Page 8 of Black Hand
She wanted me to dress like her but we had one problem: I was not Veronica.
I’d never be her, and that was the reason I loved her so much. She was everything that was good in my world. Everything that I would never be. It made me so protective of her, to the point that I would burn this place down if a hair was missing from her head. Some of the emotions must’ve shown on my face because she cleared her throat as she stepped closer, and when she did I could see her eyes were brimming with unshed tears.
“Trust me, Bee.” She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Something doesn’t feel right around here. It’s as if they expect you to do something, or they are hoping you will. We are going to be late anyway. Let’s make it look like we at least put in some kind of effort. Please? And when we have a moment I’d like to talk to you about…things” she swallowed thickly. “I heard some things, but not here, and not now.”
Unable to speak through the lump in my throat, I simply nodded once and started putting on what she handed me. The damn string wedged itself in my ass, but I had such turmoil inside me that not even that could bother me. Goosebumps popped out all over my body when the silk slid down my arms and grazed my skin every time I slightly shifted. With clenched teeth, I stood while Veronica brushed my hair and left it lose around my face. I barely noticed her putting earrings on me, at least until she adjusted the pendant at the base of my throat.
“I wish you could see how beautiful you are, Bee.” She smoothed stray hairs like a mother would to a child, and I had to blink fast and look away.
“I don’t want to look beautiful, Veronica. Threatening and intimidating works for me.” When she rolled her eyes, I snorted. “Okay, a little unhinged, too.”
“You got that one down pat.” Snickering, she nudged me to put the hazardous-looking heels on.
“I’m going to break a leg.” When I straightened and looked at the long mirror, not even I could say that Veronica didn’t know what she was doing. My eyes paired with the dress were a deeper green, my hair was like flames flickering around my face and shoulders.
“They say break a leg for good luck.” My gaze locked on hers when she came to stand behind me.
“Luck does not work in the Syndicate.”
“No, but brains do.” Her pointed, silver-painted nail tapped my temple. “And you have more than is good for you in that department.” Taking hold of my shoulders, she turned me and pushed for me to start walking. “Let’s go show those idiots what’s it all about.”
“I really don’t feel like going.” Grumbling, I allowed her to guide me from my room. The sound of the door closing behind us was like a nail to my head.
“I know, Bee. You’ll be just fine.” Linking our arms, she bumped her shoulder off mine. “But you’ll have me there. The drama queen is always ready to take the spotlight. I got you.”
“You shouldn’t have to.” Glancing at her sideways, I focused on getting enough air in my lungs. “You are more intelligent than all of them put together.” The ungraceful snort coming from her made me stumble. She never made that sound.
“You know that and that’s enough for me. It’s you and me, kid. I have absolutely nothing to prove to those fools.” Her shoulders snapped back when we started descending the staircase, and I mimicked her posture like a monkey in a circus. Monkey did what monkey saw, only this one wobbled on the high heels. “Plus, it’s easier to get away with a lot of things when they think you are dumb.” Winking over her shoulder, Veronica plastered a smile on her face as she sped ahead of me.
If I did that, I would’ve probably broken my neck when I fell down the stairs.
People mulled around the mansion, most of them headed in the same direction I was. Curious eyes followed my every step, but I kept my chin up and my head held high. I didn’t look at any of them. They all knew about me from the day I was born—the redheaded Atua. I was the only one of my kind with flame-red hair. Now they also knew me as the one that survived the cages. The only one who walked out of those pits of hell on her own two feet. The fact that I crawled out of there scratching my way out was something I hadn’t told anyone. Not even Veronica, but I had a feeling she knew. The sharp ping in my chest snapped me out of those thoughts just as I neared the doors of the hall where Veronica was patiently waiting for me, and she was standing next to the kiss ass. She rushed her way down on purpose so they didn’t see us coming together. My friend would go to great lengths to cover for me.
There was not one thing I wouldn’t do for her, either.
“There you are, Brooklyn. Holy crap, you look amazing.” If I wasn’t talking to her a couple of minutes ago, even I would’ve believed we hadn’t seen each other all night. “Johnathan darling, doesn’t she look stunning?”
The look I gave the kiss ass dared him to say one word out of line in front of my friend. I would’ve walked inside that hall carrying his dead body like a bloody sacrifice to the gods. That might make the Council happy for sure. His startled blinking told me he received the message loud and clear.
“Indeed, she does, love.” Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he didn’t look away from my glare. “Doesn’t she always?”
“Johnathan.” Joining them, I kept my eyes locked on his even when Veronica gave me a peck on the cheek. “How very not nice to see you.”
The asshole laughed while I clenched my teeth. “Charming as always, Brooklyn.” His intense gaze promised me retribution, and I looked forward to whatever it might be. “That mouth will get you in a lot of trouble.”
“I’d love to say I like to hear all the bullshit coming out of your own mouth, but I don’t want to keep the Council waiting.” Shouldering my way between him and Veronica, I grabbed her arm and tugged her with me. “But that would be too many lies in one sentence, even for me.”
Veronica chuckled under her breath, and my lips were twitching when we walked through the open double doors of the hall. I took two steps inside when my heart did a lurch and dropped to my feet, and I just knew all the blood had drained from my face. Samir leaned on one pillar smoothing his goatee with one hand and twirling his pendant between his fingers of the other. The look on his face was calculating and cunning, so intense that it sent chills crawling up and down my spine. My hand tightened painfully around Veronica’s arm. I really needed to learn to keep my mouth shut, which was about the only thing the kiss ass was right about.
“Sire.” Veronica rushed to my rescue, gushing at the Council member with batting eyelashes. “If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought they placed a statue of a god near the entrance.”
Bile burned the back of my throat.
Samir didn’t take those cunning eyes off me as he opened his arms to embrace Veronica. “Sire.” My mumbled greeting left a lot to be desired.
“You clean up well, child.” His smooth voice only added to my anxiety.
“I do try, Sire.” Ducking my head, I wished I could be anywhere else but in the damn hall. “Apologies for being late.”
