Page 29 of Savage Rule

“Gunn,” she says coolly as she passes me and enters the house.

“Damn. What’s got her all pissed off like that?” I ask anyone who will listen.

“Ignore her,” Skye says. “She’s just upset that she couldn’t stay behind.”

“Why didn’t you let her? What is she, sixteen?”

“Fifteen,” she corrects.

“That’s old enough to stay home alone.” Fuck, I went everywhere alone by the age of ten.

“Not with her assassin buddy back in town,” Arran chimes in. “And after that phone shit, we can’t take our eyes off her.”

“Scarlet.”

“We can’t trust that she won’t try to contact her again.” Skye’s expression fills with worry as she stares off to the place her little sister disappeared through. “She got rid of that burner phone she used to contact her, which means they know we know.”

“Which means, where we go, so does she,” Arran adds. “So she hates us.”

Maisie might be upset with them, but she’s never warmed up to me either. All because of that hellcat.

That’s when an idea suddenly hits me. Out of everyone in the alliance, there is no one that knows more about Scarlet than that teenager.

“We should head inside,” Carina calls out. “The meeting is about to start. Noah’s already here.”

Ten minutes later and we’re all in the familiar dining room, with Luca and Carina at the head.

Carina, who is obviously still upset that Luca didn’t show her the photos of Sergio and Jorge first, is sitting quietly, her gaze mostly downcast.

Luca begins, “With Rowan and Gavin on Gideon’s side now?—”

“We can’t be sure they’re on his side,” Noah’s girl, Emily, interrupts. Ever since losing part of our alliance team, Carina has insisted that Emily and Skye join the meetings. They’re smart women, both have interacted with Gideon, and have different points of view that could be crucial.

“We must assume.” Luca sighs, something he’s been doing a lot lately. “I will rephrase. Weshouldbe ready for anything, including the possibility that Gavin and Rowan are on his side and willing to help him. Weshouldoperate under the assumption that he knows everything we do.” He lays out the photographs for all present to study and give their thoughts.

Yes, everyone here has something to add, some insight into what they believe Gideon and Scarlet are up to. But the insight I’m interested in, isn’t in this room.

“Excuse me, I have to use the restroom.” I leave, shutting the pocket doors behind me, and go in search of one of the only person in this house that might be able to answer all my questions.

Maisie.

I find her lounging in an upstairs parlor. She looks extremely out of place on the sofa, one of those antique things that is meant for sitting ramrod straight, not laying on your stomach with your feet resting over an arm, eating chips and drawing.

Luca’s mother is probably rolling over in her grave. Hell, when she was alive, she never let us in here.

“Hey,” I say.

She glances up at me and returns to her drawing. “Hey.”

“What’ya doin’?”

“What’s it look like?”

“Come on, Maze? Are you mad at me or something?” I take a seat on the little coffee table facing her.

She shakes her head. “Why would I be mad at you?”

“You saw Scarlet and me fighting that day at your house.”

---