Shade’s eyes meet mine in the mirror.
‘I’m fine,’ I say with my practiced smile, and realize my mistake as his eyes flick to my lips and he frowns.
He knows this smile is fake.
He opens his mouth to ask me what’s wrong. A question I can’t answer even to my own satisfaction. But then his phone rings and I’m saved because as soon as he looks down at it, he absently mumbles something about ‘having to take this’ and I’m forgotten.
When I come out of the bathroom, it’s dark out. I throw my clothes back on and leave the room. Shade is still speaking on the phone by the window. Mav is on his laptop, probably finishing up whatever he didn’t have time to do at the lab today. Blake isn’t here.
I go to the elevator and press the button.
‘Where are you going?’ Mav asks, glancing up from his screen.
‘Just down to the lab to start a new batch,’ I lie smoothly, frowning at how easy it is, how relieved I am to be getting out of here for a bit, how Blake’s bullshit actions must be rubbing off on me.
When the elevator comes, I take it down to Sauvage’s office, my tummy rumbling because I’ve had nothing to eat for hours. I bury the hurt I feel as I’m let in.
‘Chéri.’
‘Can we have dinner?’
Pierre smiles at me.
‘Of course. And, while we eat, you can tell me what is making you wilt, ma petitefleur.’
Mav
The next morning, I wake next to Daisy, my arm flung over her middle. I frown, not remembering when she came to bed last night. She must have been very quiet. I look past her at the clock and grunt in annoyance. Almost nine. I meant to get up to the lab by seven this morning.
I look down at her, so relaxed in sleep, and I frown a little. She seems distant. She doesn't want to talk about The Heath anymore. I get it, but a part of me knows that it's important to get everything out. She likes to do things her own way, in her own time, though. Trying to make her do what she doesn’t want to do, just makes her dig her heels in. I think about what she said last night. If she really thinks revenge is going to give her relief, then that's what we're going to help her get.
I vow silently that I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that that fucking place is shut down and no young person ever has to go through what she went through there.
My hand sweeps down her left leg, the one where the GEDs have been attached to her for almost half her life. Fuck those assholes. If I have to, I'll go there and raze the place to the ground myself.
But, right now, I need to get to the lab.
I get up and grab my phone off the charger, careful not to wake Daisy, though I know she'll want to get up soon to start a new batch of Envy. She’s been spending a lot of time down there, I’ve noticed. I guess it’s good that she’s keeping busy.
To be fair, I've been spending a lot of time in the campus lab now that it's open again. It’s like a fire’s been lit under me. I want to make sure the non-opiate, this homage to my mom, is done this year. I want it to go through clinical trials and be available on the market as soon as possible, sothat people like my mom and families like mine don't have to go through what we went through.
My thoughts on the latest tests I’m running, I take a quick shower and get dressed, leaving the hotel as soon as I’m ready. I’m still using the tunnels a lot, mostly because of Daisy. I think we're erring on the side of caution because of the stalker still being at large. I sort of hope it was John or Joe, to be honest, since they’re already dead. That email in Daisy’s junk was from Christmas. It’s possible that there is no threat anymore. But we don’t have any proof that it’s over. I’m glad that she's not just wandering around the campus, and she seems to be quite content to stay within the hotel's walls, out of sight, at least for the moment.
But our girl has a fiery independent streak, and I know it's only a matter of time before she decides that she wants out. And when she makes up her mind, her actions will be quick. Impulsive.
I shake my head a little as I go through the dark passages. That girl's going to be the death of us. Sauvage is right. She isn't a woman to be tamed. We can only try and survive her.
When I get topside to where I parked the truck, my phone vibrates. I frown as I see that it's Applegate.
'Hello?' I ask.
'Mr. Shaw, I need you to come to my office. When can you be here?'
I glance at my watch. 'I was just on my way to the lab. I can be there in fifteen minutes,' I say.
'Good. See you then.'
The line goes dead, and I stare at the screen for a moment, wondering what he wants. Usually, when he needs to see me, he just comes down to the lab.
