She leaps off my lap and runs to her luggage. “I need to do my makeup. Oooh, Fabien, will I get to wear a wig?”
“Of course.”
“And, like, heist clothes?”
I pull a suit out of my closet and lay it across the bed. “Yes, naturally, whatever the hellheistclothes are.”
She turns to me, while simultaneously brushing an enormous makeup brush across her cheeks.
“Clothes that help me in my role. To become whoever I need to be. But I’m wondering…”
Do I have a surprise forher.
Standing in front of the large mirror over my bureau, she opens her eyes wide and draws a mascara brush through her lashes. They seem to lengthen as if by magic.
I finish washing, slide on deodorant, and slap on some cologne.
“Oh myGod,that’s why you smell so good,” she says with a moan.
“Nicolette. Stay focused. What were you going to tell me?
“Ugh, it’s so stupid. Remember how we almost got run over by that car? Are you going to find that guy and kill him? Will I see this on the evening news? Will you hurt him?”
The questions come while she’s brushing something glittery across her cheeks, so she can’t be that scared.
“If I need to.”
Our gazes connect in the mirror. I can’t quite identify the way she looks at me, but it makes me eager to prove just how serious I am.
As if she suddenly thinks better of it, she places her brush down and doesn’t say anything else.
“Nicolette…”
“What?”
“Finish what you were going to say.”
I grab my phone and slide it into my pocket as she picks up a tube of lipstick.
“I just… well, I was going to ask you if you were serious. Would you really… defend me? Protect me? And if so… Why?”
Because she belongs to me. Because she’smine.
She still doesn’t get that yet. She will.
“Because that’s who I am,” I tell her. “Killing is messy business we don’t touch unless we have to.”
“But if you have to…”
I shrug. Still, she doesn’t flinch. I wonder what would be a dealbreaker for her, but so far, we haven’t found one.
I shrug on my suit coat as she puts on lipstick.
When my phone buzzes, I quickly answer it.
Maman sounds near frantic. “You’re the last one, Fabien. You know how your aunt is. Are you coming?”
“No, we decided to order room service and stay home instead.” I roll my eyes at Nicolette. “OfcourseI’m coming.” I gentle my voice to calm her. “Relax, okay?”
