”

His body slumps as he rubs the back of his neck. “Okay… so, we’re friends, brothers even. But lying to the boss, that’s a whole new level. That shit is punishable. Not just by losing our jobs, but treason and shit, you know? Now in saying that, you know me… I’m all for bending the rules. I’m okay with the if-she-doesn’t-ask-and-I-don’t-tell-it’s-not-technically-lying stuff. But Axel and Eli… I’m not sure how long they will hold onto the intel for?”

Exhaling, I grit my teeth. “They’re gonna talk?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know… Axel probably not. Eli, I’m fifty-fifty, could go either way. He’s a stickler for the rules. And Kace, you broke rule number one.”

“Plausible deniability,” I say.

He nods and tilts his head. “Exactly! If no one knows about us, they can’t deny we exist. Now if Lily is asked by anyone about the Seven, she doesn’t exactly have plausible deniability. She’s in now… she’s in deep. She knows you, Axel, Eli, and me. That’s four members of the Seven… over half of us who could be compromised if an adversary gets hold of her.”

I halt my quick pace and turn looking at him, scrubbing my hands over my face. “Fuck.”

“The others aren’t going to like a civilian knowing, Kace.”

My hands drop to my sides, and I glare at him, my nostrils flaring in anger. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know that I’ve made a massive mistake? That I’ve put us all at risk for her?” I take a deep breath as he slumps his shoulders and sighs. “Luca, she’s different. She’s not going to tell anyone.”

He raises his eyebrow. “You better hope for all our sakes that your judgment is right on this one, Kace. You’ve never been wrong on anything, but since she’s been in the picture, you’re slipping.”

I tense up and grit my teeth. “Excuse me?”

“Cavaleri? Tanner almost got blown up because you were off trying to get Lily to safety outside the club. Blair would have kicked your ass if that happened.”

Clenching my eyes tight, I rub my temple at the headache that’s now creeping in. The fucker is right. I am slipping. And it is because of Lily.

I pull in a deep breath through my nose and open my eyes. “Right, boss wants us in the boardroom. All of us. I think it’s best if we keep the Lily thing between you, Axel, Eli, and me for now. Noah, Tanner, and Blair don’t need to know.”

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