Page 21 of Don't Tempt Me (Nora Jacobs 4)

I ride back to theden with Terrance and Charlie while Illren, Rook, and Oliver follow behind us in Ollie’s SUV. The drive is quiet, and I’m grateful. I’m glad to have my guys near me, but I need time to process what Henry told me.

My phone shatters the silence. I scoff when Nick Gorgeous’s name lights up the screen. He’s the last person I want to deal with right now. His betrayal still stings so badly I can hardly breathe. I send him straight to voice mail and shove my phone back in my pocket. When my phone goes off again, it takes everything in me not to throw the damn thing. I shut the phone off this time and turn my gaze out the window, letting the dreary, cloudy, freezing day affect my mood.

“Everything okay?” Charlie asks.

Terrance asks the same question with his eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Fine.” I sigh. “Just our friendly neighborhood dragon. I don’t want to talk to him.”

Terrance gives me a long look before turning his eyes to the road again. Just when I’m sure he won’t tell me what he’s thinking, he quietly says, “It could be about the fey. The meeting went well last week. They might be ready to sign the treaty.”

I scowl out the window. “After what Henry said, I’m not sureIwant to sign the treaty.”

Terrance puts on his I’m-about-to-give-a-lecture face but says nothing when I glare hard at him. Wise troll.

The rest of the drive passes in silence. When we get to the base of the bridge where the entrance to the den is, Nick is parked out front in one of his ridiculously expensive cars. He meets me by the door, and seeing him there, smiling his big, happy, carefree smile, my anger boils.

“Howdy, partner! Hope you’re not busy. Got a missing griffin I could use your help finding.”

I’m so angry I literally shake with it. “When someone intentionally sends your calls to voice mail, you should take the hint. Go away, Nick. I’m not helping you. Not now, not ever again. I want nothing to do with the FUA.”

I push past him to the door, but he grips my shoulder and turns me to face him. “Hey,” he says, his voice softening with concern. “What’s all this about?”

“I can’t talk to you right now.”

I jerk out of his grasp and reach for the door. He slides in front of it, blocking my way. I glance back at my clan, looking for help, but they all seem content to let me battle this one on my own. Terrance even looks like he’s on Nick’s side and would hold me down to make me work this out with Nick if he had to.

“Hang on, little spitfire. Talk to me. What have I done to piss you off so much?”

His genuine concern and even a hint of hurt make me feel guilty, which only makes me angrier. “You knew about my mother!” I snap. “About the rogues that killed her. You’ve known all along.”

Understanding hits Nick. He looks shocked for a brief second, and then his face goes blank. Even now, with me throwing it in his face, he doesn’t want to come clean. “Nora,” he starts, holding up his hands in a defensive gesture. His voice is cautious, as if he’s trying to calm a wild animal to keep them from bolting. “I wasn’t sure—”

Wasn’t sure? WASN’T SURE?“Spare me whatever bullshit is about to come out of your mouth, Nick! Iknowyou knew. I asked you months ago about the rogues who killed my mom. I asked you to help me find them, and you said nothing! You pawned me off on Oliver and Ren, knowing they wouldn’t find the truth because you and Director West buried it.”

When Nick realizes I know what really happened, he sighs. His voice sounds tired when he says, “Nora, you didn’t want to know the truth.”

I grind my teeth and hiss, “No.Youdidn’t want me to know the truth. Because then I’d know that you were responsible for what happened, and I wouldn’t trust you.”

Nick frowns. “I’m not the one who gave those rogues free reign in this city. Henry—”

“Henry made a mistake!” I shout so loud they can probably hear me across the river in Canada. “Yeah, he let those rogues loose because he was trying to stop a war, but when he realized what kind of monsters they were, he came to you for help—you and Director West. Only you did nothing! You let those vampires continue to terrorize this city formonthswhen you could have stopped them. But why do that, right? They were only killing humans, after all, wasn’t that right? And hey, if they killed enough of them, maybe the underworlders of this city would finally jump on board with the FUA.”

Nick looks away from me. He glances out at the River and rubs the back of his neck as if he feels guilty. Good. He should. “You don’t understand everything,” he says. “You don’t know what we were dealing with back then.”

“I know you let murderers roam the city, and that you did it for your own gain, not caring who was hurt in the process. I know that because you and Director West looked the other way, my mother and I were attacked. I was nearly killed, and my mother is dead. They didn’t just drain her, Nick. They raped her and broke her body into pieces. They tortured her for hours until they got bored of her screams, and then they drank her dry. That’s onyou. You let it happen. You werehappyabout it. Even now, I bet you don’t care. I bet you have no remorse over how many people died because it got you what you wanted. Well, congratulations. I hope it was worth it. Forgive me if I don’t think it was. Take your case, and your Agency, and shove them up your ass. I’m out.”

I try to push him out of the way of the door, but he plants his feet, stubbornly refusing to move. “I get that you’re pissed, and you have a right to be, but you can’t just give up on the Agency. The fey have decided they’re going to join, but you know the stipulation. If you don’t, then they won’t. Weneedyou.”

“Yeah? Well, I needed my mother. Now get the hell out of my way.”

“Nora—”

In a flash, my power rises to the surface. I don’t try to stop it. I’m too angry. I reach out and grab hold of Nick’s will. I push my siren power into my voice and growl, “I saidmove.”

Nick steps aside, and I shove past him, releasing him from my hold as I slam the door shut behind me. I shouldn’t have used my powers on him, I know that, but at the moment I can’t make myself regret it.

I stomp down the stairs, fighting back tears and praying Nick doesn’t follow me. I don’t know what I’ll do if he does. I’m a total mess right now. I’d storm off to my room for some alone time if Parker weren’t sleeping in my bed, so I head for the kitchen instead. I’m still full from brunch, but I could use some hot chocolate.

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