When Villains Rise (Market of Monsters #3) - Rebecca Schaeffer Page 0,59

he was currently in Buenos Aires.

Nita swore. Viciously.

Kovit raised his head from the screen, hair flopping across his face. “What is it?”

She sighed and leaned back. “Nothing. Just an annoying complication.”

He groaned softly. “How bad?”

“The listing puts you in Buenos Aires.”

He frowned. “But . . . how?”

Nita’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t know. I only told one person where we were going.” She met his eyes. “Adair.”

Kovit shook his head. “He wouldn’t sell our location to INHUP. He hates the list.”

“I know.” She pulled out her phone and put it to her ear, voice grim. “But I have to ask. Especially since he’s still furious at me for melting his skin off.”

Kovit stared at her with a mixture of horror and fascination. “You melted his skin off?”

She nodded.

“Did it hurt?”

Of course that was what he was concerned with. She shrugged. “I imagine so.”

Kovit looked like he wanted to ask more, but the phone clicked and the ringing stopped.

“Hello?”

Adair’s voice was tinny over the phone, losing much of its smoothness. It was strange to hear him without seeing his teeth, knowing that beneath his mask, a monster lurked. Just hearing him over the phone, she could pretend he was as human as anyone else.

“So I saw that somehow Kovit’s location got on the dangerous unnaturals listing,” Nita began with no preamble.

“Nita?”

“Who else?”

“Indeed.” Adair sighed. “I didn’t expect to be hearing from you so soon.”

“Really? You didn’t think I’d call when I saw the listing?” Nita leaned against the wall and tried to keep her voice measured, even though she was angry. Angry that everything kept going wrong, angry that she hadn’t prepared for this, angry that Kovit was in danger and she wasn’t powerful enough to do anything about it. “You’re the only other one who knew I was going to Argentina. You’re the only one who could have given my location to the black market.”

There was a short pause, and Nita could hear the click of his computer keys. “Oh, yes, I saw that post this morning. But I’m not the one who told them you two were in Argentina.”

“And why should I believe you?”

Adair snorted. “Believe me or not, I don’t care. But I’m not so wasteful as to post valuable information for free. If I’d leaked it, you better bet I’d be getting paid.”

Of course. Whoever had done this had just posted the information for free for all the world to see. There was no gain here, unless it was some personal vendetta. And even if Adair was pursuing vengeance, he would still want to get paid.

“I see that silenced you.” Adair’s voice crackled over the phone. “Look, Nita. I don’t know who else you’ve told or not, but I wouldn’t have compromised your suicide plan, because on the small chance you actually succeed, I very much want that information, and I’m more than willing to trade for it. I’m not stupid enough to toss away this chance out of petty vengeance.”

Nita bowed her head. She’d figured as much, but she’d needed to hear him say it. “Then who did it?”

“I don’t know.” There was a loud bang and a muffled voice. “Ah, I have to go. Lovely hearing your baseless accusations as always.”

He hung up before Nita could respond. Nita stared down at the phone for a long moment. If it wasn’t Adair, who could it be?

Kovit cleared his throat beside her, his expression pained. “It wasn’t him, was it?”

She shook her head. “No.”

He rubbed his temples. “I was thinking about it, and there is one other person who could conceivably have figured out our plans.”

“Who?”

He winced. “Gold.”

Nita stared at him. He was right. Gold had stayed with them for a day, she’d had plenty of opportunity to sneak around and eavesdrop. Even if she hadn’t, she’d known they were keeping Fabricio prisoner, and she could put two and two together.

As soon as Kovit said her name, the rightness of the answer settled on Nita. Kovit had done a good deed, talked Nita into doing a good deed, and she was being punished for it. That was how the world worked. Good deeds got you nothing but pain.

Kovit closed his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Nita flopped on the bed. Her voice was resigned. “I told you.”

“I know,” he whispered.

“I warned you that she’d turn on you.”

“I know.” Kovit ran his hand through his hair and fisted it there. “I just thought if I let her go, maybe she’d see I wasn’t all evil. She’d remember that