“You’re so little, there would be nothing left of you if you were actually ran over by a truck,” he replied. Arianna scrunched her face in disgust that someone she just met would so comment on her size. “You don’t remember last night at all?” he asked, ignoring her reaction.
“I met with Gabriel, and you picked me up to take me home, but nothing much beyond that. My mind feels all fuzzy-like,” she paused. “Did you drug me?” she asked, accusing the young man who sat calmly smiling at her.
“It would have been easier if I had,” he responded without changing his smile. “You are picky. Did you know that?”
“Me, picky?” Arianna replied, still not understanding. “What are you talking about?”
The young man removed a pin from his shirt and pricked his finger. The blood beaded up on its tip. Arianna felt a wave of thirst come over her. Her eyes glassed over as she stared intently at the blood. It smelled delicious.
“Stop teasing her, Devin,” a female voice ordered from the left side of the room. Devin licked the blood off his finger and smiled.
“As much as we went through last night, I should get to tease her a little,” he complained.
“Who are you?” Arianna asked the familiar young woman now standing next to her. The purple streak in her hair made it obvious that she was also one of the Friday bus riders Arianna had seen so many times.
“I’m Molina, the head of your personal security,” she explained. “This is Devin; he is my second in command.” Arianna stared from one to the other.
“Personal security?” Arianna pondered, still not understanding the situation. “Whose personal security?”
“Yours,” Molina replied. “We’re part of the seven-member team trained to make sure nothing happens to you,” she explained. “The team has been watching over you for over a year now. Your grandfather was worried about you, so we were assembled earlier than normal. You’ve met everyone at some point except Mori, our computer specialist. We’ve been taking turns following you, and making sure nothing happens to you.”
“Following me? Why would anything happen to me?” Arianna questioned.
“Your grandfather is a very important person. You, being his only grandchild, are a perfect target. Along with a few other details, you have been watched for many years not only by us, but also by other groups intending to kidnap you,” Molina explained. Arianna stared at Molina. Her direct talk and thoroughness were in stark contrast to her laid-back-rocker image. “You don’t seem surprised when I mention your grandfather,” Molina added.
“Gabriel told me about him last night. If grandfather disowned my mother, why does he want anything to do with me? I’m still my father’s daughter,” Arianna asked.
“Your grandfather is a proud man,” Devin explained. “He can’t take back what he did to your mother, but he wants to make it up to you.” Arianna turned to Devin. It was clear that he knew her grandfather quite well.
“Devin will feed you, and then you need to get more rest,” Molina instructed. “Lord Randolph is anxious to meet you. He wasn’t supposed to return until late this afternoon, but with everything that happened last night, he is returning early today.” Molina left the room, and Arianna only had the strength to sit and stare at Devin as he approached her.
“What is she talking about, feeding me? I’m not a little kid,” Arianna complained. Devin sat on the foot of the bed without responding. “You look so familiar,” Arianna commented, as she stared longer at Devin. His blue eyes seemed to want to give a response, but he remained silent. “It’s as if I’d met you before, and I don’t mean at school.”
“You have,” Devin replied, but didn’t elaborate. Arianna wanted to know more but the pounding in her head was distracting her. Arianna listened to her aunt and uncle talk to Molina. Even in their hushed tones, Arianna could hear them. Outside that room, Arianna could hear more people talking and the clicking of the heels of women walking down a long hallway.
“It’s so noisy here,” Arianna complained. “There must be over a hundred people in this house talking and walking around, and the walls must be thin.” Devin stared at Arianna. Arianna’s suite in the Randolph estate was directly above her grandfather’s, so Devin knew the walls to each room had been built to be soundproof. Devin moved closer to Arianna as she covered her ears. He reached down and touched her face gently. Arianna did not move as she concentrated on all the sounds and numerous conversations she could hear.