Frankly, it was a brilliant idea. Hole up in a bad part of town where no one looked too closely at what you were doing, and then secretly bring the interior up to your standards.
“See you next time,” she said, pushing the car door open.
A frown graced her face when I also got out of the car. I couldn’t help having the inverse reaction. Getting under her skin never failed to make me smile.
It drained away when she nearly smacked into the sidewalk.
“What would you do without me?” I muttered, grabbing her moments before her bare knees slammed into the ground.
A flush crossed her face, and I doubted I’d ever tire of her reactions. My chest tightened at that thought.
I gritted my teeth. I just needed to get Alisa safely in her apartment, and then I could speed into the night and get rid of thisfeelingcorroding my system. Cradling her in my arms, I nudged open the ajar building door.
Not for the first time, I frowned at that lack of security. But she was too busy staring at my chest to notice.
“Which is yours?” I asked when we stepped into the dirt encrusted hallway.
Alisa’s head snapped up, her thoughts completely visible on her face.
“Don’t lie to me,” I said.
Her legs crossed tightly, and I wondered if she was reminded of what I’d threatened the last time she’d lied to me.
Alisa’s lips parted. She inhaled shakily before pointing to her door. I held out my hand, and she reluctantly handed the keys over to me.
When we stepped through the threshold, I paused, sure that we’d walked into the wrong apartment. Standing in front of me was a scratched up couch that looked like it’d just been taken off the side of the road. The entire apartment was smaller than my master bathroom.
She tried to wiggle out of my arms, and I carefully set her on the warped parquet flooring. Alisa leaned heavily against a tiny island, and I blinked out of my thoughts.
“Where’s the antidote?” I asked quietly.
“I’ll get it,” she said, gritting her teeth. “Just give me a moment.” Her breath came out in shuddering puffs.
One look from me, and her posture and defiance deflated. She reluctantly pointed at a bag near a rusted over heater. I carefully picked up the case, unable to believe that I was willingly picking up poisons.
Alisa slid down to the floor, shivers racking her entire body. I threw that thought out of my mind, and quickly handed it to her.
She unscrewed the cap with shaky fingers and threw it back, relief flooding her face. But the shivers didn’t stop even after she swallowed it down.
Without thinking, I picked up a threadbare blanket and settled it over her thin shoulders.
“T-thank you,” she said, her teeth clattering against each other.
When the pain didn’t dissipate from her eyes, a muscle twitched on my neck.
“Why isn’t the antidote working?” I nearly growled.
She flinched at my tone.
I brushed a hand across my jaw, trying to calm myself. Why the hell was I upset?
“It takes a moment,” she said. Her teeth clattered so hard that I’d hear the echo of it in my dreams tonight.
I frowned, finally realizing how cold the room was.
I’d spent a couple years in Russia, and the cold rarely bothered me anymore. But Alisa was so tiny and fragile, she looked like one gust of wind would knock her into unconsciousness.
“Your radiator isn’t on,” I said after finding the source of the issue.
