I pause as I get dressed, checking myself in the full-length mirror. My stomach is still reasonably flat with that normal bit of roundness that I can never seem to lose. But it does feel firmer and less soft.
My body is a chemical circus right now. I cannot have an affair with Cayzor of Eighteen, and then leave when this job is over. It’s physically impossible, plus morally wrong. We’recoworkers working on a tough case. I just need to focus on the job and not on the male I’m secretly wishing was my new boyfriend.
Good thing he doesn’t know I’m also pregnant. We need to focus on this job and this case, not on what’s happening with my body right now.
I’ve traveled across the four sectors to audit Timbur Minecorp’s power grid and I’ve learned that the mystery of who killed his parents and who sabotaged the grid is thesame story.Wow. And he warned me of the danger involved with tracking both at the same time. Cayzor offered me a way out and I insisted on staying involved.
I put on my gloves and boots because I have a grid to crack and work to complete.
Time to get going.
Andrew stepsout of his apartment door the same moment I step out of mine, which happens most mornings. He falls into step beside me down the hall, coffee in hand, already bright. “Morning. You look tired.”
“Yeah, thanks. I did wake up a little too early. I was having trouble sleeping and I can’t even explain why.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my sister? Usually you sleep like a rock.” He knocks his shoulder into mine, gentle, and I knock back, and it’s the easiest thing in the world, the two of us, it always has been.
We reach the elevator and step inside. When the doors start to slide closed, our neighbors race down the hallway.
“Wait, hold that door,” a voice booms.
One of the Fever Brothers, Hook, fills most of the elevator, enormous and cheerful, a head and a half taller than Andrew, which is saying something. My new friend Leah tucks in besidehim, and she’srounderthan the last time I saw her up close, hand resting on the curve of her belly, second baby well on its way. She’s only got one more month of work before she takes off for her maternity leave.
Clamped to her leg, peering up at us with enormous eyes, is a small child with darling ridges on his forehead who must be Argyl.
“Room for three more,” Hook rumbles.
“No problem,” I smile at them, truly pleased to see my neighbors.
They all squeeze inside. The doors close and we start moving down to the first floor. “Morning, you two.” Leah’s delighted, as she is by everything. “Argyl, say hi.” The small child declines to say hi and instead hides his face in her leg. “He’s decided he’s shy this week. It’ll pass. Last week he told a Lurk guard his entire life story unprompted.”
“Maybe tomorrow we’ll get to hear his life story too,” Andrew says, grinning down at the kid.
Argyl peeks out at him, considering.
The elevator continues down.
And Hook, in the tone of a male remarking on the weather, says, “Scar was up on your floor last night.”
Oh heck. My cheeks instantly heat up.
“Late, too,” he adds, conversational. “Didn’t leave till…what was it?” He glances at Leah.
“Twenty-two hundred,” she supplies, radiant. “Give or take.”
Jeez. They were watching us?
Andrew’s head turns. “Scarwas at your place last night?”
“We had a work meeting.” My voice comes out admirably level. “About the grid. He’s got the old records I needed. He stayed for dinner too because it ran long.”
“Dinner,” Leah repeats, with enormous satisfaction.
I give her a sharp glance. “Something to add, Leah?”
“Nope.” She beams at the elevator doors. “Nothing at all. Argyl, sweetheart, don’t pick that up off the floor.”
Andrew’s still looking at me, his brow furrowed.
