Page 4 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“Something wrong?” he asks.

I shake my head. “Other than the fact that some dickwad has threatened my life? What could possibly bewrong?”

“Right now, you’re safe,” Ryan says. “Simon’s going to stayhere with you to make sure you stay that way.”

“Oh, goody.”

“The man’s excellent at his job,” Damien adds, his voicecasual. As if he’s just making conversation and not smoothing my ruffledfeathers. Honestly, if he hadn’t become some huge tech billionaire, he couldhave been a diplomat.

“No one can be that good.” I shoot Simon a sour look thatwould have melted a lesser man. He just regards me mildly as I continue myrant, my temper—and my fear—rising. “This is not someone rational we’re talkingabout. They’re a loose cannon. Who knows what they’ll do? A sniper rifle. A bomb in my car. Hell, a miniature nuclear weapondropped on my—”

“Francesca. Calm down.” It’s Aaron, and his calm irritatesthe crap out of me. He’s handling me. And I hate beinghandled.

“She’s right—”

I whip around to face Simon, who’s stood and is now pacing.“Don’t you dare dismiss my—wait. What?”

He pauses, his brows rising. “I said you’re right.” He looksat Ryan, then Damien. “And she is. Hell, I told her the same thing when she wasstanding in front of a window.” He crosses to where the matching buffet for mypretentious table sits against the wall. He hops upand sits on it, his heels lightly tapping on the polished teak.

“Do you mind?” I snap. More because his familiar attitudeannoys me than because I give a flip about the buffet. That and the fact thateven as much as I despise the table and buffet, I could never bring myself tosit on it like that. They’re reminders of what I’ve accomplished. What I’vegained.

And, most of all, the secrets I’ve put firmly behind me.

Or I thought I had. Until this morning when the notearrived.

“She’s right about our perp,” he says, ignoring me. “Thenote didn’t say Keep your mouth shut and stay alive. Itsaid Youtell, or you die. He’s starting from a place of danger. Or she. Butodds are it’s a man. And maybe that note means nothing. Maybe he was justtrying to be dramatic and wouldn’t hurt a fly. But he has an agenda, and he’smaking threats. We need to take him seriously.”

“And we are,” Ryan said. “That’s why you’re here.”

“Exactly,” Matthew continues, then turns to face Simon.“You’re her bodyguard. Around the clock, right?”

“And not just him,” I say. “There will be a whole teamtomorrow, right? Because those cons get crowded, and—”

“Whoa, whoa,” Matthew says, holding up his hands. “You arenot going to the con. The crowds? Anything could happen.”

“Of course I’m going. Some of these folks flew across thecountry to see me. They’ve paid extra to go to my panel, and then a surplus ontop of that for the photo-op and autograph session.”

I glance at Simon to see himlooking at me, his brow furrowed. “What?” I snap.

But he doesn’t answer, becauseMatthew jumps in first. “They’ll survive. It’s fandom. It’s not the end of theworld if they don’t get their picture taken with you.”

I shake my head. “No. Forget it. I am not disappointingthem.”

“So you’re going to put yourself in danger?” Matthew snaps.“Come on, Frannie. You don’t even like doing the Blue Zenith movies. You’re theone who says the best thing about them is that they pay for the smaller films.”

“Yes. Exactly.” I turn to Damien and Ryan, wanting theirhelp, but it’s Simon who starts to speak. And since I know exactlywhat Mr. Rambo-Ass-Idiot is going to say, I whip back around to face Aaron andMatthew.

“That is exactly why it’s important to go,”I tell them. “Because even though I’m not a fan of superhero movies, we bothknow they pay the bills and keep the studio in business. Not because they existin the world, but because fans go in droves. These fans. Andthat means it’s these fans—not either of you—who are funding the movies I ampassionate about. And that means I care about these fans. Deeply.”

I think about Spiraling, my current passionproject. A weird little Sci-Fi piece about a woman losing her mind as shewatches her body slowly disappear. She does riskier and riskier things to tryand keep her purchase on earth. It’s funky and bizarre and beautifully written.The next Blue Zenith movie might pay the bills. But Spiraling speaksto me. And I’ll be damned if I’ll let some bastardwith a poison pen keep me from working.

I look at each of them in turn, then pull Damien, Ryan, andSimon in under the force of my glare. “You all need to listen to me andunderstand. There is no way—zero way—I am going to let thosefans down. They are my bread and butter, and I’m going to be there for them.You can’t stop me, but if you’re really concerned, you can damnwell protect me. That’s what this meeting’s about, right?”

“Dammit, Frannie,” Matthew says, “you can’t play fast andloose with your well-being. You’re worth too much, and insurance won’t—”

“Oh, thank you for your concern,” I snap. “I thought we weretalking as friends, but nice to know all I am to you is an ATM.”

To his credit, Matthew looks like he wants to eat his owntongue.