Hidden Devotion (Trinity Masters #5)(45)

“I saw her sucking on her finger after she cut it, but that can’t be it.” Franco shook his head. “The pen was in the box I gave her.”

Devon bowed his head, giving himself a moment of respite. He reached into his coat. “That’s what I was afraid of.” He pulled out his gun and pointed it at Franco.

“Whoa! What the f*ck?” Franco raised his hands in the universal “don’t shoot” posture. The blanket fell to the ground.

“Devon, is this necessary?” Alexis looked weary.

“Yes.” Devon held his phone in his other hand, ready to call for a cleanup crew. “His grandfather was a member, but never called to the altar. I’m thinking there was a reason for that.”

“Are you going to shoot me? Actually shoot me?”

“The fact that you’re asking makes me think you haven’t been paying attention. I will do anything to protect her.”

“You mean protect the Trinity Masters.”

Devon lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. “Juliette is the Trinity Masters.”

“Devon. Stop.” Juliette’s voice was weak, but they reacted as if she’d yelled the command.

Devon’s whole body started to shake with relief when he saw her standing in the doorway. She seemed tiny in the too-large hospital gown that hung from her shoulders. Her skin was no longer flushed, her lips their normal color. If anything, she was pale, the dark circles under her eyes standing out.

“Juliette.”

Their gazes met. He expected to see anger. Expected her to rage and throw things. He’d lied to her. He’d had Sebastian help him get her email passwords so he could use the information she gathered for her humanitarian work to inform the CIA’s activities in the regions where she’d been. He’d been hoping to someday come clean and somehow make it okay once they were married.

Once she couldn’t get away.

He was such an ass.

“I’m sorry.” The words were heavy, conveying years of regret and missteps.

Juliette nodded. The anger he’d expected to see wasn’t there. “I know.” She seemed calm and in control. She seemed like the Grand Master.

Juliette turned to Franco. “Did you know?”

“Can you make him put down the gun?”

“Did you know?” Juliette’s tone didn’t change. She was like a stone—not necessarily unfeeling, but hard and immovable.

Franco seemed to sense the change. He lowered his hands a fraction as his gaze searched her face. “Did I know what?”

“Did you know about the poison?”

“No.”

“Alexis, please test the pen.”

“Of course. It will only take a second.”

When she left the room, the three of them stood in silence. Tension ebbed and flowed between them as if it were a living thing.

“Lower the gun, but don’t put it away.”

Devon dropped his arm to his side.

Franco lowered his hands. “Juliette, I didn’t know.”

“Either you truly didn’t know, or you’re a very skilled assassin.”

“Assassin? You don’t really think…I didn’t even know you existed until two weeks ago!”

“The Grand Master always risks assassination. Our secrets are kept but not absolute.” Devon spoke to Franco but he was looking at Juliette. “I spoke to Harrison and he told me about the attempt on his life. There are some who might not accept Juliette as the new Grand Master. They won’t know who she is, but there’s no hiding that she’s a woman.”

“Which is why no one can know about the poison. I can’t appear weak. That means it’s up to the three of us to solve this mystery.”

“Could it have been accidental?” Franco sounded hopeful.

“No. You heard Alexis. Burning plastic is what causes accidental poisoning.”

“Shit. I swear I didn’t know. I never opened the box.”

Juliette took a step and wobbled. Both Franco and Devon lunged to help her but she waved them back and took a seat. “And your grandfather never opened the box?”

“No.”

“I think he was meant to. I think the poison was meant for Franco’s grandfather.”

“Why?”

“Because of this.” Juliette held out a crumpled sheet of paper. “My father used to tell me stories about how his own father, my grandfather, would send messages using invisible ink, ink that had to be brushed with lemon juice to make it appear. There was a vial and a paintbrush in the box. I think at one point the vial held lemon juice, and the paintbrush was used to apply it.”

Franco yelped in excitement and started moving toward Juliette. Devon raised the gun and cleared his throat. Franco froze then bared his teeth in a snarl of frustration.

Juliette’s lips twitched as she tried to hide a smile. That little hint of a smile allowed much of the tension to drain out of Devon’s shoulders. He kept the gun pointed on Franco, but was really hoping he wouldn’t have to shoot the other man.

“This sheet was hidden under the false bottom of the box. It just a bunch of random words in Spanish, but when you apply lemon juice there’s a message.”

“What does it say?” Devon asked.