Page 32 of Killer Bones

He grunts. “I wouldn’t. That Star Wars quote though, it slipped under my defense system.”

“You mean I torpedoed the weak point left by your bad engineers and hit your reactor core?”

“Yeah. That.” This time he laughs. “I should be groaning. I kept telling myself I should leave you for the wolves.”

Wolves. Oh no. That can’t be good.

“Kept? Past tense?”

“There’s the writer in you, picking up grammar stuff.” Then he adds slowly, “I cannot guarantee anything about anything. I have things in motion, and nothing is certain. You may be collateral damage.”

That’s vague, but it thuds in and hurts my chest so badly I’m rubbing where it aches. Anxiety, I suppose.

He’s being vague because saying he will help me might be overheard. Did we say anything bad that might implicate him, during that torrid sex? We might have?

“How do I get a proper answer from you?”

Direct enough but still vague, I hope.

He’s silent for so long I fear he’s not going to answer, when someone bangs on the door.

“Here!” It opens and a big plastic bag is thrown in. Then towels. Ironically, the white-and-gold towels appear to be superb quality.

“Clothes.” He stands then rubs his chin, looks at the shower. “Go over there. Turn it on. You can dress after.”

“After?” But he’s walked away. Then it clicks. I understand.

He means for the noise to shield our conversation. Giddiness overtakes me. He’s going to say something he thinks will make Montez hate him. It must be that.

I sit against the wall, near enough for the noise of the water to be loud but not close enough to get more than a little wet. If they have a pinhole cam, I guess this will still look suspicious. Adelmo must have thought that through?

He dries himself quickly, dresses in pants and underwear before coming over and tossing me both towels.

“Use those to keep warm. Dress after we chat. There’s a dress in there for you. No panties or bra though.” He drops the plastic bag behind him before he squats then arranges himself to sit across from me, facing the wall.

“Use these to keep warm?”

“The dress is pretty thin.”

So I drape the towels around me and sit on them. They’re huge, soft, and fluffy, if a little damp already. I’m guessing, from the way he studies my breasts, he also wants me naked, or mostly naked, for a little longer. That is reassuring. I need him to want me. I even want him to want me. I smirk and hide my amusement by fussing with the towel.

Fuck, this is complicated.

I bite the bullet first and ask a question. “What do you want to say?”

“Something I shouldn’t. I’ve never let anything interfere with a job, and I can’t fail this one. Failing means more people than you will die. One of them is…” he shakes his head. “I have to draw the line somewhere.”

There is no point in pretending. I’d rather know what he is really doing. Or I think I do? I summon courage and meet his eyes. “If this is that important to you, why are you even thinking of”—I lean forward to say this extra quietly—“keeping me alive? You are, aren’t you.”

Not a question. I’m ninety-nine percent sure.

He presses his mouth into a stern line. “Yes. I am, and if telling you raises false hope, I guess it’s done. Montez wants me to do terrible things to you. I may not be able to stop that. Understand? It depends on many things. I would regret it.” He clicks his tongue. “I’m doing this all wrong. Forgive me.”

Forgive. Him. I’m struck dumb. My heart is thudding away like crazy because this, those words, have raised my hopes astronomically.

“Okay.” I nod toward his feet then close my eyes. “I understand. Do I want to know what you might have to do?”

“Maybe not, but you already know he wants to cut off your fingers. Wants me to rape you, again.”