Page 34 of Inside the Wicked

“The president’s daughter can’t very well take any of the credit.”

Silas leans in, his eyes dancing with fiery delight. “Well, well, Miss Kinsley. You had me worried there for a second, but you are one incredible woman.”

“All I want is Rhett back. Him, Xoid, they won’t want any credit either. Truthfully, you’ll still be operating other kinds of shit they take down daily, but we’ll help for this goal of stopping the trafficking ... It would be worth it.”

“I wouldn’t want them to stop. A little threat keeps the fire burning.”

My anxiety can’t be settled yet. Even if this is his agreement, he could decide at any moment it’s too much, too difficult, and abandon me. But for now, it’s the best chance I have.

“He must mean a lot to you,” Silas says, taking a drink. “Rhett Kaiser.”

“He’s everything to me.”

Silas doesn’t fully look back at Kenna, but in the shift of his eyes to his shoulder, I know where his thoughts have gone. Perhaps he’s wondering what it would feel like to have someone regard him that way.

“One day at a time,” Silas says—the best sort of alliance agreement I’m going to get for now. “In the meantime, I have a condition.”

My stomach knots, and he tries to suppress his amusement, so I know it’s going to be something I won’t like.

“I want to know everything about Kenna Radley.”

“Don’t you have the means to get that yourself?”

“The moment she stepped inside Lanshall’s home she became untraceable, unless I want to risk a lot of shit, and then we would not have a prospective alliance. But what I want to know is if she’s there by her will.”

“I have just as much chance of getting close to her to find that out as you do.”

Silas shrugs. “You have more opportunities. That is my condition. Get me that answer—and it had better be the truth—and you have yourself a deal, Anastasia.”

I inwardly groan.Talk about impossible.

“And a note for encouragement. If you can trust her enough and get her in on this, you have my word I won’t back down. You’ll have Kaiser, and I won’t stop until their empires are ashes.”

CHAPTER 13

Anastasia

The room hosting the live performances in the White House is packed full. I stand behind a curtain, and for once I’m not nervous about the crowd. I’m pacing and struggling to get my thoughts in order, but it’s all to do with Silas and Xoid and Alistair and Rhett. Playing my violin in front of people is the least of my problems right now.

“You okay?” Adam asks. He must have talked his way back here to where only the performers are supposed to be.

“Fine.” My answer is short, but not for lack of wanting him here.

I’ll be the last to perform as requested, and I’m bubbling with adrenaline knowing it’s soon as a beautiful singer entertains the crowd.

“You’re makingmedizzy,” Adam says, taking my arms to stop my pacing.

“You know how I get for these kinds of things,” I say.

“I know. Deep breaths, okay? I’ll be right here.” I appreciate his comfort. Among everything that was broken in me, Adam and Riley have remained the only things that aren’t sharp and cutting.

Riley left for New York a week ago, and I miss her here, though she swore she was tuning in to watch and would call right after.

“Distract me with something else,” I say, watching the beautiful singer onstage.

“Henry and I are finished.”

That steals my attention, and I whip around to him. “What happened? You were only just rekindling.”

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