Fateful Hindrance

7. The Mother Of All Insiders

I found myself shrinking back slightly as I looked around at all of them. 

Other than Juliet, two women were seated at the table.  One had blond hair, kind blue eyes, and fair skin.  The other had dark brown hair and eyes and dark olive skin, probably Middle Eastern.  Both seemed like they were nice enough, but eyed me with a mix of interest and suspicion. 

Three men also sat at the table.  Only one was smiling at me.  His bright red hair made his head look like it had been set aflame and a light dusting of freckles covered his nose and cheeks.  There was an older, smaller man seated beside him, his hair so gray it was almost white.  He still looked to be in good health, though.  And the last one…he was built like a truck with thick arm and chest muscles that made him look like he was flexing even though I was pretty sure he was relaxed. 

I still couldn’t take my eyes off them as Ryan pulled out the chair at the other end of the table across for me.  My eyes were locked on Juliet’s as I slowly sat down, though I was ready to bolt as soon as I could. 

Ryan took the seat to my right, putting himself, thankfully, between me and the huge guy.

“Emmy,” Juliet started, a small smile on her face.  “I’m glad you made it here safely and could join us.”

I didn’t say anything, though I was sure she was expecting me to say that I was ‘happy to be there.’ 

Like that would ever happen.

So instead, after a few moments of silence, she continued to her introduction of everyone, gesturing first to the blond woman.  “This is Eden Tolbert.”  Next, to the other.  “Farrah Saab.”  The red-headed man.  “Garren Quinlan.”  The older man.  “Lorenzo De Fiore.”  And last, the huge guy on the other side of Ryan.  “And Yuriy Markovic.  All of us, though we’re missing one for the moment, make up the Council.”

Everyone nodded in greeting to me and I still didn’t say a word.  Juliet seemed like she was starting to get annoyed, which should have bothered me because nothing good ever came from her annoyance, but it didn’t.  This was apparently going to be my act of rebellion, staying silent when I knew I should have been speaking up.  Silence always spoke louder than words, and my silence echoed through the room.

“Not a talkative one, is she?” the blond woman, Eden, said, her accent French, as she looked over at Juliet.    

Juliet’s eyes held mine.  “Not for now, but I’m sure she’ll find her voice sooner or later.  She’s definitely a chatty one once she has something to say.”

Oh, did I have something to say…

“All right,” she started again, looking around at everyone.  “Now that Emmy is here, we can start with what’s going to be happening within the next couple of weeks regarding her.”

It was the huge guy, Yuriy, who spoke first, his Russian accent thick, as he turned to look at me with narrowed eyes.  “I still do not understand why you believe that she’s an asset to us when we have others that are more than capable of doing the job.  You said yourself that she’s not trained in combat.”

“And that’s what I was going to get to when she arrived here.  I believed she should have been a part of the conversation when it pertains to her.”

Well, there’s a first.

“Smarts won’t keep her alive if what we planned commences,” Farrah spoke up.  “What do you suggest we do?  Have the others keep her safe when they’re out?  They can’t be watching her back when they’re also watching their own.”

I leaned back in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest as I pressed my lips together.  Sure, I didn’t know a lot about fighting, but I could take care of myself.  Juliet herself knew that…especially after what happened at the British Museum, which I’m sure she remembered clearly.  And by the small smirk that appeared on her lips as she looked at me, she did.