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I climbed into the SUV’s plush, heated interior and sat across from Ambri, shivering and dripping rainwater all over the leather seats. The man in black got behind the wheel, and the car rolled slowly through the murky night.
Ambri sat with a cane situated between his knees, his black-gloved hands resting atop a curved, silver handle. My gladness to see him was shocking. As if I’d been starving and hadn’t known how badly until food was set in front of me.
Ambri seemed to be reading my mind. He arched a brow. “Miss me?”
“How did you know to come here?”
“Call it a hunch.”
I looked to the rain-splattered window. “Gone. All of it. My clothes, my portraits, my books…”
And I had twelve paintings to paint and no place to do it. I rubbed my eyes, so tired of climbing out of one hole only to fall into another.
That’s life, mein Schatz. Keep going,came a thought that sounded feminine. Lucy, probably, being a good friend even in my imagination.
I heaved a steadying breath and concentrated on my other problem sitting right across from me. Ambri was too fucking beautiful for words, and it pissed me off that my entire body, mind, and heart fell into chaos at the mere sight of him.
Have some dignity for Chrissakes.
I jerked my chin. “What’s with the cane?”
“You like it? The right accessories really complete a look, I think,” Ambri said, but the car lurched around a turn and he hissed in pain. He gripped the cane handle so tight I could hear his leather gloves creak.
My eyes flared in alarm. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“Nothing that wasn’t necessary.”
“Necessary? Stop playing around. Are you hurt? How badly?”
“Careful, Cole Matheson, or else I’ll start to think you’re infatuated with me. I’m only teasing, of course.” Ambri’s eyes bored into me. “You wouldn’t be that foolish.”
My face flushed red. I lowered my voice so the driver couldn’t hear. “I didn’t think you could be injured.”
“It’s possible, but I have only to pop over to the Other Side to be healed.”
“Why don’t you?”
“For the same reason I’m bringing you to live in my spare room,” he said. “A supreme test of will.”
I sat back, even as my stupid heart thudded against my ribs. “I’m not living with you.”
“Oh? Have you a second shithole flat tucked away in case of emergencies?”
“Are you serious? After the other night…” My face burned even hotter. “You think it’s a good idea?”
“It’s a terrible idea,” Ambri said. “But as I mentioned, deprivation is a test of one’s strength. Your charm and utter lack of pretentiousness make you a dangerous flatmate. One wouldalmostbelieve your compassion isn’t an act.”
“It isn’t,” I said. “I mean, I don’t know, I’m just—”
“Being yourself. Exactly. You make it too easy to share moments of weakness that are best forgotten.” He wagged a finger. “You’ll get no more tales of woe out of me, Cole.”
“It’s not weakness, Ambri,” I said. “It’s what you survived.”
“Ah, but then I didn’t survive it, did I?” he said with bitterness. “I surrendered in the end. You’d do well to remember that. Capture it and sell it, but don’t look to me for something that isn’t there.”
He was bluffing. Or maybe I was only fooling myself that there was more humanity in him because I wanted there to be.
“I got your letter, by the way.” Ambri looked amused. “I sold out, did I? You sold me out.”
