Page 10 of His Reckoning

“Whether you answer the questions honestly.”

“You’re assuming I plan to answer them at all.”

Kayla tilts her head. “You’re the one who came in here and started observing my writing habits.”

“Fair.”

“So, now it’s my turn.”

“That hardly seems balanced.”

“You’re a billionaire,” she says. “I think you’ll survive a few questions.”

I rest my back against the counter. “All right,” I say, “let’s hear it.”

Her eyes brighten like she didn’t expect me to agree.

“Why do you work so late?”

“That’s your first question?”

“Yes,” she says with a neutral face.

“It’s a very boring answer.”

She lifts her chin. “Try me.”

“I run a company.”

“And … that explains the late hours.”

“It tends to require time.”

She narrows her eyes. “That wasn’t a real answer.”

“That was the answer.”

“You’re deflecting,” she accuses.

“I’m simplifying.”

Her gaze lingers on me for a beat. “You do that a lot.”

“Do what?”

“Avoid saying more than you have to.”

“That’s called efficiency.”

“That’s called suspicious.”

“Suspicious of what?”

She gestures vaguely toward me. “I don’t know yet. I’m still gathering information.”

I laugh quietly. “Good luck with that.”

“You’re not going to make it easy, are you?”