‘Yes, vibrating … and thrumming too,’ I purred. ‘Definitely thrum—’ Suddenly I shot up from the bed and grabbed my chest. Shoot! That wasn’t me vibrating! It was the pager! This was terrible! Where had the time gone? I rammed one hand down my front, rummaging around for the little device. Bart was giving me the warning to get out! My time was up! Thoughts raced through my head. I scanned the room for hidden cameras, but being hidden, that was useless. Maybe my father wouldn’t care that I was talking to Ricky … who was I kidding? He would totally care. He’d know I was up to something, and then he might make a move on me now instead of drawing out whatever game this was we were playing. Dammit! He’d never make the mistake of underestimating me again! Who knew what he’d do to me this time! He could kill me, or … worse! He’d imprison me and force into the sweats Ryder had been wearing! I needed to get out and fast. But I still hadn’t gotten anything useful out of Ricky. I jumped to my feet and yanked at the white fur-like throw at the bottom of the bed.
‘What are y—’
‘Get off!’ I shouted. Ricky rolled to one side with wide eyes as I yanked the throw out from under his butt and threw it over my head.
‘Br—’
‘Brenda!’ I shouted, before dropping my voice to whisper, ‘My name is Brenda.’
Ricky stared wide-eyed at me.
‘And keep your voice down,’ I hissed from the small gap I had created with the sides of the blanket, clutched to my face. Who knew how sensitive the equipment was that my father was using these days. My eyes darted about the room again. This wasn’t safe. I lunged for Ricky and slammed him back on top of the bed, throwing the blanket over our heads.
‘Well, don’t just lie there!’ I shout-whispered. ‘Make it look like we’re making out!’
‘We were just making out,’ he replied uncertainly.
‘And now, we’re going to make it look like we’re making out.’
‘Can’t we just make out?’ Ricky asked, eyes darting around at the blanket. ‘Maybe with more oxygen.’
‘No!’ I snapped. ‘Now, move your hands around!’
One of Ricky’s hands landed awkwardly on my butt with a smack.
‘Around!’ Fingers moved up and down my back.
‘Good. Now, we need to make this quick.’
‘Okay.’
I began with, ‘You’re an idiot.’ Ricky moved his lips to talk again, but I cut him off. ‘My father is never going to let you keep this money. He will, in fact, probably kill you once he’s through with you. You’re only here because he knows that I cared about y— Never mind, he’s trying to throw me off balance. So you need to help me stop him.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talk—’
‘Save it! I know he paid you to become Big Shot.’ My brain was trying to get the information out super fast. ‘He wanted you to start a crime wave in the city … a crime wave for Jenny to stop.’
‘I—’
‘Shush,’ I said, tapping a finger to his lips. ‘But what’s his endgame? And why hasn’t he killed Ryder?’ At least, I was assuming he hadn’t killed Ryder. ‘Ricky, what does my father have planned for you next?’
‘I don’t know if—’
I felt my eyes go wild. ‘Did you not hear the idiot part? What does he have planned for you next?’
‘I … I don’t know. Plans are supposed to be delivered to me, here, any minute now.’
‘Dammit!’ I jumped to my feet, blanket still covering my head. I then spun and ran for the door.
‘Bre—Brenda, wait!’
‘Ricky you have to trust me,’ I shouted backing away. ‘You need to be careful.’
‘Talk to me,’ he said, quickly closing the distance between us. ‘Tell me what’s going—’
‘I really have to go.’ I hurried back, taking one last look at his unstyled hair and unbuttoned shirt. ‘But … where are you going tonight?’
‘The Kobra Klub.’
I smiled. ‘Of course you are. I’ll meet you there.’ I jumped into the elevator waiting at the penthouse floor. ‘We’ll talk more. But until then … please, be careful. You can’t trust my father.’
‘Bre—’
The doors slid shut. I peeked up at the camera mounted behind a discreet dark bubble on the wall. The elevator counted down the floors. Fifteen. Fourteen. Maybe Bart was able to keep the system down. He could be a bit of a drama queen. Maybe I was still in the warning stage. Yeah maybe. I couldn’t shake the feeling, though, that when the elevator doors opened again, men with St. James Industries logos would be waiting with a straightjacket to take me away. Ten. Nine. Then I’d be done for. Ryder too. And then the city wouldn’t be far behind. Gah! Stupid hormones! Four. Three. But on the bright side, while that was all very bad news, who knew I’d become so important?
Two. One.
Ping!
I closed my eyes tight and cringed as the doors slid open. I cracked one eye to take in the view my blanket gap provided. Nothing. Nothing but lobby.
Relief washed over me.
Now, I just needed to make it to those big glass doors across the lobby. I glanced to my right. Nothing there to stop me. Then to my left. Nothing—but the doorman leaning on the concierge desk looking at me very sceptically.
I skidded to a stop. ‘Um … I’m just—’
He cut me off with a dismissive wave. ‘Sweetheart, you just need to walk the shame, not talk it.’
I huffed a breath and resumed walking. ‘Don’t forget live with it,’ I muttered, trying to ignore the tickle on my neck where Ricky’s lips had been. ‘You gotta live with it too.’
I pushed my way through the glass doors, and made it two steps onto the sidewalk before I saw the car. I threw the blanket off my head. Normally, a car wouldn’t stop me in my tracks—not even a silver Aston Martin convertible. But the person in the white catsuit leaning against it …
My phone buzzed. I pulled it out without looking and swiped Answer.
‘Is that who I think it is?’ Bart yelled.
‘Yup.’ It was all I could say. My chest … my chest was filling up with too much … dammit.
‘Bremy!’ my phone shouted. ‘Listen to me. Do not get into that car. Do you hear me? Do not g—’
I swiped the screen and looked up at the mirror image in front of me.
‘Need a ride?’
‘Sure, Sis.’ I took a step forward feeling like I was falling into the looking glass. ‘Why not?’