He walks to the door and closes it. “Would you like to talk?”
Donatello has soft eyes. He would understand my fears, and he would let me put the weight of my fate on his shoulders. But he doesn’t need it. He has his own problems, dealing with Kayn and their bond. He doesn’t need to know I’m afraid of losing this makeshift family I found.
I shake my head. “No. It’s fine.”
He narrows his eyes, studying my face. Pressing his lips together, he drops his towel and starts getting dressed. “I will go after Alicia to check for breakfast. With you up, the others will rise soon.”
I watch his fine ass for way too long, then meet his eyes. “Oh. Okay. Breakfast would be nice.”
Donatello bends on the waist, leaning to me. He kisses me softly, then leaves the room. Oreo snuggles between Tristan and me until I scratch his back. Minutes stretch in silence until Donatello makes his way back. Sleep completely evading me, I hit the shower again.
In my new pair of dark leggings and tank top, I leave the bathroom as the others stir awake. An hour later, with the sun already on the horizon, we make our way out of the room for breakfast.
For breakfast, and for battle.
We eat in silence, and I think my men notice I’ve been thoughtful since waking up. What they don’t know is that I’m devising a way to leave them behind, safe, here in this haven Donatello found us. Behind wards, away from people who might hurt them.
“Oh!” exclaims Giulia, putting her cutlery down. “The orange juice,” she says to no one in particular. “Has it gone bad?”
Trevor picks up his glass and sips from it. “No.”
Giulia relaxes against her chair and releases a sigh. “Oh. I thought this was the timeline where Cassandra trapped you in the house and goes by herself.” She turns in my direction, smiling. “That’s one of the bad ones. It’s a good thing you won’t go through with your plans.”
Shit.
All my men turn to me, four pairs of wide eyes. I stare at my plate, pretending I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“You were planning on locking us in?” roars Apollo. “You wanted to go alone?”
“No,” I lie, putting on my best poker face. “That’s just one of the other timelines.”
Giulia tuts, looking up as if admiring a work of art. “No, that’s in all of them. In some you go through with it, others you don’t.”
Tristan’s brows turn up, sadness on his face. “You were leaving us behind? Why?”
Shit. Shit, Giulia. “No,” I try again. “I wasn’t planning that. Really.”
Ren, sitting next to me, sniffs. “You know we can smell lies, Cass.”
Damn it. I forgot. The one real skill I developed — having an amazing poker face — is completely useless with my men because they can see right through it. I’m physiologically incapable of lying to them. Not even when it’s so I can keep them safe.
“Okay, look.” I sit back, raising my black-tinted hands. “I’m not ditching you. I’m trying to protect you. This is going to be dangerous, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
“We can take on a few fae,” Apollo says as a matter-of-fact, lifting his lip in offense. “They have magic, but they’re not natural fighters or anything.”
“They are,” Giulia points out, nodding.
“You may have forgotten,” I bark, leaning forward, “a fae had a hand through your stomach days ago.”
“And I lived. That only proves my point.”
I fucking can’t believe this. Crossing my arms, I glare at Apollo. “Not even you believe that shit, Apollo. There might be fae, and there might be worse things.”
“Like what?” he insists.
“Like, I don’t know, Kayn and a bunch of vampires.”
Apollo shoots Donatello an annoyed glance. “The worst part about that is if the Ninja Turtle here decides to change sides. Again.”