With a growl in her throat, she leapt from him onto the bench and started shoveling in nuts and berries.
“Thank you.” He wet his chapped lips. “For taking such good care of her.”
“I’m happy to do it, if it gets me a moment alone with you.”
A faint exhale that might have been a laugh moved through him. “I’ve missed you.”
Leaning over him, I pressed my lips to his salty skin. “I’ve missed you too.”
The temptation to spill the story of Berchem and Dinorah, to explain my part, itched on my lips. As much as I wanted to purge, to empty my head and make space to think clearly, I couldn’t burden him. As little as Dis Pater allowed him to remember about his life, I worried Lucia was right. That he couldn’t handle it. That although he wanted his truths, they might destroy his mind.
But, and it was a bigbut, I might be projecting what I wanted versus what he would want for himself.
For what he would go through, the damage it might cause, he deserved to have a clear head to process things without pain distracting him. The decision could wait until we removed the bone bullet.
There I went again. Rationalizing away reasons to help him. Allowing selfish fears to dictate my actions.
“We need to talk.” I traced the line of his jaw with my fingertips. “About your memories.”
“Mmm.”
Head lolling, he slipped away again. If part of me was relieved for an excuse to postpone our conversation, well, I told myself it didn’t matter. That I was allowed to think and feel what I thought and felt. What mattered was whether I acted on those things, and if they were to his detriment for my gain.
“You rest up for now.” I checked on Badb, who finished in record time. “I’ll be back to look in on you later.”
No sooner had I backed out of the crypt than the elevator chimed, and Matty and Josie stepped into the garage.
“How’s Birdfriend?” Josie crossed to me and took my hand. “Dumb question, right?”
“Not dumb.” I squeezed her fingers. “And he’s…as good as he’s going to get.”
“Badb?” Matty rubbed my shoulder. “I haven’t seen her in a minute.”
“Did Jean-Claude tell you she got drunk? I’ve sobered her up, and she’s in the crypt with Kierce.”
“Badb…got drunk?” Matty scratched his jaw. “I am weirdly proud of her.”
“Of course you are.” No surprise there.
The pair exchanged a weighted glance before training their gazes on me.
“Go on.” I rolled my hand, giving them permission. “Ask.”
I was shocked they had kept their questions about Lucia to themselves for this long.
“How weird is it to find out your mother is basically Lara Croft?” Josie’s eyes danced with amusement. “I knew there was a reason you were such a gifted thief back in the day. Light fingers run in the family.”
Movie references did too, if both of us had taken one look at Lucia and gottenTomb Raidervibes.
“Except I sucked at being a thief. The guilt ate me alive. Lucia doesn’t have that problem.”
“You had the skills, though.” Matty played larcenous cheerleader for me. “Pretty neat it’s hereditary.”
“At least you have one cool parent. Too bad your dad is a giant bag of dicks.”
“I don’t have parents,” I countered. “I have donors. Because I’m a science experiment.”
“Maybe so,” Matty joked, “but you’reourscience experiment.”
