And now, Karl was asking, “Are you hungry?” In some ways, that hurt more than all his jabs and icy glances.

“Restaurants are probably closed,” I said finally. “Maybe a drive-through?”

He scanned the dark street. “It doesn’t look promising. Do you have anything at the apartment?”

I shook my head.

“I see a convenience store at the next corner,” he said. “They’re bound to have groceries. I’ll buy—”

“No.” I took a quick breath. “No, Karl. I won’t.”

We drove the rest of the way in silence.

HOPE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

HOPE

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

I didn’t offer Karl a drink at the apartment. Not even something nonalcoholic. I wasn’t being petty—like I’d said, my cupboards were bare. Which was odd for me. Even traveling on business, one of my first stops was the local convenience store to get some drinks and snacks for my hotel room. A nesting instinct, I guess, to give myself a stable home base wherever I am. But here I’d been too distracted to even pick up bottled water.

Karl wasn’t looking for details on the job. He already had them—courtesy of Lucas. What had him flying out to Miami was a breach of promise. Apparently, Benicio and Karl had an understanding that we’d repay this debt together. I tried to take the blame, telling him that Benicio had wanted to back out when he learned Karl was away.

“He knew I was out of the country. I left him a message before I went.”

My mouth opened, ready with excuses—but when I took a moment to think it through, I knew the truth: I’d been played. Again.

I pulled my legs up under me on the sofa, squirming as if getting comfortable, gazing down until the first flash of humiliation passed.

“He wanted me on this job,” I said finally. “He knew if he suggested waiting for you, I’d be offended and insist on taking it alone.”

There was more to it than that. Benicio hadn’t wanted someone older and more experienced taking a hard look at the job and warning me off. He’d seen that Karl and I were on the outs, and that I’d pounce on the chance to fulfill this debt alone.

“Lucas looked it over,” I said, twisting my new watch. “He didn’t see a problem with it.”

“That’s because he doesn’t have all the facts.” Karl met my gaze. “About you.”

“But neither does Benicio. There’s no way he’d know—”

I stopped, hearing my naiveté. Just because Lucas didn’t know about an Expisco half-demon’s chaos hunger didn’t mean his father didn’t.

“It’s no different from my work for the council,” I said. “I need this. You’re always the first to tell me I need it—get my fill of chaos in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone.”