Zeph got out of the hovercraft and opened the door of them. Janet stepped out first, her nostrils filling with the scent of chemicals and asphalt as Lily crawled out of the vehicle behind her. Mr. Heartface returned, slipped into the driver’s seat, and drove the vehicle away before there was any time for second thoughts.
She took Lily’s hand as Zeph stepped in front of them.
“Keep your heads down. Pretend you’re talking and laughing. Be confident,” he said as he led them toward the building’s lavish entrance. Several people walked past them while several more, including a few robots, meandered about. Janet pasted a smile on her lips.
Zeph grabbed her free hand when they passed the entryway and stepped into a world of luxury and bold color. The sudden bustle of the city disappeared among soft music and clean, clear air. She hadn’t realized how much her eyes had to adjust to the neon advertisements outside until it was all cleared away.
“Head down,” she reminded Lily, keeping her smile fixed, as her sister’s gaze tore upward. Lily didn’t listen, but they were past the desk workers soon after.
They entered an elevator which traveled to one of the top floors and stopped at an empty hall decorated with more of the same sculptures that she’d seen outside the building. They passed a dozen more doors and several grand stairways and exits before Zeph stopped them in front of a door at the very end of the hallway. He opened it and Lily rushed inside, claiming first rights to a room.
“We’ll stay here until I get us a ship,” Zeph said, moving aside as Janet entered. Their bags were already on the floor inside.
“Are you sure this is safe?”
“You know how I mentioned the man suit your kind built us in?” He stepped closer, suddenly towering over her. Lily had gone somewhere exploring. “It’s better to hide in plain sight. No one expects it.”
“And if they do?”
He grinned. “We’ll kill them and move on.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“And yet that’s what always happens when you’re with me.” Zeph took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of it, his eyes sharpening with a devilish gleam. “Have I broken you?”
Janet snatched her hand back. “Never.”
She strutted out from under his shadow and into the space to put some distance between them. Paintings of flowers lined the walls, and candles were placed throughout. Everything was made of metal and plastic, chrome and white, with more marble accents like those outside. It reminded her of the ship, and the cold, quiet loneliness. Maybe money equaled beautifully stark fixtures, she didn’t know, but she missed the lacquered wood of her house back home. Even so, she’d never been surrounded by so much man-made artistry.
“Oh, I don’t know. Just a few hours ago I had you spilling all your secrets and getting teary-eyed over it. Now, I think you’re anxious. I think I’ve broken you, Janet.”
Janet continued farther into the place, ignoring him, but he followed her regardless, keeping her in the heavy bubble of his mechanical warmth. She heard Mr. Heartface enter from somewhere to her left, and Lily’s excited exchange with it.
She peeked into several equally ornate rooms before turning back to join Lily in hers.
“Do you always sleep with your sister?” Zeph asked.
Janet paused. “What? No.”
He cocked a brow. “Why not pick your own room instead then?”
“And leave me vulnerable to you? I don’t think so.”
His arm snapped out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks, and keeping her from getting any closer to Lily’s room. “You’re always vulnerable to me.”
She shoved at his arm. “You treat me like…like—”
“Like a possession?”
“Yes!”
He folded his arms as a smug grin spread across his lips. Blood rushed to her face.How could I have told him anything?
“I hate you,” she said.
His dumb smile grew wider. “You love me.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? I’m not that easy, Cyborg. My life and time are my own. I own that regardless of any deal we’ve made. You can’t have whatever part of me that catches your fancy whenever you want. Any chance of that happening vanished the moment you stole me from my home. I was happy before you showed up!” Janet turned away from him and stomped into one of the vacant rooms, slamming the door.
