“No, it’s nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. Were you not even going to clean it up? It’s covered in dirt. You were just going to put on a new shirt and fuck off?”
“I considered it,” I admit.
He hurries out of the bathroom but returns before I’ve gotten too far. He forces me to sit down on the edge of the tub while he holds my arm over it and tries to rinse off the dirt and debris. I don’t like the way he looks even more upset about this, which is why I’d been planning on keeping it from him.
“I slid on the roof,” I lie.
“You didn’t.”
“The screen is still out. I just came from there.”
Ellison ignores my lies and cleans my arm gently with water and a cloth as I question if I’ve ever been doted on like this before. If I’d done this when I was with my family and had shown even a hint of pain, I’d have been ridiculed. Instead, he carefully uses some gauze to spread cream over it while I watch him work. Once he seems satisfied, he lays some gauze over the worst spots and tapes it to my arm.
I comment, “This is a lot for a tiny scrape.”
“It’s a large scrape,” he says before he bandages up my hand as well. Really, it’s quite excessive and unneeded.
Finally done, Ellison sighs. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. I was afraid I’d squish Pocket Lint, so I landed wrong.”
He doesn’t seem to be satisfied by that as he hurriedly gets up. “I’m taking a nap now.”
“Okay,” I say, watching him leave before texting Landon and August.
It doesn’t take them long to arrive.
“Take my Lint,” I say as I pass off the ferret.
Landon does and looks down at the ferret who is wiggling around, displeased she’s not going with me. “Where are you going?”
“It’s time for the monthly sacrifice. Would you like to join?” I ask.
“I’m going to sacrifice the next four hours of my life to this book,” he says as he lifts the novel in his other hand.
“I’m tempted,” August admits. “But I’ll stay here to keep an eye on Ellison since I’m not sure Landon is going to look up.”
“Understandable,” I say, leaving them to it before heading out the door and taking my car to Superheroes United.
I slip through security and move down the hall toward Valerie’s office. I have no idea where she is, but I make it inside with no issue and sit down before hercomputer. Knowing her, her password is something like: “IFeastontheTesticlesofMenandtheOvariesofWomen,” but when I try it, it oddly doesn’t work. I hesitate before slipping out and hurrying down to the other wing where I let myself into the room.
“Fuck!” Nolan yelps as he looks over at me. “I didn’t even hear you come up. That’s creepy.”
“Thank you,” I say, proud of my ability to make my mind so quiet that even a man who can read minds can’t find me. “I need the password to Valerie’s computer.”
Nolan lowers the book he’d been reading and raises an eyebrow. “And you think I’d help you… why? That woman would probably skin us both if she realized we were on her computer.”
“Just the way I like it.”
“No.”
“Help a man out.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to know more about the people who might be stalking Ellison.”
