Page 105 of Once a Villain
He shook his head, clearly annoyed with himself. “Back at the house,” he gritted out.
“Where are you taking us?” Nick demanded to the guard.
The woman glanced at him in the rearview mirror. She was younger than Joan had first thought—in her early twenties at most. Her slash of red lipstick reminded Joan of Ruth. “London Bridge,” she said shortly.
Joan exchanged a look with Nick, a shot of horror running through her. They’d passed the London Bridge guardhouse when they’d first arrived in this timeline—it had been the buildingcrowned with spiked heads on turrets. If they were being taken there, they’d likely be interrogated and then executed.
Now that Joan had been arrested, Eleanor would know they’d all replaced their counterparts. She’d figure out that Nick was alive, and then she’d go after Jamie, Tom, Ruth.... She’d kill them all.
The guard flicked a knob on the dashboard, and a violin-heavy classical piece started.
Aaron scowled. “Vivaldi.” His voice was strained, though; the reference to the London Bridge guardhouse had scared him too.
“Are you disparaging my taste in music?” the guard called through the screen.
“I’m disparaging yourjudgment.” Aaron forced a note of arrogance into his words. “Do you know who you just arrested? I’m the head of the Oliver family—I could have you dismissed for this! I could have you thrown into the arena!”
“Dismissedandthrown to the lions?” the guard said mildly. “Perish the thought.” She had an odd, arch way of talking; everything came out mildly sarcastic. Joan had no idea if she believed Aaron or not. “Well, if I were you,Lord Oliver, I’d keep your mouth shut. You were found in the company of a dangerous fugitive—this girl just tore a hole in the Queen’s timeline, and her wanted poster is plastered all over the city.” She flicked a look at Joan. “The warrant says you’re wanted for high treason against Queen and Court. What exactly did you do?”
Joan shrugged—as much as she could with her shoulderspinned. Was there some way to get Aaron and Nick out of this? “Don’t know anything about that,” she said. “Don’t know these two guys either. They just got caught up with me when I was arrested....”
The guard rolled her eyes. “If you say so.” She pressed a button, and a second screen came down. This one was opaque, and must have been soundproof, because the music abruptly stopped.
And that meant Joan, Aaron, and Nick were effectively alone again, in a silence that suddenly felt far too thick.
In the chaos of the tear, and then the arrest, Joan had almost forgotten the conversation between them all. Now it all came flooding back—every terrible word.
Last night shouldn’t have happened, Aaron had said.
And Nick had looked at Joan like she’d torn his heart out. Like he’d never imagined she’d hurt him like that.
Outside, the van windows showed the buildings of Westminster, pale as gravestones. The withered tree of the Argents rippled on flagpoles.
“So who wants to go first?” Aaron said dryly.
Nick ducked his head, his dark hair falling over his eyes. “Do you really want to spend our last hours talking about this?”
Joan swallowed. It occurred to her belatedly that Nick didn’t even know all of it. She and Aaron had slept together last night—just hours after Nick’s supposed death. “I’m sorry,” she said. It came out hoarse. She’d never wanted to hurt anyone—let alone Nick.
Nick lifted his eyes to hers, and Joan’s throat tightened at the pain in them.
Aaron growled deep in his throat. “For God’s sake,” he said to Nick. “She lovesyou. It’s always been you! If you’d seen her last night—the state of her... She thought you weredead??!”
“Thestateof her?” Nick said to him slowly, something dark entering his voice. “What are you saying? You took advantage of her?”
Aaron paled. Some part of him did think that—he’d suggested it himself. Nick’s expression turned dangerous.
“No,” Joan said. “He didn’t take advantage.” That wasn’t what had happened. She thought again of Aaron’s expression in the mirror last night, and she swallowed. She’d told him she loved him, and he hadn’t believed her. He still didn’t.
Nick gave Joan a long look and seemed to see the truth in her face. His shoulders loosened slightly and the danger left his eyes. It was replaced by new hurt as the implication oflast nightclicked for him. He’d figured it out himself. He’d realized they’d slept together.
Behind her back, Joan clenched her fists and opened them. She didn’t know what to say. Everything that came to mind would only make things worse. Just like back at the pub, the world felt half-unreal. Her chest spasmed. Yesterday, she’d thought she’d lost Nick. Today, she was sure she was losing himandAaron. Maybe she’d lost them already—Aaron had been pulling away from her since they’d found Nick alive. And Nick... Her throat felt tight.
“Joan!” Aaron said urgently.
Joan turned and saw a spark in the air—the beginning of a tear. She gasped as it vanished—left behind by the van.
Nick looked shaken. He’d seen it too.
