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She pushed the button to answer and skipped the greeting. “How did you know I have a new phone?”
“Called your house. Your mom’s pissed.” Quinn sounded pissed herself.
“Why?”
“Because you told her you were with me.”
Crap. “What’d you say?”
“That she shouldn’t worry; I’d only seen you drunk behind the wheel a handful of times. Where are you that you need a cover?”
Becca glanced up and swallowed. Chris hadn’t moved. He still stood in her personal space, very close. He could probably hear Quinn.
She turned to face the front walkway and had to clear her throat. “Chris Merrick’s house.”
There was a very obvious pause. “Uh huh,” said Quinn.
“Is that a girl?” Gabriel bounced the ball across the driveway. “Invite her over.”
“Is that Chris?” said Quinn. “Did he just invite me over?”
Were they crazy?
“His brother,” Becca ground out. “And he’s kidding—”
“Listen,” said Quinn, “if you’re busy and all, I get it, but I was wondering if you’d go to the mall with me for a few hours.”
“Now?” Becca felt heat crawling up her neck. Chris had to have moved close—she could feel the warmth from his body again, could smell the limestone dust on his skin.
“Well, you’re working tomorrow,” Quinn prattled on, “and I need a dress—”
“Go,” said Chris.
He spoke right at her shoulder. She couldn’t focus on both of them at once. “A—a dress? For—”
“Homecoming,” said Quinn. “See, after last night, I thought Rafe might ask me, and I wanted to have some ideas—”
“Go,” said Chris. There was no give in his expression.
“Hey, Quinn. You know what?” she said into the phone. “I think shopping sounds like a great idea.”
CHAPTER 20
Sunday. Work.
Becca’s nerves were shot. Thank god she could work in the back today, where no one would see her. Scrubbing the kennels wasn’t glamorous, but it was in a locked room with no windows. She’d trolled the mall with Quinn for almost three hours yesterday, nodding and murmuring through dress after dress for some date Quinn didn’t even have lined up yet. The whole time, she’d felt like she was traveling in the sights of a sniper rifle.
Becca couldn’t stop thinking of Chris and his brothers, of these Guides who’d been sent to kill them. Would they run? Lie low? Michael had been heading off to a job yesterday afternoon, but they’d all seemed tense. Were they just going to go about life as usual?
But maybe that was the point. To prove they were harmless.
I think you should stay away from me.
By four, she was glad to lose her smock and grab her purse.
When she was winding through the displays of cat gyms, someone stepped in her way.
Becca’s hand was fumbling through her purse for her keys, and her head was down. She just sidestepped without looking.
