The Enemy Within (Daughters of the People Series Book 3) by Lucy Varna

the steaming liquid.
    Would he want to
kiss her again?
    She huffed out a
laugh. Silly Indi . Of course, he would. He could barely keep his hands
off her when they walked through a public area fully clothed. And when they
were alone…
    A rush of heat
shivered through her. When they were alone with that heavy need between them,
what would he do?
    So far, he’d
been a gentleman, or as much of a gentleman as a man like Bobby was capable of
being. So maybe his hands strayed where they shouldn’t a time or two. Maybe his
mouth touched her where it oughtn’t more often than not, but that kiss. Mmm,
that kiss .
    What if she
enticed him?
    No . They were
friends, and friends didn’t try to seduce one another.
    Did they?
    She knit her
brow, mulling over the ethics of seducing a friend.
    Of course not.
That would be…wrong. And deceitful.
    The memory of
his hand on her bottom, pressing her against him, popped into her mind. She
wanted to feel that again, feel his need, let it consume her.
    Dare she seduce
him?
    No , she thought
again, and allowed her lips to curl into a secretive smile. But she could think
about it, couldn’t she?
    The break room’s
door opened. Indigo glanced over her shoulder and barely stifled a groan at the
considering stare on Margaret’s face.
    Margaret Mary,
Bobby’s oldest and most deadly sister, who had nearly caught them kissing the week
before.
    “Margaret,”
Indigo said.
    “Indigo.”
Margaret stalked forward and grabbed a mug from the cabinet above the sink,
helped herself to the coffee. “How’s your mother?”
    “Very well,
thank you.”
    “I’d like to
drop by when the baby’s born, pay my respects.”
    Indigo sipped
her tea and watched Margaret carefully, waiting for the other shoe to drop. One
could never tell what was going on behind Margaret’s cold eyes. “I’m sure
she’ll love to see you.”
    Margaret leaned
her bottom against the counter and regarded Indigo with equal caution. “Do they
know the sex yet?”
    “They wanted it
to be a surprise.”
    “Mmm. Are you
fucking my brother?”
    “No.” Indigo
sighed and gripped her mug tightly. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
    “Maybe I think
he can do better.”
    “Maybe you
should let him decide,” Indigo shot back.
    “If you hurt him
again…”
    “Is that what
this is about? Protecting your brother?” Indigo compressed her lips into a thin
line. “Or are you using him as an excuse to keep me from helping him?”
    “Maybe a little
of both,” Margaret admitted. Her gaze was fixed on Indigo as she sipped from
her mug.
    Indigo weighed
her options, considered the other woman, and took a calculated risk. “Are you a
member of the Eternal Order?”
    Margaret
sputtered out a laugh. “What makes you think that?”
    “Oh, get real,
Margaret. Like I could draw any other conclusion after you brushed Bobby off
last week.”
    “I’m not a
member of the Order,” Margaret said evenly.
    “What about the
High Guard?”
    Margaret’s
expression remained blank and cold. “I couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to.”
    Indigo tapped a
finger against her cup. “Will you hinder Bobby’s efforts to track down the
People’s enemies?”
    “Why would I do
that?”
    “Because he
might get in your way.”
    “No.” Margaret’s
lips twitched into what might have been a smile. “In this instance, his agenda
is my own.”
    “I see.”
    “Do you?”
    The two of them
locked gazes and shared a moment of understanding Indigo would’ve been hard
pressed to explain to anyone else.
    When the silence
stretched thin, she said, “I care about Bobby.”
    “See that you
do.”
    Laura walked in
and flushed when she spotted Indigo.
    Margaret
freshened her coffee and lifted the mug in a salute to Indigo on her way out.
“Have fun.”
    “Thanks,” Indigo
said drily, and girded herself for the next battle.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Bobby squeezed
time from his schedule to drive to Tellowee and see his mother without making
an