Page 83 of Their Offering

I nearly choked on my drink.

Mavis laughed at my embarrassment. “Don’t be ashamed, Lil.” I sucked in a breath, hearing Katie’s nickname for me on her lips. “Own it. You’re young and hot. Those boys must be wrapped around your fingers.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “I wish. If they were, I wouldn’t be trapped in their flat day in and day out.”

A sympathetic look flashed across her eyes. “I know what you mean. The people who love us can sometimes take it overboard.”

I nearly choked again as the wordloveleft her lips. The princes? Love me? Not a chance. I was more of a possession than something they loved.

“They mean well, I’m sure,” she continued. “It’s dangerous down here, especially for you. The King will want your head on a platter if he finds out about what you did.”

I looked at her questioningly.

“The portal,” she said nonchalantly. “I know about it. Don’t tell Mom I know, please. She’d kill me for snooping. She’s just so loud on the phone, it’s hardnotto hear her.”

“I won’t tell,” I said, getting my turn to wink at her. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Yours is too, you know.” Her face held an intense look of sincerity, assuring me she was telling the truth. She knew all about me, but she wouldn’t tell anyone.

I nodded, feeling a heavy weight leave my shoulders. I had someone I could trust, someone who wasn’t tied to the brothers. Someone who wasmyfriend.

“Thanks.” I smiled, then took the last drink of my wine. We turned to the open door when Ida yelled our names. I huffed. “Back to my tower,” I joked.

Mavis laughed at my joke. “Girl, I’dkillto be trapped in that flat with those men. Mmm.” She laughed. “But seriously, if you ever needanything,I’m here. We need to figure out a way to hang out again. Maybe I can convince Mom to bring me with her once in a while.”

“That would be awesome.”

Ida yelled for us again, and we hurriedly ran to join her.

“Come on, Lilly.” She grabbed her keys sitting on the small table near the door. “We have to beat the boys home.”

I gave Mavis a hug, and she gave me her number in case I needed it. I didn’t tell her I didn’t have a phone, though I’m sure she already knew.

On the drive back to the flat, Ida said she hoped I’d gotten along with Mavis. I assured her that I did, and that I enjoyed her company. I even told her I hoped to get out sometime again and hang out with Mavis.

“We’ll see what we can do about that,” Ida assured me, though we both knew sneaking me out was not something we could do all the time.

When we got back to the building, Ida parked in the back, saying she didn’t want to risk running into anyone again.

Thankfully, we were back in the flat before anyone came home.

Chapter 38

Lillian

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Keir asked once Nicholas and I arrived at his office.

I scoffed and joined Keir leaning against the window, looking out over the city below. “Any idea I have is a good idea, thank you very much, andyes,this is a good idea. She needs this, Keir. She needs a bit of freedom. This gives her a bit without having to change the rules.”

Nicholas sighed. “I hate lying to her. We should just tell h––”

“No,” Keir barked, his voice filling the overly large—and rather empty—office. “We aren’t telling her shit. She can’t know we know about Ida ‘sneaking’ her out. She’d be furious.” Keir resumed his window gazing.

The windows in his office covered the walls from the ceiling to the floor, a bit overkill if you ask me, but it allowed the natural light to fill the room. The only real wall in his office was the wall with the door.

“Rightfully so,” Nicholas bit back quietly. He sat in one of the dark gray—nearly black—cushioned chairs facing Keir’s desk.

I understood where Nicholas was coming from, but he’d always been the softer of the three of us. He hated lying to Lilly. It’s not that Keir and I didn’t; we were just more willing to do things the less honest way.

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