Back When Villains Rise
Chapters (52)
  1. Copyright
  2. Dedication
  3. One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Eight
  11. Nine
  12. Ten
  13. Eleven
  14. Twelve
  15. Thirteen
  16. Fourteen
  17. Fifteen
  18. Sixteen
  19. Seventeen
  20. Eighteen
  21. Nineteen
  22. Twenty
  23. Twenty-One
  24. Twenty-Two
  25. Twenty-Three
  26. Twenty-Four
  27. Twenty-Five
  28. Twenty-Six
  29. Twenty-Seven
  30. Twenty-Eight
  31. Twenty-Nine
  32. Thirty
  33. Thirty-One
  34. Thirty-Two
  35. Thirty-Three
  36. Thirty-Four
  37. Thirty-Five
  38. Thirty-Six
  39. Thirty-Seven
  40. Thirty-Eight
  41. Thirty-Nine
  42. Forty
  43. Forty-One
  44. Forty-Two
  45. Forty-Three
  46. Forty-Four
  47. Forty-Five
  48. Acknowledgments
  49. Read More from the Market of Monsters Series
  50. More Books from HMH Teen
  51. About the Author
  52. Connect with HMH on Social Media

“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.