I looked deep into her frantic eyes and told her the simple truth. "Not too bad. You're okay."
She frowned.
Once again, she reached up to touch her face. When her fingers brushed the spot where her eyebrows should've been, she gave a little gasp. Slowly, she peered up toward her hairline and froze.
She was seeing what I saw. Her bangs were a whole lot shorter and burnt on the ends.
She shook her head. And then, she looked to me. "You asshole!" Soon she was on me, like a cat on a mouse – except I was twice her size and several times stronger.
Still, I did nothing as she slapped, kicked, and cursed me up and down. By the time the janitors arrived to see what the hell had happened, I had a split lip and a bloody nose.
When they pulled her off me, I called out, "Don't!"
Still struggling in the janitor's arms, she demanded, "Don't what?"
I was lying on the ground where she'd tackled me. "I wasn't talking to you," I said. "I was talking tohim." I meant the guy who was holding her back.
Ignoring him now, I looked up, meeting Arden's gaze. "If you want to kick me, go ahead."
By now, she was panting and crying. Through choked sobs, she said, "I don't want tokickyou. I want tokillyou."
I didn't blame her.Hell, I wanted to kill myself. And yet, I was surprised to discover I was happy to be alive.
Huh. How about that?
As far as Arden's words, I figured she was speaking metaphorically.
Turns out, I figured wrong.
Chapter 18
Arden – Present Day
On the phone, Cami gave a little squeal. "Oh, my God. You're kidding!"
Me,Iwasn't squealing. I wasreeling.In the privacy of the bedroom where I'd slept last night, I murmured, "No. I'm not, actually."
The offer for consulting services had arrived by email just ten minutes ago – barely twenty minutes after Landon Tarrington had disappeared into his limo.
Obviously, he had plenty of minions to do his paperwork, because nothing else could explain how he'd been able to send me a job offer in record time – and from the road, no less.
But that was something to ponder later. Now, I was too busy marveling at the offer itself.
According to the contract he'd sent for my electronic signature, I'd be paid seven thousand dollars a month for a period of four months, plus a twenty-thousand-dollar bonus at the end, after the project was fully completed.
It was the bonus that had sent me reeling.
Adding everything up, the total was an impressive sum. With a low whistle, I said the number out loud. "Forty-eight thousand dollars."
It was a lot more than I'd expected, especially for a gig that lasted only a few months. It even included room and board.
On the phone, Cami asked, "So why aren't you happy?"
"Iamhappy," I said. "I'm just surprised. That's all. I mean, there's got to be a catch, right?"
"Of course there is," she said. "There'salwaysa catch. But with this, you already know what it is."
I frowned into the phone. "You mean Brody."
