Page 23 of Horns for the Holidays

Pride swelled within me, tempered by the sickening knowledge of what I was trying to do.

Andreas clapped his hands together, beaming. “Marvelous! Simply marvelous. Kotos, my friend, you’ve found yourself quite the gem in this one.”

I managed a weak smile. “She certainly is... something.”

And I was royally fucked.

Laramie shot me a look that was equal parts confusion and hurt. Fuck. How could I explain this to her? How could I tell her I’d betrayed everything we’d worked so hard for—everything she deserved—in order to spare her from Devlin’s wrath?

By the time Andreas called for a short recess, my head was pounding. I excused myself, claiming a need for fresh air, and stumbled out onto the balcony.

“What the hell is going on with you?”

I turned to find Laramie standing in the doorway, arms crossed and eyes blazing. Even furious, she was breathtaking.

“Nothing,” I lied. “I’m fine.”

“Bullshit.” She stepped closer, jabbing a finger into my chest. “You’ve been acting strange all morning. And in there, it’s like you’re trying to sabotage this deal. A dealyouwanted, by the way. What gives?”

I opened my mouth to respond, to offer some flimsy excuse, when a familiar scent hit me like a freight train. Brine and decay masked beneath expensive perfume.

“Oh, I couldn’t agree more,” a silky voice purred from behind Laramie. “What gives, Kotos?”

Devlin rounded the corner, a predatory grin stretching across her face. She wore a suit identical to one of Andreas’ team members, warm olive skin and steel-gray hair melting back into her true purple baldness. The sight of her made my blood boil.

“What are you doing here?” I snarled, instinctively moving to place myself between her and Laramie.

Devlin’s laugh was like nails on a chalkboard. “Did you really think I’d miss the show? I must say, I’m disappointed withyour performance so far. I expected better from the great Kotos Mavridis.”

Realization dawned, horror flooding through me. She’d shapeshifted. Taken on the appearance of one of Andreas’ people. How long had she been watching? How much did she know?

“And you,” Devlin continued, her gaze sliding to Laramie, “You’re quite the little problem solver, aren’t you? No wonder Kotos is so fond of you.”

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to throttle her then and there. “Leave her out of this.”

Her eyes snapped to me, and every ounce of pleasantness disappeared. “Then honor our arrangement.”

“Arrangement?” Laramie’s voice was sharp. “What arrangement?”

Devlin’s eyes gleamed with malicious glee. “Oh, you mean he didn’t tell you? About our little chat this morning? About thedelightfulphotos I have of you two from last night’s party?”

The color drained from Laramie’s face. “What?”

“Devlin, don’t—” I started, but she cut me off with a wave of her hand.

“You see, Ms. Scanlon, your dear boss here made a deal. He was supposed to sabotage these negotiations in exchange for me keeping those naughty photos to myself.” Devlin’s gaze raked over Laramie’s form, making my blood boil. “Though I must say, they’re quite erotic. The way your lips stretch around his?—”

“Enough!” I roared, taking a step toward her. “You’ve made your point.”

Laramie sagged against the railing. “Is it true?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “Did you really...?”

I nodded, shame burning through me. “I was trying to protect you.”

Her eyes met mine, emotions storming across her face. Hurt, betrayal, anger... and something else. Something that looked dangerously like understanding.

She turned to Devlin, chin raised defiantly. “So, what now? You didn’t get what you wanted, so you’re here to follow through on your threats?”

Devlin’s smile turned cruel. “Oh, I’m here for so much more than that, little human.”

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