But that doesn’t mean I like seeing him imprisoned.
Torin cups my cheek. “It’s okay, we’ll find a way to fix this. We’ll get him back.”
“He bit you and clearly doesn’t like you, yet you still want to help him?” I ask. I’m pretty sure Torin is more eager to free him than I am.
“Of course I do. How could I ever blame him? I took away someone dear to him. Could you fault Quill for hating someone if they killed me?”
I debate reminding him that the person I’d reincarnated from did kill a part of him, and still, Quill seems rather fond of me… or fond of pestering me. I don’t bring it up, though, because I don’t want to feel any guiltier than I already do. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am. I’m always right. It’s a burden I must bear.”
I ignore that and stare at the hourglass for a little while longer before tucking it beneath my shirt. “What… do we do now?”
“Maybe have sex? Sex always helps me think.”
I laugh and dive at him, using my momentum to push him down on the bed before I wrap my arms around him and lie down on top of him. “I don’t have the energy for sex. But we could just lie like this for a minute.”
Torin wraps me up in his arms as I lay my head against his chest and close my eyes a split second before there’s a knock on the door.
I groan but roll off before telling them to come in. Joy enters and gives me a warm smile.
“I’m just here to let you know that your phone is blowing up with calls from your favorite person ever… Lt. Lindsey.”
The noise that escapes me tells anyone who can hear how displeased I am by this. “Did you tell her I was busy?”
“She scares me, so the moment I answered and she was like, ‘Where is Riley?’ I immediately caved and rushed off for you. I’m not even sure I hung up first. I can’t tell whether I find her dominating persona scary or sexy. A bit of both. I think that’swhy I would have sex with her, even though I’ve never been with a woman.”
I ignore all of that and grudgingly get out of bed. This really is the worst part about being over here. There’s no reception in Torin’s world, so the only way someone can get ahold of us is by calling whoever is currently at Mickey’s house and having them run all the way over here to fetch us. At least that means that people bother me less since Joy has taken it upon herself to respond to them for me.
“I’m thinking long and hard about telling her that I’m sick,” I grumble.
Torin winks at me. “I can make you ‘sick’ with something long and hard… if you get what I mean.”
“I know what you mean,” Joy says with a finger gun. Torin, having absolutely no idea what a finger gun is since he hasn’t read about it in one of my “porn books,” cocks his head and then winks at her too.
She’s confused. He’s confused.
I’m just feeling lazy.
But since I’m up, Torin hurries to follow me as we head down the stairs and through the Door into Mickey’s house. When Mickey decided that his house would be a perfect place for Torin to make a Door that led to Torin’s palace, I wasn’t sure I was extremely fond of the idea, but I’m not going to lie… it’s quite convenient. It doesn’t hurt that his undead—while Mickey watched or napped—put up some solar panels that run the appliances in the kitchenandstocked the pantry, so we no longer have to suffer every time we’re hungry. And now we even have the promise of them putting AC in Torin’s bedroom.
Once we step into Mickey’s house, I see that the call is indeed still going and waiting for me, but of course I don’t notice that until after I loudly go, “I just really don’t want to answer this call. Doesn’t she have someone better to pester?” which means thatanswering said call becomes the most awkward moment of my life.
I clear my throat, toss a prayer out to any and all gods that she might have possibly not heard me, and answer with an especially cheery, “Special Agent Strand here, how can I help you, ma’am?”
“Special Agent Strand, I need to see you, Torin, and Special Agent Rowe in my office in half an hour. And no. I woke up this morning knowing that the only person I desired to pester was you.” And before I can be like, “I’m so sorry, let me atone for my sins,” she hangs up.
I scowl at the phone while Mickey comes through the Door being carried by two muscular young men. One has Mickey’s legs and the other his arms as Joy points and goes, “Throw him there.”
And throw him they do. Mickey hits the couch with an “Oof.” They wash their hands of him and go back to watching TV.
“Why must the world hate those who simply wish to slumber?” Mickey asks as he stretches and yawns.
“Lt. Lindsey wants us,” I say.
“All three of us? Are you sure? She rarely wants anything to do with me. I’ve actually heard her say, ‘Why are you here?’ more often than she says, ‘I’m glad you’re here,’” Mickey complains.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Torin tells him, which makes Mickey beam and makes me glare.
