Page 90 of Elven Crown

What Rebecca needed was to turn in for the night and call it a day. She could use the extra rest, and it didn’t feel right to stay out here with the others when she didn’t have the energy to celebrate the way she would have liked.

Maybe if Rowan hadn’t been here, she could have thrown caution to the wind for a night. But hewashere, and his presence made it impossible to focus on anything else.

She considered disappearing without a word, but that wouldn’t be very leaderly of her now, would it?

With a wry smirk, she leaned toward Maxwell and muttered, “I’m just gonna make a quick announcement before I turn in.”

She’d meant it as a courtesy so her call for everyone’s attention wouldn’t startle him, but the shifter took it one step further without even being asked.

He shot her a quick knowing look, then stuck two fingers in his mouth to deliver an ear-splitting whistle that made her jump before the common room fell into a quick hush.

All eyes focused on their Thon-Da’al.

“That’s one way to do it,” she said with a chuckle. “Thanks.”

Rebecca lifted a hand in greeting and nodded. “Just a few things, and then I promise I’ll leave you alone.”

Subdued laughter and soft chuckling rose at that, which would have been all the encouragement Rebecca needed, if she’d ever needed it.

“First, you all deserve this tonight, and I want to make that clear. We’re doing exactly what we set out to do, especially now, and it’s only going to keep getting better from here.” She lifted her disposable cup toward them. “So drink up, enjoy yourselves, and try not to kill each other.”

Titus was the first to roar his approval of her toast before everyone else joined in, lifting their plastic cups toward Rebecca and drinking together.

“Tomorrow, you’ll all have additional work assignments,” Rebecca added. “We brought in some pretty valuable cargo tonight, which could be a real benefit for us. Maybe even bring on some future partnerships.”

“You mean you’re keeping the weapons?”

She knew it was Rowan even before she found his face among the crowd, his self-absorbed smirk mocking her as he lifted his drink toward her again, his eyes gleaming.

“What, you mean her specifically?” someone else shouted. That got another round of good-natured laughter before everyone settled down.

Rebecca felt the tight smile spreading across her lips on its own, but she could only focus now on staring Rowan down from across the room.

He justhadto interfere, didn’t he? Calling out suggestions like that.

Now she had to address his comment, or she’d come across as careless.

“Of course we’re keeping the weapons,” she replied. “What else would we do with them?”

The second the rhetorical question left her lips, she wished she hadn’t asked it.

Because Rowan’s expression lit up with excitement and his own special brand of flaring mischief she recognized only too well.

Damn it. How had she let this happen?

By trying to include the whole task force, she’d literally handed him an opening to express his opinions on a silver platter. With everyone watching. In the middle of celebrating their recent success.

Rowan had the floor now. Rebecca was entirely powerless to stop him from saying whatever he wanted without alerting the entire task force that something was very wrong here.

If she chose this moment to blow her cover, she was screwed.

26

The few seconds of expectant silence seemed to stretch on in an agonizing eternity. Rebecca stared unblinkingly at Rowan, and the Blackmoon Elf smirked back at her.

She’d been so distracted by keeping him at arm’s length and away from any possible private conversation, she’d let herself walk right into his next trap.

Clearly, he’d intended to set it off in public this whole time.

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