Page 25 of Dancing for the Minotaur

Orlov was smiling again–the smug curl of his lips letting her know he had the upper hand.

“Cody. Your son,” he said. “He’s a fine little man.”

The blood drained from her face and her stomach twisted.

“How do you know my son's name?”

“He's getting tall,” Orlov remarked, not answering her question.

For one endless second Terra couldn't breathe. The red light in the booth suddenly seemed too bright. The music was too loud. Everything around her felt strangely unreal.

“What the fuck are you talking about? Have you been watching my son?”

Orlov picked up his drink again and took a casual sip before answering.

“He was wearing a blue backpack. He got off the school bus with another boy and they stood outside talking for several minutes.”

Terra stared at him in horror. Cody did have a blue backpack–she had bought it for him at the beginning of the school year.

“How…how do you know that?” she asked, her voice coming out weak and horrified.

Orlov took another sip.

“My Bunny has such a lovely family,” he remarked.

Everything inside Terra went ice cold.

“Have you been following me and my family? Or having someone watch us?”

Orlov shrugged.

“Don't be dramatic. I just wanted to see where you live, that’s all.”

“Don't be dramatic?” Terra heard her own voice rising and didn't care. “You just told me you watched my son get off his school bus!”

“And Lisa is lovely too.”

Terra felt physically sick. Her little girl's name coming out of his mouth was worse somehow, maybe because Lisa was still so small.

She pointed a trembling finger at him.

“Listen to me, you fucker–you stay the hell away from my kids!”

Orlov frowned.

“Such language, my Bunny.”

“I mean it!” Terra snapped. “You stay away from Cody and Lisa. You stay away from my mother. You stay away from my house.”

His pale eyes brightened.

“So you do understand.”

“Understand what?” Terra demanded.

He leaned towards her.

“You understand that I know where you live and that you are mine.”