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Must resist.
Must…
“Okay.”
Niko jumps happily.
Vanya grins so wide I’m surprised her cheeks don’t pop off her face.
“You’ll pay for this,” I whisper as I pass her by.
She winks and waves goodbye before she and Baby Ollie go traipsing in the opposite direction.
“What’s your name?” Niko signs.
“Dejonae.” I sign each letter slowly. “But you can call me Deej.”
“Niko.” She gestures.
“Pretty name,” I answer with my mouth instead of my hands.
She beams, confirming her lip-reading aptitude.
We walk to Sazuki’s fancy SUV. The thing is built like a tank. Sazuki opens the back door and gestures bluntly. His jaw is clenched and his eyes are on anything but me. The tension in his body suggests that he is not a fan of this plan.
You think I want to be here, you grumpasourus?
Although every bone in my body is telling me not to go anywhere with him, I climb in.
The car smells like him, minty and expensive. I’m surprised to find the passenger seat empty. The first time I met Sazuki, he had a small platoon of bodyguards following him around.
Niko scrambles in after me and locks the door. For a second, I have a mild panic attack.
What if this is their act?
What if they’re a father-daughter team of con artists?
What if I’m their next victim?
Then I realize I’m being ridiculous.
Sazuki is a billionaire with an incredible and extravagant family background. If he has to con poor college students for cash, then the entire world is doomed.
Niko slides into the seat right next to me. Her eyes are brilliant even though the light is dim thanks to the tinted windows.
“Where are we going?” I ask her, keeping my face turned to hers so she can read my lips easily.
She runs her fingers sideways, back and forth, as if there’s a piano right in front of her.
I dance my fingers over imaginary keys. “Piano lessons? That’s so cool.”
Sazuki clears his throat. “Seatbelt, Niko.”
She struggles with the belt and I lean over to clasp her in.
“Thank you,” Niko signs.
“Welcome.”
