She’d do anything for me.
Shut up,I tell that evil thing in me.
Just five hours, then...
Then what?
I’d have to kill her to keep her from talking. Or bribe her.
I’m letting her go after brunch.
Or you could keep her.
I’m letting her go.
“Smile,” I order her.
She gives me a scared look.
“I saidsmile. You have to be my girlfriend. You have to look like you…” I pause then force the words out. “Love me.”
She musters a teary smile.
I slam my hand on the dashboard. She shrieks and claps her hand over her mouth.
The screaming grates against my nerves. I flex my shoulder blades, relax them.
“I’m warning you.” My voice lowers to a dangerous pitch. “Keep fucking with me and I’ll throw your stupid little dog out into the middle of Fifth Avenue.”
“You wouldn’t,” she sobs.
I wouldn’t.
I’d rather jump off a building.
But brunch is in fifteen minutes, so ticktock.
She’s crying now—ugly sobs.
“Stop crying!” I scream at her. “Stop it! Look happy!”
She doesn’t look happy when we pull up at the valet, but at least she isn’t sobbing.
“Pull it together,” I whisper, snarling in her ear as I rest my hand on her waist and guide her through the lobby of the hotel to the Brasserie Saint-Montreval.
I’m the one who needs to pull it together. My mouth is dry, my heart’s racing, and I’m sick. I just want to drop to my knees in front of all these posh people in the hotel lobby, confess my sins, and beg forgiveness.
It’s one brunch.
Just get through brunch.
What if my parents don’t buy it? Frank is an ex-FBI agent. He worked kidnapping cases. He’s going to take one look at this girl andknow. He’ll know what I did, and he’ll make me pay.
“Are you two here for the Donnelley party?” The hostess is chipper when she greets us. “You’re a family of early birds!”
“Yes, we like to get an early start.”
We follow the hostess to my impending execution. My parents and siblings are there. No Claire.
