She opens the door, but pauses. “Your next appointment is tonight, but I suspect the boss will be in touch sooner than that. Enjoy your day.”
True to form, the moment I emerge from the shower twenty minutes later, I see the blinking green light on top of the dresser. I’m not exactly sure how the box moved from the living room into the bedroom, but I’ve stopped questioning the way things work in Q’s world. He probably has invisible elves hiding in the closet.
The thought is both disturbing and funny, and I chuckle as I switch the gadget on.
“Something funny?”
“Just bemused at the workings of your world.”
“Elaborate.”
My towel still wrapped around me, I hop into bed and sit cross-legged with the gadget in front of me. His voice emanates from speakers around the loft, but I feel our connection through the box. “Your little black box moved upstairs. I was debating whether leprechauns were at play or just modern technology.”
“It’s always been there. I just moved it into your line of sight.”
“Oh, right.”
“How are you this morning, Lucky?”
The question is couched in civility, but for some reason, I shiver. “I’m fine.”
“Do you want to try that again?”
“I’m fine,” I stress. “You scared me last night, that’s all.”
“Your distress has been addressed. The content of your response hasn’t.”
“And it won’t be. That’s my business, Q. Please leave it alone.”
“Fionnella tells me you won’t leave the loft.”
“Fionnella needs to mind her own business too,” I respond, suddenly feeling decidedly less friendly toward my maternal minder. “Whether I go out or not should be my choice, surely?”
“Of course, but the reason you won’t isn’t the cold, is it, firecracker? California maybe the sunshine state, but it gets just as cold there sometimes, doesn’t it?”
My gut clenches in shock. “What…how do you know?”
“Wild guess. Which you just confirmed.”
I don’t believe him. I lift shaking hands to my mouth and swallow hard. “Please…Q, leave this alone.” My voice is a naked plea.
But of course, he doesn’t. “Who is Clay?”
“He’s nobody! Forget the name.”
“Why is he after you, Lucky?”
I launch off the bed, my agitated feet pacing away from the black box, as if I can escape him. “Are you even listening to me? I don’t want to talk about it!”
“You belong to me. You’re in danger from this individual. Tell me what I need to know, or I’ll takes steps to find out on my own.”#p#分页标题#e#
I freeze in the middle of the room. “God, no! Please don’t do that. Promise me you won’t do that, Q?”
He counters immediately. “I’ll give you my word, if you tell me what I need to know.”
I lick my lips, wrestle down the correct words that’ll satisfy him and keep Petra and me safe at the same time. “He’s someone I owe money to, okay? I put some distance between us because I didn’t have the money to pay him.”
“That’s why you came to me.”
I nod, remember he can’t see me, and clear my throat. “Yes.”
“How much?”
Too damn much. “About a million dollars.”
“You’re not sure how much you owe him?”
“I’m…I’m hoping he’ll accept a million dollars.”
“What if he doesn’t?” he counters, his voice growing harsher with each question.
“Then it’ll be my problem.”
“Wrong answer, firecracker.”
I throw my hands up. “Why? Why is it a wrong answer? How is any of this your problem? And don’t say it’s because I belong to you. Our time together is finite. Once we’re done, I walk away. You won’t need to think about me, or take on this…this crusade you don’t want to keep out of. What, are you bored with your own life?” My chest heaves as I resume pacing. “Because I’m sure there are a thousand other things you could interest yourself with besides me. Especially when I don’t want you to be bothered!”
“You’re right. I can be in a million other places, doing a million other things. But here I am.”
That does something dangerous to my foolish, hopeful, heart. “Because I fascinate you? Because I’m your little lapdog you can command to stay, and I will?”
“The former is true. You fascinate me. The latter you respond to because you want to. I doubt I can make you do anything you don’t want to, firecracker.”