Page 130 of Sky’s Edge

“Having an emotional connection to your charge is detrimental to the focus you need to do it correctly.”

Well then.

Reading between those lines, since he didn’t feel much for me, he’d be all set.

“Listen—” I began in an effort to mend the damage I’d inflicted by upsetting Tanyn on a day he’d already been devastated.

He cut me off. “It’s none of my business.”

“It is. You two are close.”

“It’s still none of my business.”

“And he and I are courting.”

“I think I’ve made myself clear.”

“You don’t like me,” I deduced.

“I don’t know you,” he tried diplomacy, though, he totally didn’t like me.

“There’s a very good possibility I’ll be in his life for a very long time,” I pointed out quietly.

“Then I hope there’s a very good possibility you’ll give a shit about his feelings in future,” he shot back.

Well, there you go.

We knew where we stood.

Although, after that exchange, I was partially seeing the point Tanyn made about not sticking my nose into Gayle and Cormac’s situation (though, I figured last night he changed his mind about that), I wasn’t going to defend myself to Nayden.

He was right.

What had happened with Tanyn and I was none of his business. What would happen between Tanyn and I was also none of his business.

Except it was.

Nayden would form opinions. I surely would tick him off again, because I surely would tick Tanyn off again.

And he’d side with Tanyn every time.

I was completely at one with that.

“You know my schedule?” I queried.

“You work nine to five. The gallery opens at ten. You have three sales associates, but there are only three of you in the gallery at one time. One SA shift is ten to six, the other eleven to seven, when the gallery closes. And Tanyn expects you back in Sky’s Edge Wednesday night.”

“I’ll be going to work Wednesday at eight so I can leave at four.”

He nodded, but said, “I’ve been informed you like to walk to and from work. That will not be happening anymore.”

I wasn’t sure if he was asserting a kind of control to punish me for doing something stupid and hurting his friend, or if this was an added security measure.

Since we were deepening into autumn and things were getting very nippy, I didn’t fight this because undoubtedly, they’d have a luxurious craft I didn’t have to pilot that would whisk me to and from work, so why would I?

“Works for me,” I told him. “How many are in your crew?”

“There are ten here. We’re stationed at the embassy. Your detail will vary from six to eight, mostly on a random basis so anyone watching cannot predict how many will be on you. You’re taking the antidote?”