Chapter Forty-Six

It took her forever to figure out how to backtrack through the tunnel. Now that she wasn't following the sound of Walter's stomping and scuffing feet, she made a few wrong turns but eventually made it. She wanted to check the residence but decided to leave it for tomorrow. They had three full days to figure out how to get around down here and how to break the wards to use it as the entrance and exit for the heist. It wasn't enough time, but it would have to do.

Kierse returned to the original checkpoint and out the Times Square subway entrance.

As she hauled herself back up onto what she thought was an empty platform, a hand reached out and grasped her wrist, yanking her up. She snarled, reaching for her one of her pistols. She had it out and leveled at the man's head before she recognized him.

She didn't lower the gun.

"Lorcan," she said.

"What a welcome," he said with his same charming smile.

"Why are you following me?"

"I did say that we'd meet again."

"Yes, but I didn't think that you'd come to me." It didn't seem his style. Even if he'd said that he would the last time they met. The babka had felt like more of a warning than anything.

"I didn't, either," he admitted. "But... I feel compelled to you."

She narrowed her eyes behind her gun. "Try again."

"Can you please stop pointing that thing at me? I am here on good faith."

"Like that time you tried to have me killed or the time you kidnapped me?"

"I did apologize for the first, and the kidnapping included dinner. That has to count for something?" His smile only widened.

"Does it?"

"I just want to talk. I promise," he told her, stepping forward. He put his hand up and gingerly pushed the barrel of the gun down toward their feet. "Now, there, isn't that better?"

"Not particularly."

He laughed that real, easy laugh, like he didn't have a care in the world. "Let's go up top and walk."

"It's freezing outside."

"I can give you my coat," he offered with a quirked eyebrow.

"I'll pass."

"On the coat or the walk?"

"Yes," she responded. "Stalking isn't cute. It's how people get killed."

"Says the woman still holding the gun."

She and Graves had already agreed that they could use Lorcan's interest in her to their advantage. The same way that she had considered it for Nate. But when it had been with Nate, it had felt like planting a bomb in the monster's path. Here, it felt like Graves was offering her a way to get information out of his enemy. And while she wanted to find out how much he knew about their mission, she honestly wanted him to stop stalking her more.

"Okay. I will go for a walk with you under one condition." He waited as if anticipating a blow. "You agree to stop stalking me."

"I will agree to your condition on one condition. You give me your number."

"What?" she asked, startled. "Why?"

"So that I don't have to continue to stalk you."

"Insufferable," she muttered under her breath. "You know it's Times Square up there."

He smirked. "You'll be safe with me."

And for some reason, she believed him.

"Fine," she said, holstering her weapon and then walking toward the exit with Lorcan on her heels.

She headed up the stairs, past the troll, and up into the cold of the city. She'd been underground so long that it felt good to breathe in clean air rather than the circulated air below. But it was Times Square, and she couldn't let her guard down.

While she had been in the subway below many times now, she hadn't been on the street in Times Square in at least a year. She was surprised to see that half of the enormous screens were back up and running. Even familiar name brands and Broadway shows were advertising on the streets again. A handful of powerful shows had started new runs this year. Monsters andhumans were welcome.

And the tourists had returned in full force. Kierse expected them on Fifth Avenue. Those who could afford the high-end boutiques would always find a way. But she hadn't expected this many people to brave Times Square... as if things were normal.

"It's been a while since you've been here?" Lorcan asked.

"I pretty much avoided it at all costs before it was decimated."

She had only been twelve when the war started, but she'd already been working with Jason for years. She hadn't been a normal kid by any stretch of the imagination. Tourists were only good as easy marks. Otherwise, they made her break into hives. NYC being free of tourists had been one of the only good things about the war.

"It's good to see it get back to normal."

She nodded, a smile almost tugging at her lips.

"Come on. I like a little café nearby. We can get out of the cold." He brushed a hand back through his dark hair, his big, blue eyes guileless, and smiled at her. All perfectly straight teeth and the hint of a dimple in his right cheek.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "We're on opposite sides."

He looked personally offended by that sentiment. "Are we?"

"You hate my boss."

"Not everything is black and white." Then his smile widened. "Plus, I'm only asking for coffee."

She might as well see what she could get out of him. "Fine. I could use some coffee."

Lorcan liked to hear himself talk. So he kept up the chatter as they headed down 42nd Street toward Bryant Park and an innocuous twenty-four hour coffee shop. Kierse ordered a black coffee, and he got a cappuccino, looking pleased with himself. Once they got their coffee from a harried barista, they settled into a booth.

"If you don't wipe that smirk off of your face, I'm going to regret coming here with you."

He brought his coffee cup to his lips, trying and failing to not smile. "I thought we could pick up where we left off."

"Which was...?"

"You wanted to know about my history with Graves," he said smoothly.

She stared down into her mug. Did she let him know that she knew something of his history? Would it be a better play to see what he said? And what was Lorcan's play in all of this? He clearly wanted to poach her or at least figure out what Graves's next move was. Not something she was going to give to him. But she wouldn't mind determining exactly what his next move was.

"And why should I trust anything you're going to tell me?"

