Page 86 of Locked in Wonderland

“You said you always knew where I was. Show me the app. Show me the proof.”

Nico looked away.

That told me everything. “Scared I’ll realize how many—I made mocking quotes with my fingers—playthings are currently active in Wonderland?”

“Fifteen.”

The answer came so fast that I almost missed it. “What?”

“Fifteen. Eight men. Seven women.”

The casual way he said it made my skin crawl.

“And yes, it was sixteen before I destroyed your tracker.”

I stared at him. “And you know that, even though it’s not your department?”

“Yes.”

I rubbed my forehead. “What exactly do you do?”

“I oversee operations.”

“Meaning?”

“I make sure everything runs smoothly.”

“And where do I fit into all this?”

“You don’t. You were an anomaly. I should never have shown any interest in you. I shouldn’t have warned you not to come here. I shouldn’t have had you tattooed with a raven instead of a flamingo. That’s what we call them, by the way, flamingos. Not playthings. I shouldn’t have left money for you in the hope you wouldn’t keep getting yourself into debt.”

“Money after sex,” I muttered. “You turned me into a prostitute.”

“That wasn’t my intention.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared me down. “I should have left you alone.”

“I love you too,” I said acidly. “Sorry I’ve made things so difficult for you.”

Nico laughed. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Probably not, and with exhaustion weighing me down, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. “Well, after tomorrow you won’t need to worry about me.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Because I’m getting out of here.”

His fingers tapped lightly on the table. “Are you?”

I nodded. “I’ve got nothing to stay here for now. Warren isn’t… Well, he’s not Warren.” Saying it still hurt. “He’s a dick called Victor. Everything I thought I felt for him was fake, based on nothing but lies.” The words were enough to choke on, but I forced them out.

“You think you can just walk out of here?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t. You’re the property of Wonderland.”

“I thought I was your property now,” I shot back. “You bought me, right? So, therefore, you just need to let me go. Besides, I thought you were some sort of bigwig around here.”

“Not really.”