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Comforting. She leaned her head back against the leather headrest and studied the ceiling girders high above. “I can’t believe that I’m taking experimental IV drugs from some guy who bunkers himself in a warehouse. ”
“You left out paranoid. A paranoid guy who bunkers himself in a warehouse. ”
“I was trying to be nice. ”
“Don’t waste it on me; I mostly don’t notice. Or care. ”
“Do you have any qualifications?”
“Why, would it matter now? The IV’s already in. If you wanted to see my Johns Hopkins certificate, you should have asked before. ”
“Do you have one?”
He shrugged. “Somewhere. ”
She eyed him curiously and wondered what his story was, but mostly what she was concerned with was what the hell was going into her body. Slowly. To no apparent effect. “I repeat—what the hell is this stuff?”
“If I tell you it could prejudice the trial,” he said. “Just tell me if you feel anything. ”
“Anything like what? Because I’m feeling pretty damn unnerved right now!”
Manny, unruffled, checked his watch and the level on the bag above his head, then stood up and went to the door. “You can test it now; the solution should be filtered throughout her system. ”
“Try what?” she asked, feeling ridiculously exposed, as if they’d left her naked and defenseless. “Uh, could someone please explain anything to me?”
McCallister stepped into the room, shut the door behind him, and exchanged a look with Manny before he said, “How are you feeling, Bryn?”
“Pissed off,” she said. Her voice was shaking, and she was breathing faster than she should have been. The urge to rip the needle out of her vein was almost irresistible. “Terrified. How’s your day?”
“Interesting. ” McCallister pulled up a stool across from her and said, “Your pupils are a little wide. ”
“Probably because whatever’s in this stuff is making me high, but not in a fun way. ” She swallowed hard and lowered her voice. “I’m scared. “
“I know. ” He leaned forward and studied her for another few seconds before he said, “What color underwear do you have on?”
“What?” She blinked at him, and felt a surge of heat in her face. God, she hated blushing. “None of your business!”
“Tell me. ”
“No!”
“Condition Sapphire. Tell me!” He’d raised his voice, shouting it in her face, and she felt all the tension, all the anger, all the hate she’d pushed down for days now suddenly boil up to the surface.
Bryn surged up out of the chair and screamed back, “Go to hell, you son of a—” The truth hit her in a cold rush, and she paused, staring into his eyes. “Oh,” she said, in a much calmer voice. “Oh. ”
McCallister smiled—a real, relieved smile. “Manny,” he said, “you are a genius. ”
“Is that news? I thought you knew that when you promised to pay me—let’s see—two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. To start. ” Even Manny was smiling—or at least, he looked like he was tempted.
“Try it again!” Bryn said, and grabbed McCallister’s hands. She squeezed hard. “We have to make sure! Come on; order me. ”
“Kiss me,” he said, still smiling. ”
Maybe it was the smile that did it, but she felt a wild and uncontrollable impulse to follow that order. Bryn froze, stared at him a stricken second, and then said, “Something else. ”
The glow in his eyes faded, and so did the smile. For a second he’d seemed … so different. Almost human. But now … now it was just business again. “Walk to the corner,” he said. “That’s an order. ”
She didn’t move. And didn’t feel any impulse to, either. What she did feel was a corresponding need to slap him.
