I swallow hard. “I plead the Fifth.”
His lips quirk and he leans back in his chair. “That’s no fun.”
He’s playful and funny, and enjoys teasing me way too much, but I like this part of him too much to mind. “You don’t drink because it creates a lack of control you don’t like.”
He lifts the cup, his eyes lighting with wicked heat. “Control is much more alluring than the other options. Don’t you think?”
“Hmmm. I don’t think I’d know, but maybe I’ll give it a go.”
“You can try.”
I set my cup down, the delicious scent of pancakes cooking filling the air. “I will.”
“Looking forward to that battle of wills,” he assures me, tapping the notebook. “Let’s get this over with and go get naked again.”
I inhale a sharp breath, ready to do anything other than look at those photos, including broach the awkward subject of David. “I need to talk about something else first.”
“I’m listening.”
“David.”
“David,” he repeats, the name a blade sliding through the air. “The infamous fiancé.”
“Kayden—”
“Tell me.”
“He gave me a necklace. It was a large butterfly, and I found a handwritten note inside it.”
He goes very still, the lines of his face sharpening with his tone. “What did that note say, Ella?”
Unease flits through me. “I don’t remember. It could have been a silly love note.”
“You claim to just ‘know’ things. Is that what you think it was?”
“No. No, I do not.” He studies me with hooded eyes, his lashes hiding his gaze from my prying eyes, and I can’t take his silence. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Because I don’t like what I have to say.”
My fingers curl into my palms. “Just say it, please.”
“I think you were what is called a ‘carrier.’ ”
“I don’t like how that sounds.”
“For good reason. A carrier is an innocent person who’s targeted to transport items from one country to the next.”
“How do you know this?”
“The Underground has encountered just about everything over the hundred years it’s been around, and we have databases to store the history of those experiences. And I’ve personally encountered this kind of situation.”
“And you think David chose me to be a carrier.”
“It fits. Usually someone is directed to get close to the potential carrier and ensure they meet certain requirements.”
“What requirements?”
“You really want to hear this?”