Page 88 of A Barista's Guide to Love & Larceny
Two minutes until go time, Silva announced via the shell.
I’m in position, McKenna said.
Good, Silva thought.Miss Lionet, I need to speak with you.
Dani didn’t know what to feel in that moment. Confusion? Check. Betrayal? Check. Anger? Check. All she knew for certain was that she needed to tell the others. So she dropped a bucket deep into her well of concentration and drew up as much mental focus as she could before she sent a message to everyonebutSilva through the shell tucked into her ear.
Guys, she said.We have a problem.
Thirty-Two
The responses from the rest of the crew came flooding in immediately.
What’s up?Katya said.
You okay, babe?thought McKenna.
What problem?Wyatt asked.
It’s about Silva, Dani thought back, still deliberately isolating the professor—who apparently wasn’t actually a professor, according to Dr. Rodriguez—from their mental conversation.So when you reply, don’t include her, okay?
Why?Oliver said.What did she do?
She’s not who she says she is, Dani said.She used to work for OneiroLabs, but now she works for one of their rivals.
What?Katya asked in disbelief.Who?
Somnium?Dani thought back.No, Somnio.
Oh, for gods’ sake, said Katya.Are you fucking serious? Somnio?
I knew it, Wyatt said, a hint of triumph in his words.I knew there was a reason she always used us as shields.
“Dani?”
It took Dani a second to realize that her name had been said out loud, and that it had been said by Kass, who was standing in front of her now. She’d been so distracted by the bomb Dr. Rodriguez had just dropped that she hadn’t even noticed him close the gap between them. His face had softened in the aftermath of the argument with his father, but she couldn’t quite read the dominant emotion in hisexpression. As she studied him, trying to puzzle it out, the emcee’s voice boomed out across the crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “it’s time for the main event—the presentation you’ve all been waiting for.”
They’re announcing OneiroLabs, Silva said.Ready check?
There was a pause, and for a moment, Dani thought Katya wouldn’t respond—but then her voice came through, a little unsteady.Ready.
Ready, Wyatt and Oliver said at the same time.
We still doing this?McKenna thought.
Can’t back out now, Katya said.We’ll deal with her after.
“We are proud to introduce our esteemed special guests for the evening,” the emcee continued, “from right here in our very own city, please welcome to the stage—Lukas Gianakos and Dr. Phoebe Rodriguez of OneiroLabs Incorporated!”
The exhibition hall obliged him with thunderous applause, the most exuberant they’d been all evening.
It’s time, Silva said.GO.
“Dani?” Kass said. The sound of his voice reeled her back into her body. “Are you okay?”
“No,” she said. “I mean, no, it’s okay, I’m fine. I’m—Kass.Kass.”
