Wild Knight (Midnight Empire: The Tower #1)(23)

I pictured myself pinning her to the wall and head-butting her, but that was no way to treat your best friend—was it?

Then again, this was no way for my best friend to treat me. She knew I was dodging questions, which only increased her desire to extract the information from me. She should trust that I had a good reason for keeping quiet.

Simon carried over two pitchers of ale and set them on the table, quickly followed by a basket of rolls.

Stevie pulled a pitcher closer to her. “What’s everyone else having?”

“Yes, yes,” Simon said. “Point taken. I’ll fetch the glasses.”

“Who’s hungry?” Stevie asked.

Kami pulled a face. “What kind of question is that?”

Simon returned with a stack of glassware and set one in front of each of us. “I’ve got two types of pie today. Kidney and homity.”

“One of each for the table, please,” Stevie said.

Simon gave a curt nod and hustled away. He knew better than to leave us hungry for long. We wouldn’t bust up the pub, but we were champions at complaining.

“Spill,” Kami demanded. “And I’m not talking about your ale.”

I tipped back my head and groaned. “Fine, but you have to promise not to give me a hard time.”

“Can’t promise when we don’t know what you’re about to say.”

At least she was honest.

Kami poured the golden liquid into my glass. “Drink first. Then talk.”

I obeyed. “I took a job for a vampire family.”

Everyone at the table gasped. Actually, I was pretty sure Simon gasped too. He’d emerged from the kitchen with a stack of plates for the table.

Stevie’s brow creased. “Why would you do that?”

“Mack sent it to me. He didn’t realize. There was a middleman involved.”

Minka tapped the outside of her glass. “Why would they hire one of us?”

I swallowed a mouthful of ale. “They want to keep the job quiet. Another banner would involve too much red tape and require details they don’t want public.”

Kami smacked her lips after polishing off her ale. “Don’t want public? How important are these vampires?”

I grasped for an appropriate response. “They have a lot of employees and a lot of money. They don’t want the information to be used against them.”

There. That sounded reasonable.

Kami scrutinized me. “You’re leaving out the most important part.”

I cursed the day I ever met Kamikaze Marwin in a damp, rat-infested tunnel. “No, I’m not.”

Kami laughed. “You’re the worst liar.”

“She’s actually quite good,” Stevie said. “I wouldn’t suspect a thing if it weren’t for you.”

I shot Kami a pointed look.

“That’s only because you’re listening to her voice and not looking at her face,” Kami objected.

Minka folded her arms and regarded me. “If you’re involved in an assignment that could have repercussions for the rest of us, I think we’re entitled to know. In fact, I insist.”

She insisted? Now I was thoroughly annoyed.

I downed my drink and set the empty glass on the table. “I’m withholding that information for your own protection.”

Simon returned with a cloth to wipe down the table.

“Don’t you normally wait until we leave to do that?” Minka asked.

“I would, but then I won’t be able to hear London’s answer.”

My stare must’ve been sufficiently hard because he scuttled back behind the bar.

“I’ve been hired by House Lewis,” I whispered.

The table erupted with questions and possibly a few swear words.

“This makes no sense,” Stevie said. “Why would they hire you?”

“I told you. They want to keep the job quiet, which is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

“Did they make you sign a confidentiality agreement?” Minka asked.

“No, but they made it clear they expect me to keep my involvement quiet.” And the last thing I wanted to do was get on the wrong side of royal vampires.

“But we don’t work for vampires,” Stevie said.

“On principle, not on paper,” I reminded her. It was an unwritten rule.

“Exactly,” Stevie said. “So what happened to yours?”

I leveled her with a look. “Do you really see this as a choice?”

“London’s right,” Minka interjected. “If it this were a regular vampire, it would be easier. We can’t risk the wrath of the royal family. We’d lose our license to practice magic.”

“Or worse,” Kami added. “What’s the job?”

I sighed. I knew that would be the next question. “I can’t say.”

“Fair enough,” Stevie said. “I think the less we know, the better.”

“Gee, I’m so glad you agree with the way I intended to handle this from the outset until someone strong-armed me.” I glared at Kami.

Kami gave her head a hard shake. “I don’t like it.”

“Of course you don’t. She’s working for the worst of the worst,” Stevie said. “House Lewis didn’t seize power due to their cuddly natures.”