“It’s being taken care of,” Dante says. He’s either oblivious to, or indifferent to, her fear. “Didn’t I get you a job? And a place to stay?”
“But what will I drive?”
Dante grasps her forearm. “Trust the process.”
“But…”
I step in before this can go on much longer. “When he gets like this, it’s best to just roll with it. I’ll drive. And carry.”
Minnie wilts. “Okay.”
“Hey!” Sergio Giovanetti pops his head in next to Renee. He glowers at his father. “What’s going on here? What the…is that a ferret?”
Dante pats the air in front of him. “Don’t worry about it. Everything is under control.”
Minnie shrinks back from the tension crackling between father and son. Renee and I just sigh. This is par for the course when it comes to these two. On paper, Sergio is running things now. Yeah, right.
“Mom! Dad’s doing it again!” Sergio bawls.
Dante turns back to his computer. Which is Sergio’s computer, theoretically. “Leave your mother alone. She’s busy.”
“Busy doing what? She’sretired.You’re retired!”
“She’s getting the team a ferret.”
“Aw, I want a ferret.” Renee makes kissy lips at Kepler, who turns to her, even though he can’t see her through his sensory input goggles.
Sergio rubs his temples. “We’re the Venom. Why would we need a ferret?”
Dante shrugs even as he clicks around on the computer. “Make it work.”
Minnie appears to be on the verge of a meltdown, so I steer her out of the room while the Giovanettis keep sniping at each other. The sad and sparse cart of personal possessions is still there, bearing even fewer items than I initially realized.
“Is this everything?” I ask.
“Everything except my car.” Minnie bundles Kepler back into his carrier.
“Okay. So, you, the ferret, a couple of nanotech textbooks, and one carry-on-sized bag of belongings are coming to live with me. Cool, cool, cool.”
Minnie stands up, clutching her purse to one arm and gripping the handle of Kepler’s carrier with the other. Her chest heaves. I’m pretty sure she’s one trigger away from a panic attack. I don’t know her well enough to touch her, but I wish I did. I want to steady her. “You’re right. This is crazy. I can figure something else out.”
I scoop up her meager belongings. Even with my gym duffle slung across my shoulders, I can carry everything in one go. “Nope. Dante said I needed an assistant. And you’re it.” With that, I march out of the offices, with a woebegone new hire trailing after me.
Chapter Three
Minerva
I wake up to the sound of footsteps padding across the floor above me, and the distant hiss of pipes. As soon as the sound registers, I bolt upright in bed.
Arealbed. Like, with a mattress. And sheets. And sunlight spilling through curtains. This isn’t my room, and it isn’t my car. Did Luca find me? Did I only dream the part where I ran away?
I rub my eyes and shift toward the side, prepared to flee, when I spot the furry body at the foot of my bed. Kepler’s down there, snoring gently, with his paws twitching in his sleep.
I relax immediately. Luca would never let Kepler sleep in the bed. I scoot up to the headboard, hug my knees to my chest, and focus on my breathing. It takes me far too long to orient myself, but when I do, the footsteps upstairs make sense.
Right.Tristan Dubois, NHL power forward.I’m sleeping in a stranger’s house.
What was I thinking? I don’t know this man. I do know men in general, though, and I’m pretty sure this isn’t a free ride. He’s going to want something from me eventually. Everyone always does.
