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played to pretend they had power, but she wasn’t here to ruin the mood. “I hoped you’d notice me.”
    â€œI figured.”
    She glanced up from his finger, which was resting on theknuckle of her index finger like he was claiming it for Spain. He was grinning.
    â€œIf you say that’s because all the girls want you to notice them, I will pelt you with mushrooms until your ego is small enough that we can walk out of here.”
    His grin melted into a laugh so big they drew a few stares. Her fingertips suddenly felt sensitive against the table, some horrible fondness creeping up on her as she looked at the line of his throat. (This surprised her too, always; it surprised her as much as her anger.)
    â€œWe should go,” she said.
    The car was several blocks north—New York didn’t care how famous you were, you had to park like everybody else—and they made it a block and a half before the first round of flashbulbs.
    Ethan tucked her under his arm—she gently pushed away the half of his jacket he was trying to wrap around her like he was the Phantom of the Opera—and they picked up the pace. She counted four photographers, all offering advice in English. They could be hers, speaking English for Ethan’s sake, but it was unlikely. Magnus would never want pictures of her walking out of a pizza place. Ethan could slum it sometimes if he wanted; she had to prove her sophistication, every time.
    â€œI told him not to call cameras,” Ethan muttered.He never got angry (angry was bad for business) but he sounded like he really had wanted a night alone.
    God forbid.
    â€œBetter make the most of it,” she said quietly, and when he looked down at her, he had on the smile he only wore when other people could see, and she met it with the smile she’d grown just to match. He pressed a kiss to her temple as they walked, and she tucked her head an inch into the crook of his shoulder, where she could feel the heat from his body through the fabric, and it would make a better angle for thecameras.

3
    The ID came through halfway into burgers and fries, and it was enough that Bo raised his eyebrows.
    â€œIf she’s talking to more killers for hire, I nominate the night team,” Daniel said.
    Bo glanced up at him, back at the phone.
    â€œShit. No. You’re kidding. No.”
    â€œNo,” Bo agreed, setting it down before Daniel could decide whether to smack it out of his hand. “We got some audio off her conversations during the party. Whatever the US and Norway are working on right now is turning into the poster child for international cooperation. The boss wants to increase surveillance on Martine and Ethanin case Margot starts courting them under the table.”
    â€œWhat does Margot have on Martine?”
    â€œWhatever she needs, I guess.”
    They sat hunched over the little table, silently deciding the same thing: if Margot wanted you on her side, you were going to end up there, and how much of your life she ruined first was sort of up to you.
    If Martine was smart, she’d be more selectively social and make her weaknesses disappear until she was wherever Margot wanted her to be. And if Ethan was smart, he’d know that any offer from Margot was going to include a clause that left Suyana in the dirt.
    Daniel checked his watch.
    Ã— × × × × × ×
    He got rid of Bo with nearly an hour to spare, because Bo would accept your first invitation but never your second, so after burgers it was going to be good-bye no matter how hard Daniel tried to make it look like he wanted company.
    â€œThe bar’s supposed to be decent, and the river’s really lovely at night,” Daniel tried, with passable enthusiasm, but Bo had only said, “I know. I’m all right, thanks. Enjoy it.”
    â€œSomeday I’m going to do something you’ve never done and you’ll die of surprise,” Daniel