Lie To Me

Raven

Raven inspected her quarters for cameras, finding one in the bedroom, one in the kitchen, and two in the spacious living room. All were hidden extremely well, but Raven was a veteran in the criminal field, and she knew that Kieran Stone wouldn't miss a chance like this. He had had enough decency not to place one in the bathroom, however, but Raven checked several times to be certain.

Raven disabled the cameras, deciding to save them in case they ever became of use, and then changed her button-up to a light racerback tank. Next, she went to the bathroom and trimmed her hair, evening the edges, and it was then that her screen blinked on and Aidan's voice echoed through the suite.

"Raven?" he called.

Raven walked into view of the camera, crossing her arms over her chest. "What is it, Stone?" she asked. Then she saw Kieran in the background and began tapping her finger against her arm languidly. "Who's the manufacturer? Those cameras are of extremely good make."

To her amusement, Aidan turned to his brother, a mildly surprised look flitting over his face. "You put cameras in her rooms?" he asked.

"Of course," Kieran replied, his fingertips dancing against each other.

"How many?" Aidan redirected his attention to Raven, rueful apology tinting his words.

"Four so far. I'd have done the same, though." And it was true. "Planning to tell me why you initiated contact?"

"Initiated contact? There's no need to speak so formally. There isn't exactly a set meal schedule, but I was wondering if you wanted to dine with me tonight. Does seven suit?" Aidan waited with an air of smug expectation, his trademark grin displaying straight, pearly teeth.

"Your invitation is," Raven rolled the word around in her mouth, lips pulling up in a smirk that she didn't bother concealing, "appreciated. However, I find myself in the position of denying it. Have a good night."  

She pressed a button, severing the connection, and let out a breath.

"Well, that was fun," she murmured to herself. It was, of course, all a test, engineered to gauge the depth of Aidan and Kieran's personalities. And so far, they had both proved quite inscrutable, in their own ways.

Aidan's front was amusing, the classic portrait of a charming rogue, and so faultless that many would have thought it his true personality if they weren't aware of his occupation and the mental dexterity that it required.

Kieran's veneer was a little harder to discern--and that, she supposed, was precisely the point. However, she was in possession of a sneaking suspicion that there was, in fact, no mask. That the cold, detached calm was his true personality, to a majority of the extent. Perhaps that was the secret to his success.

Not that it mattered, in the end.

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A/N:

So, basically the last chapter but from Raven's point of view, and a little more insight into her character. What do you guys think? By now, the rewriting has gotten a little harder, but I'm trying to get as much ahead as I can so that I'll be able to finish the story before I post it all. Comment, vote, blah blah blah... okay, I'm going to go work on the next chapter xp