“Absolutely nothing,” I say firmly.
He arches a brow.
“Okay, two guys fucking who didn’t want an audience and were willing to threaten me to not tell anyone about their sex.”
He chuckles. “This isn’t a test, Mira. What you say won’t impact the length of your stay with us or how we treat you, but I need to understand what you do and don’t know.”
“Why?”
“It’s important.”
I nod. “Okay, but why?”
He sighs. “Answer the fucking question.”
I twist my lips but comply. “You guys were burying something. Remains, I think. You’re too smart and experienced to bury a full body—it’d be found eventually—but maybe bones? Even teeth? For all I know,ashes. Anyway, I was at the wrong place in the wrong time, so I got spooked at the noises you were making and ran. You and Connor chased; Seamus stayed behind to finish up. You caught me, hurt me—I’m pretty sure it was accidental—and the psychopath assumed I was a loose end to tie up. You talked him down, made a call—probably to your boss?—and got direct orders for Connor not to kill me. Maybe it was suggested you supervise me for a while?” I blow out a long breath. “I’m surprised Connor recognizes any authority figure. I’m surprised any of you do, for that matter. Your boss must be quite the person to have earned your loyalty.” I clear my throat. “That’s all I’ve got.”
Dorian blinks slowly, brows furrowed. “That’sallyou’ve got?”
I’m assuming he’s taken aback because I nailed everything spot-on. I wish I didn’t; I wish that my intuition wasn’t what it is, but it’s a curse I got saddled with, so I try to make the most of it. It’s pretty useful with animals—I have an easy time figuring out if they’re hurt and where they’re hurt. I expect that’ll come in handy once I become a practicing vet.
“This house is cool. This room has good vibes. I don’t want to go to the basement, though, the energythere’s dark.”
“I never told you about a basement.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Dorian gives his head a shake. “You’re going to take some getting used to.”
“No, I’m temporary. You don’t need to get used to me. You should get super irritated by me. My weirdness doesn’t have an off switch.” I do have an unfortunate habit of getting chatty when I’m anxious, though.
“I don’t think it’s weird, Mira,” he says softly. “I don’t thinkyou’reweird.”
I swallow hard, thrown by his sincerity. “Then what do you think I am?”
“Remarkable.”
Woah.That word has an unusual impact on me; it’s like I’ve just taken a sledgehammer to the chest. It nearly knocks the wind out of me. I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, and a large sum of them were pretty cruel. Even kinder terms were still double-edged. Cara fondly refers to me as insane. Valerie tells me I’m off my fucking rocker regularly. I don’t think anyone’s called me remarkable before.
“That’s weird,” I finally say.
Dorian tilts his head to the side. “Is it?”
I nod. “Yeah. You should be freaked out like everyone else. You should want me off your case ASAP.”
He leans forward. “That’s what you’re used to, isn’t it? I guess we’ll both have an adjustment. Seamus was right when he said we’re all a bit mad here. Your brand of peculiarity might be new, but it’s by no means the worst.”
I nod. “At least I’m not a stone-cold killer who buries remains in the woods at midnight. Why are you still on about adjustment? I really don’t see the need for us to get used to each other. I’m here as aprecaution. You’ll figure out my weak spots and be ready to use them against me, then let me go after a week. Do you want me to list my pressure points now so I can leave in the morning?”
He shakes his head. “No, I’ll find out what I need to. There are multiple things I’d like to figure out about you, and it’ll take me more than an evening to do it.”
I frown. “Like what?”
“Like how you feel,” he says.
I arch an eyebrow. “Presently? Pretty freaked out.”
“I don’t meannow, Mira. I mean how you’ll feel when I’m inside you. On top of you. All around you.”
