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“Why are you being so unpleasant?”
“Why are you?”
“Because you –you –“I stopped myself. I was about to lose it, to shout accusations. But we were still in the car, and could be seen by anyone passing. I’d wait until we were inside, and try to stay calm.
I leaned forward to the driver. “Help me bring her inside and make sure things are secure.”
My driver nodded. She got out of the car and walked around to Ria’s side as Ria stepped out.
“No need to jostle me.” Ria was still indignant.
Shania quit her jostling, but Ria remained indignant for the rest of our journey into the former safe house.
It didn’t look great inside. It definitely looked like a place I was taking her to kill her. It was an empty barren ex-warehouse made out of mainly concrete. Security staff were mulling about here and there. When we reached the final destination, a room containing only a table and two chairs, I nodded at my security for them to back off and leave us in peace.
“Take a seat.” I gestured to one of the chairs.
Ria stared at me, then complied. “This is ridiculous. You know that right?”
In truth I was starting to feel a bit ridiculous. But when you felt ridiculous you had to either back off or double down. And nothing about my mood was indicating that I was going to back off.
I slammed my hand on the table. “You were sent by Apollo. Why?”
“All of this! Over a tarot card reading!”
“So you admit it.”
“Yes. Your brother paid me to give you a tarot card reading.”
“Why on earth would he do that?”
She threw her hands up. “I don’t know! I don’t question the motives of billionaires who want to pay me to do stupid, insignificant seeming shit. I take the money, I give my tarot card reading. It seemed harmless.”
“Harmless.” I paced, then sat down opposite her. “You betrayed my trust. I thought you cared about your job? More than just money?”
“I do. But I also needed the money.”
“For what?”
Ria sighed, and looked off into the corner of the room. “My mother is sick. I’m in massive debt from funding her treatments. She was going to quit going to them, because she was scared I’d never get free of the debt. Apollo’s paycheck meant she’s continuing treatment. I didn’t know I was getting involved in some weird warfare between you and your brother-”
I corrected her automatically. “Half-brother.”
It was a compelling story, if it were true. But it was also the kind of story that Apollo would concoct to tug at my stupid heartstrings. I’d need evidence before I really believed her. But you didn’t just demand evidence that someone’s mother was really dying. No, I’d get my people on it behind the scenes.
Ria rolled her eyes. “Half-brother. He said that he was worried about you, and thought you might need some spiritual guidance.”
“And that’s all? He just wanted to send me some spiritual guidance. He didn’t want to, oh, I don’t know, hear everything I told you in my sessions? Plant ideas in my head? He didn’t want you to sleep with me? Worm your way into my life? Twist information out of me with your tarot card bullshit, information he could use to his advantage?”
Ria shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
I stood up abruptly and paced the room again. I didn’t like being angry. I would prefer that no one ever had cause to make me angry. Unfortunately, you could buy a lot of things with billions, but not that. Trying was a useless game.
Then Ria softened. “I was going to tell you. I felt guilty. I didn’t have any choice about taking the money but I didn’t like it. I felt like I was betraying your trust, too.”
“There are plenty of ways to earn money that don’t involve spycraft.”
“Maybe for you. Not for me.”
