Chapter 72 The Deal

• Patricia’s POV
• Damon’s message arrived just after dawn the following morning — short, efficient: Here. Westside. Waiting. The kind of message that made my hands itch in a way that was part thrill, part cold calculation. I told him I was going to my lessons as usual. I didn’t want to look suspicious; if he moved quickly and quietly, there would be no reason for anyone to watch me twice. If the plan worked, I’d be home before most people even realized something had happened.
• Today felt different from the last time. Lucy’s usual guards — the lions who hovered like silent sentries — were not as close this time. She was more exposed, more vulnerable, and that made my grin widen inside. Vulnerability is a delicious thing when you know how to use it. The more oblivious she was, the cleaner and easier the job would be.