Page 43 of Captive Ruin

He waves a hand. “Running out of Cheerios, a body to bury, suddenly arrested for treason—whatever.”

I wonder how many of those he can actually fix. “Thank you.” Still practicing civility.

“Then I’ll leave you to your day.” He gazes at me for a long moment as if he’s memorizing my face, nods once, then opens my door and walks out.

I suppose I should follow him, but I don’t. Instead, I lean against the wall, trying to remember how to breathe.

Part of me wants to shut that damn door and go back to bed. The only reason I don’t is that there’s a chance he’s waiting to see if I do go to work. That, and because Van Wyk has left his damn leather cuffs hooked around the bars, sitting innocuously like a scorpion in the sun.

I’m going to cut them up later. Put them in the trash in pieces.

The hallway is empty when I step out, and one elevator is heading down. I hit the call button, shaking my head at my life.

Did he really just leave like we’d spent a pleasant weekend together?

One moment, he ties me down naked. The next, he’s acting like we’ve been steady for months.

He inhaled my scent on my towel. He’s claimed me, like a dog claims a streetlamp.

Why me? What did I do?

An echo of what he said to me comes to mind: “Some might be drawn to you for that.” What had I said? I was talking to Serranto… threatening him… telling him to stay away. That I’d destroy anyone who tries to…

Shit.

Exactly the sort of thing that would draw the attention of a man like Van Wyk.

It wasn’t me calling him impotent that led to all this. That was just an excuse. He’d already decided, before then.

He came back for more. I have every reason to think he will again.

I pull my phone out with trembling fingers. Scroll my favs. Hit the button. It rings twice.

“Hey sis. Everything okay?”

“Sorry it’s early,” I say. “Just wondering how busy work was. If you could maybe take the afternoon off?”

“Uh… might be tough today. Why?”

Damn. But then, Lukas is catching a flight out of the country. I have time. “One day soon? Shopping.”

“Shopping?” Lucy’s tone conveys her disbelief.

“Yeah, shopping.” I pause, hissing through my teeth, then ask my sister to commit a felony. “I need to buy a gun.”

There’s a long pause. “Do you have a license?”

“…No…”

“Ah. So what you mean is that I need to buy a second gun, then accidentally leave it at your place.”

“You’re the best.”

She sighs down the line. “Do you even know how to use one?”

“Point. Shoot.”

“Sister, dear, I despair. Wait one minute.”