Page 63 of The Echo of Forever
Deep down, I wanted to be upset she let eleven months go by without telling me, but…
“Why? Why didn’t you say anything after the accident?”
The sigh that followed my question was filled with stress, or was it something else?
“That’s where I have to end this,” she said, staring me directly in the eyes. “But please, understand that I’m on your side, Forever. I’m loyal to you and only you. I need you to believe that.”
It was as if she were begging me.
“Are you involved in something you can’t get out of?”
“No.”
I nodded.
“But someone asked you to keep Demetrius specifically from me?”
“Yes.”
It came from the top.
“Do my parents know?”
She shook her head.
“Not to my knowledge. You were careful for the most part, and I cleaned up on the back end.”
Carmen stood, and I watched her walk toward the door.
“You have a last-minute three o’clock appointment,” she said over her shoulder. “An important one. I’ll check to see if he’s arrived early.”
Mmm.
She wanted me to trust her, but couldn’t open her mouth and speak candidly.
I kicked my sneakers off and leaned as far back as my chair would allow.
The door opened not long after Carmen left, but I kept my gaze pointed at the ceiling.
“Ms. James, a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”
Carmen hadn’t announced the man with the gravely yet soft voice, and I took my time engaging to test his limits.
An important one.
Society men hated to be ignored, especially by women with high positions. But this stranger waited patiently until I felt like dealing with whatever he’d come for.
“What can I do for you, Mr…”
I righted my chair and met the dead brown eyes of someone I had not been expecting.
Thehigh priestof all people was sitting in my office.
He was the middleman between the head of the Collective and the rest of us, rarely seen but always watching.
I’d only had the pleasure of meeting his father, who held the role until around the same time I took my position, once.
Lucien or Priest, as everyone addressed him, had no ties to the church. In fact, he despised overly religious people.