"That's fair," he said, taking a sip of his coffee. "I know it's hard to see, but I'm not the bad guy in this. Graves is your villain."

Kierse smiled, leaning forward on her elbow. "You think sending me babka is enough to make you a good guy?"

Lorcan shrugged it off with a laugh. "I thought you'd enjoy it. That's all. I couldn't help myself."

"Nothing to do with Graves at all."

"You got me," he said good-naturedly. "But when you're working for someone like that, you should see him for who he really is."

"A monster," she guessed.

"Exactly." Lorcan leaned forward to match her posture, as if they were sharing secrets. "A girl like you shouldn't get involved with someone like him. I don't know what he has you doing, but it can't be good. Is this why you've been going into Third Floor?"

She arched an eyebrow. He was really fishing for information. "Did you follow me there?"

"Into that disgusting place? Heavens no." He wrinkled his nose. "But I can guess based on the entrance. Though not why."

So... he didn't know about the spear. Or at least not that they were trying to steal it. Despite him seemingly interrogating her, he was sure giving her easy information.

Kierse threw down a hand to see if he'd bite. "I have a friend in there," she said, letting her voice tremble a little and staring into her coffee. It wasn't hard to conjure. "She's in debt. I've been going to see her to try to find a way to get her out."

"No one leaves that place while in debt," he said as if he knew for a fact.

"Yeah. That's what she says."

"And this friend... she's the job?"

"She's not a job," she snapped at him, looking up at him with watery eyes. "She's a person."

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to sound insensitive."

"It's fine," she whispered. She took a drink of the piping-hot coffee.

When he cleared his throat again, he asked, "Does all of this have something to do with Walter Rodriguez?"

Kierse kept a carefully neutral expression on her face. "Who's that?"

Lorcan laughed, easy and bright. "He was a failed pet project of Graves. A rogue warlock working in the market sounds just like something Graves would want to stop. You're armed to the teeth. I suspect you're... what? Bait?"

She gave him an innocent look. "Never heard of him. But he sounds like someone I should avoid."

"For your safety, you probably shouldn't associate with warlocks at all."

"Little late for that, isn't it?"

"Never too late. I'll be frank with you: Graves and I used to be close. We were like family." Kierse stilled as she heard the shape of the same story tumble from Lorcan's mouth. And he seemed rightfully sad about it. She wondered how much of it was an act. "The only reason we're not anymore is because of his betrayal. He's going to hurt you the way he hurt me, the way he hurts everyone." He traced the rim of his cup. "You don't have to work for him. Others have tried to work with him as you are now, but there's a reason no one else stays at his side. I don't want to see you like that. I don't know what he has over you, but you could leave. You'd be safe with my Druids."

"I'll take that into consideration."

Lorcan jerked his eyes back up to her. "You look like you want to cut me again. Am I really that distasteful to be around?"

The answer was no. He wasn't. He was a little too confident, but something about him felt so easy and comfortable.

That didn't mean she didn't see through him. He was trying to make her second-guess Graves, and she'd just began to feel like he made sense.

"Are you insecure enough that you have to ask?" she asked him instead.

"Around you... maybe." His expression was earnest. "You put me off-balance."

Fuck, he was really going for it. Really put it all out there. This must be a front. He had to be acting in the same way she had when she told him the story about Torra—fishing for information. No one could be this clueless.

"Because I don't grovel at your feet?"

"I am a man used to getting what he wants," he said casually, rubbing his hand across his beard. "But I just like to spend time with you. You're different."

"I'm different," she said sarcastically. "Try a different line. That one is a little cliché."

He chuckled and put his hands up. "You're right, of course, but it doesn't change how I feel."

Kierse tugged her hair out of its ponytail at the nape of her neck. It was starting to give her a headache. Or maybe it was this conversation. Or the time. God, she was tired. She downed the rest of her coffee. The caffeine would help for a whole minute.

"I should go. Thanks for the coffee."

"Wait," he said.

She was half out of her seat when the word fell from his lips. She glared at him. "What?"

"Your number," he reminded her.

"I didn't agree to that."

He slid his phone across the table without another word. "Come on, trade with me. I know that you didn't add my number to your phone." She hadn't. She still had the business card, but she had never intended to use it. "Look, I won't follow you anymore. We can just try... talking. Friends."

"Do all your friends threaten to kill each other?"

He considered. "Yes. I'd say that's accurate."

She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. The bastard found a way to make it come out when she wanted to keep it hidden. Despite herself, she passed him her phone while she input her digits into his.

"Have a good night," she told him, retrieving her phone.

His hand slipped out and took her wrist. As if he couldn't stop himself from touching her one last time. "Good night, Kierse."

She gently pulled her hand free and stalked out of the coffee shop. She considered Lorcan's angle. Was he trying to recruit her to his cause, or did he just hate Graves that much?

She was glad that Graves had suggested this. It was easier this time to get caught and sift through Lorcan's supposed sincerity. Too much was on the line for Lorcan to be this close to their mission. The last thing she wanted was for him to try to interfere.

Plus, she liked that Graves laid down the same cards she did. It was always better to know where your enemy stood.