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John Richardson cracked a weak smile at that. “Fair enough.” He then turned to me. “My siblings will be here momentarily. Could we perhaps have some time to discuss the situation beforemaking our decision?” He shook his head. “This is blackmail,” he said again, frostily. “But I will impress upon the others that you have put us in a position where we have little choice but to accept your terms. Spending any amount of time in a human prison, locked up and unable to feed, would be—”
He trailed off, shuddering.
For the first time all day, it felt like I could breathe again. This was going to work. “I’ll go back to my office and send you the code provisions I just referred to. Talk to your associates about what they want to do, then let me know whether I should close your file or report you to the IRS.”
John Richardson consulted his phone. “They’re waiting outside the building.” He glanced at me. “I will leave and go speak with them right away.”
“I’ll go with you,” Frederick said.
“That won’t be necessary,” John Richardson said, hastily.
Frederick placed a hand on his arm. “Your group hasn’t exactly inspired much confidence in your decision-making since the nineteenth century. We need to make certain you don’t double back and return to the building to do something stupid.” He turned his attention to me. “I realize this wasn’t part of the original plan, but I’d feel better if I saw Mr. Richardson off myself. It’s time I got going, anyway. I need to check on Cassie.”
I didn’t miss the note of concern in his voice when he mentioned Cassie. “Of course,” I said. “See him off. And then go check on your fiancée.”
Frederick gave Reggie a small nod. “I’ll see you back at the apartment.”
Reggie and I stared at each other in silence for a long moment after they left. There was still a chance those idiots would comeafter him, and I didn’t think I’d be able to fully relax until we’d gotten their final decision.
“Want to see if they have any red velvet cake left in the break room?” Reggie asked, surprising me. Of all the things I’d thought he might say in this moment, that wasn’t even in the top hundred.
“Why?” I asked, confused. “You can’t eat it.”
“True,” he agreed. “But I still don’t understand whatred velvet cakeis. And…” He trailed off, grinning at me. “I like hearing you explaining things.”
And then he kissed me on the cheek so sweetly I couldn’t help but agree.
From: John Richardson ([email protected])
To: Amelia Collins ([email protected])
Subject: your demands
Dear Ms. Collins,
Regarding our discussion earlier today, we agree to your demands (mostly because we realize we have no choice). Effective immediately we will be redirecting our efforts away from our brother Reginald and towards other parties.
For now, however, we agree it best we keep a low profile for a while, on the chance the IRS tries to find us.
All best,
John Richardson
“That went about as well as it could have.”
Reggie and I sat together on my living room couch, my head resting on his shoulder. An hour earlier, after depositing a very subdued John Richardson back in the conference room with Evelyn so she could finish up with him, I’d told her I would be taking the rest of the day off. The person I’d been a few weeks ago wouldn’t have dreamed of even asking for an afternoon off during tax season. And yet there I had been, setting a firm boundary, andtellinga partner I wouldn’t be reachable until the next day. All because I needed a bit of time off to rest and recuperate from what I’d just accomplished.
I hadn’t even needed to look at Reggie’s face on the elevator ride down to the lobby to know he’d been beaming with pride.
“It did go pretty well,” I agreed. “The Collective is off your back for now, maybe forever. And I got to save the day with tax law.” I grinned up at him. “Thatneverhappens.”
Reggie chuckled and pulled me closer. “You were fantastic,” he murmured. “You might be the smartest, most determined person I’ve known in all my more than three hundred years of living.” His voice was so soft, his lips gentle against the crown of my head. “The idea that you’d use your talents to help someone like me…”
He trailed off, sounding too overcome to finish the thought. He buried his face in my hair on a quiet sigh.
“I don’t deserve you,” he finally said.
It had started raining at some point after we’d arrived at my apartment. We sat in silence, the sound of raindrops pattering against the windowpanes a soothing backdrop to my swirling thoughts. It was so pleasant, just cuddling with him on my living room sofa, with no plans for the rest of the day and no idea what, if anything, would happen next.
