Being Emerald Read Free Page B

Almost to the door of the meeting room, his steps faltered. He slowed, looked down at their joined hands, and up until their gazes connected for an endless second. His expression revealed he’d not known she’d grown up Amber.
    Laila crooked a finger, a request for him to come closer. He brought his head near hers.
    “Thank you,” she whispered.
    Simply because of his nearness, she sensed his mood again, and the change was absolute. The siege of anger, hatred and pain had lessened.
    “Come on.” He freed his hand, and stepped aside so she could enter the room.
    Everyone looked at her when she re-entered. “I’m sorry, gentlemen. I’m feeling a bit under the weather today.”
    General Morgan’s expression conveyed concern. “Well let’s wrap this up, then.”
    Laila nodded her thanks to the General, sat, and avoided eye contact with everyone in the room.
    When the meeting adjourned, she remained at the table to avoid getting pulled into a conversation. The problem was Sydney Parr remained, too.
    She didn’t need to look up to know Sydney’s striking, light green eyes bore down on her. She could no longer pretend she hadn’t noticed Sydney wasn’t leaving. With her caramel skin and dark hair, the exotic-looking woman’s bitchy glare made Laila feel like shrinking away. Sydney scanned her face, then the new emerald tattoo circling her wrist, and malevolence marred the woman’s beautiful features.
    The prejudice and slurs would come next. She might have an emerald band around her wrist, but to most, it didn’t matter. She would always be an Amber—stupid, diseased, inferior.
    “You’re Emerald now?”
    “Yes.” Laila smiled and looked pointedly at Sydney’s Sapphire tattoo. “And you’re not.”
    “Don’t let that green around your wrist make you think you’re better than everyone else. You’re still spawned from inferior stock.”
    “I earned my designation. I wasn’t born into it like you were. Looks like you were a mere eye color away from growing up in Amber with me.” Laila knew better than to bait the woman like that, but she couldn’t help herself.
    “He’s not into you.”
    “Who?”
    “Morgan. It was pretty obvious he was touching you to irritate Rock.”
    “I agree.”
    Sydney nodded. “As long as you know your place.”
    Rock walked back into the conference room. His gaze ping-ponged between them, finally landing on Laila. He stared at her, as if he inspected her insides. Peered directly into her soul.
    She fought the urge to squirm. He did an excellent job of making her feel as if he knew her better than she knew herself.
    He frowned and gestured toward the door. “Sydney, may I speak with you?”
    “Of course. Excuse me.” As she rose from the table, she gave Laila a sugary-sweet smile. “It was nice chatting with you.”
    Rock followed Sydney out.
    Laila berated herself for standing up to Sydney and pissing her off. She’d handled those kinds of comments better. Ultimately, she didn’t regret what she’d said.
    Taking a jab at Sydney was not the only situation she could have handled better that morning. She couldn’t lose it as she had in the meeting. Letting emotions, hers or another’s, draw unwanted attention to her could be a fatal mistake. One she couldn’t afford if she was going to complete the mission—both missions.
     
     

Chapter 3
     
    Laila lay wide-awake in her dark bedroom. It was becoming a pattern. The night before, she hadn’t been able to sleep for more than an hour or two. The whole move to the Emerald Zone had her out of sorts.
    Five years ago, when her IQ testing promptly landed her a Sapphire designation and a one way ticket out of the Amber Zone. It had been a brutal adjustment. She’d thought she was going to a new, better place. She’d been a child who dreamed of happily ever after with the Sapphire Zone being a land of unicorns and rainbows. It had taken no time at all to realize she was expected to pick up the unicorn shit.
    Her