Page 42 of Deadly Little Games

I nodded.

“Then perhaps he should stay behind too. What I have to say is for you alone, and you may tell who you choose, and only who you choose.”

My heart fluttered in my throat. What could she possibly need to tell me? Why had Braxton dragged me out here, knowing all that was happening in my life?

Reading my expression, she patted my arm. “All will be well, Eva.”

Not sure if I believed her, I lifted Ringo from my shoulder and held him out to Gabriel.

Gabriel scowled, but took the little goblin, holding him in the palms of his hands.

“He likes french fries,” I said pointedly. “And cake.”

Ringo sat up a little straighter, his nerves assuaged by the mention of his favorite foods, which was exactly the reaction I was going for.

“Well,” Braxton said, “this is going to be interesting.” He gestured for everyone to follow him as Theresa led me back past the bar.

As she opened one side of the double doors leading into the kitchen, I glanced back to see Gabriel, Sebastian, and Crispin all watching me. It was a very strange feeling, suddenly realizing how they had all become a big part of my life in a very short time. Maybe Crispin a little less, but if we got the chance to continue working together…

I cast away my thoughts, following Theresa into the kitchen.

My mouth watered at the smell of burgers on the grill, and french fries sizzling in hot oil. The steamy air made me sweat, bringing about more memories. Even after Theresa had left the city, Braxton and I would still come out here. I’d helped out in the kitchen a few times for extra cash. Then Dawn had offered me a job at the agency, and life had become very different.

Theresa glanced at the lone werewolf manning the grill, an older gentleman, six feet tall and rail thin. His name was Alfred, and he didn’t speak much. But hecouldlisten, so Theresa pulled me into the walk-in freezer.

I got a little nervous as she shut the door behind us, even though I knew it didn’t lock. The cool air instantly gelled the sweat on my skin.

“Sorry about the chill, but it will be difficult for anyone to overhear us in here.” She reached into a bag on the shelf, pulling out a handful of chocolate chips. She handed me half of them.

Smiling, I took them. She had always given me chocolate when I was younger too.

When her expression turned suddenly serious, my hand clamped around the cold little chips. “Eva, I have something to tell you, and I hope you won’t be upset with me. Your father made me promise to keep it to myself unless at some point I deemed it necessary for you to know.”

My gut clenched with sudden dread at her tone. My breath whooshed out of me, fogging the air around my face.

“I don’t know how to say this,” she continued, “so I will just spill it quickly.” It seemed to take her some effort to meet my eyes. “When your father got sick, when he realized he wasn’t going to make it, he told me a secret. He told me why your mother left.”

Blood rushed in my ears, and against the cold air, I felt faint. “He said he didn’t know.”

She reached for my arm, but I pulled away, and her face fell. “Eva, it was far too dangerous for you. He did not support her in taking your memories, and he felt quite sure she’d taken some of his as well, but there was one thing he remembered.”

I stared at her, my heart in my throat, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Your mother had lived a long time before she had you,” she reluctantly continued. “And your father learned—” She met my eyes. “Your father learned that she was the one who severed the paths to the other realms, and powerful people wanted her dead because of it.”

15

I stormedout of the walk-in, the heat right outside the door feeling suffocating. Or maybe it was just the emotions that swam within me. He knew why she left. He knew why she abandoned me, and he had let me think that she didn’t want me.

Theresa hurried out after me. “You must understand, Eva. It was for your own protection. Anything you knew could put you in danger.”

I spun on her, tears stinging my eyes. “I have been looking for her foryears. I have been looking for her most of my life.”

She glanced at the grill, but Alfred was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he’d sensed us coming. “There’s more you need to know.”

“More?” I choked out. “How could there be more?”

She grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward the walk-in, but not inside it. She tugged me close, then lowered her voice. “Not long after your mom left, someone came looking for her. I think she had hoped that no one knew about you and your father. She left as soon as she thought someone might find her, but she left too late. The woman who came was clearly a celestial. Your father was human, but he said he could tell. When he told her your mother was gone, she asked about you.”