same dangerous woman she was when she waltzed into our lives and shook us all to our bitter cores.
I notice Fredrik quietly watching Nora with a little more interest than I’m used to seeing him show, and I’m not sure I like it or not. I’m not sure I even understand it.
Dorian cocks his head to one side, studying the beautiful, cunning blond that not so long ago shot him in both shoulders, made a fool out of him, manipulated him with a skill he could never match, and forced him to confess to all of us who he really is. It’s because of her that he’s in this situation with Victor. I wonder how much of him would love nothing more than to wrap his hands around her throat and choke the life out of her.
“You’re very beautiful,” he says in a soft playful voice; his bright blue eyes glistening under the fluorescent light above the table. “But you’re a mouthy fucking bitch.” He grins, leaning forward, pressing his chest against the edge of the table just like Nora. “I serve no fucking master,” he says, “but if I have to choose, I will always make the choice that suits the circumstance.”
My head snaps back to Dorian—that’s definitely not the kind of answer I would’ve given considering the predicament he’s in.
Victor turns his head slowly to face Dorian, but his expression is unreadable.
Fredrik has also turned all of his brooding attention on Dorian.
James Woodard, who has been awfully quiet the entire time, looks over at Dorian with wide eyes veiled by a thin layer of panic.
Nora’s red smile lengthens maliciously.
“Those are bold words,” she says. “Maybe you should just kill him, Victor.” She never takes her eyes off Dorian’s.
“Izabel trusts me,” Dorian says, challenging her. “Fredrik apparently trusted me enough after torturing me for days, to release me. And Victor, your leader”—his words have become ice—“freed me from that goddamned cell, and here I am, sitting with the rest of you.” He stands from his chair, leaning over the table, and points a finger at her; his jaw moving as he grinds his teeth together. “I don’t need to prove shit to you—fucking cunt.”
That’s all his ‘bold words’ had been: just words to get underneath Nora’s skin. I sense that Victor must’ve gathered as much, knowing Dorian’s confrontational personality.
Nora just grins.
“And you should take into consideration that you’re no longer in any position to be making threats,” Dorian adds. “You’ve got jack-shit to hold over my head anymore.”
Dorian’s hand, still pointing a finger at her, slowly falls back down, but his hard gaze never falters.
“Not that I’m taking sides,” Fredrik speaks up for the first time, “but it should be noted, Nora, that you aren’t exactly trusted here fully, either.”
“And I should never be trusted fully,” she shoots back. “Nor should anyone in this room”—she looks at each of us in turns—“Any one of us, no matter who we love, or where our loyalties lie, have more potential than the average person to turn and chew off the fucking hand that feeds us.”
“What are you saying then?” Dorian asks with accusation. “Are you admitting something, or just warning us in advance about how you’re likely to turn out?”
“I’m simply stating a fact,” Nora growls. “I just say aloud what everybody’s thinking.”
I stand from my chair and put up my hands. “Come on now, let’s not do this right now,” I say, trying to defuse the situation.
Slowly Dorian finds his seat again, and he and Nora have a hate-filled stare-down for several long moments.
I turn to Victor.
“So, who’s going with you and Dorian to meet with these people?” I ask. “I volunteer.”
Victor shakes his head. “No—Fredrik will be the only one joining me for the meeting. And I have something else in mind for you.”
“Oh?”
“Yes,” he says, “but first we need to discuss your mission with Nora last night.”
That nervous feeling in my gut has returned.
I nod and listen.
“Although your mission went smoothly,” Victor says, “it wasn’t without error.”
“OK,” I say, both as a statement and a question. I place both hands on the table and take my seat again; I feel Nora’s eyes on me from the side, but I focus only on Victor. “As smoothly as it went, I can’t imagine you’d have much negative to say about my performance.”
“The mission was smoothly orchestrated,” Victor says, “but your performance left little to be commended”—I swallow hard—“Gustavsson, you and Woodard may leave; take Flynn with you.”