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I rub my chest, frowning at the wall. That burning feeling again.
“You okay?” She eyes me closely, chewing a spoonful of granola. There’s a bead of milk on her top lip. “Want me to get the doc?”
They’re engaged, so why does she still call him that? Oh god, I bet it’s some role play thing. Does my baby sister have a medical kink? For fuck’s sake.
“You don’t have to kill him, you know.” Allegra nods at the screen. “If it’ll scare away your girl. Just make him miserable for life and let that be enough.”
I roll my eyes, pressing the button on my phone to call for coffee. Obviously that’s an option. I’m not a wild animal, ruled by impulses alone, though my skull won’t stop buzzing with them. “I realize that.”
Allegra takes another huge bite of granola, chewing thoughtfully. She always sees too much when she looks at me.
And I can’t stand it, so I lash out. “You’re disgusting when you eat, did you know that? Take smaller bites.”
Why am I being such a dick? Two minutes ago, I was smirking serenely, but now I’ve got hot snakes wrestling inside me. I want to peel off my own skin. I want to claw at the walls until my fingers are bloody. I want—
If I spare her father’s life, will Erin stay with me willingly?
Allegra hops up onto my desk, nearly spilling milk everywhere. She ignores my outburst completely, though I suppose she’s used to my moods. And why on earth would Erin want to sign on forthis?
“That warehouse is still standing—the one the Bulgarians used to hide all their shit. You said we could have fun with it, remember?”
She waggles her eyebrows, and just like that, I exhale. I did say that. And itisChristmas Eve.
“Alright. I’ll bring Erin.”
Allegra’s eyes gleam.
“Don’t scare her,” I warn. “Or I’ll send Raul away for a month on some fucked up mission.”
A scoff. “Fine. But you’ll have to trust us with her eventually.”
Maybe. Hopefully. Can’t think about that right now; can’t get my hopes any higher. My chest burns.
“She’s green. So go easy on her, or you’ll all walk home in the snow.” Hey, since the Governor withdrew the hits on my inner circle, running with his tail between his legs, I can order their drivers to leave them on any highway I like. Harmony is restored.
“Meet across the water at twelve?” Allegra slides off my desk, slurping from her spoon.
“Tell the others.” I rap on my desk, already picturing Erin’s face. Maybe this will do the trick. “Family fireworks.”
* * *
Erin rocks back on her heels, wiping a pearly white bead of my release from the corner of her mouth. She’s kneeling between my spread thighs in the back of the car, and she grins up at me like she loves this as much as I do. Not possible.
We’ve already kept the car idling for twenty minutes at the side of the empty street. I’ve brought her off with my hands and mouth until the tinted windows steamed over from her panting. The driver’s probably napping behind that partition, snoozing against his steering wheel.
There’s no more stalling. She’s going to meet the others—properly. An official introduction. Will this convince her to stay?
I restore my clothing to order and open the car door. Unfold myself into the street, then lean down to help her out.
“Once upon a time, a mouthy captive named Erin called her abductor dull.”
She snorts, her boots crunching against the snow as she wobbles out to my side. Is she warm enough? I had boots and more sweaters and a winter coat sent to her room, along with a hat, scarf and gloves. I’m still fretting over her pink little nose.
She sniffs against the cold, peering out at the river. The water glitters past the stone walls, gunmetal gray and icy cold. “And then he killed her and dismembered her on a river bank?”
I bark out a laugh. “This is a collaborative story. Is that really how you want this to go?”
“Nope.” Her gloved hand slips into mine. “Dismember me another day.”
