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“My grandma’s.”
It all made sense when I saw the watch in the center of the counter, its back missing to reveal its inner workings. A glass tripod stood over it, my hand looking bigger when I stuck my fingers between it and the watch.
“It’s a magnifying glass,” August explained. “It makes it easier to work with things when they’re tiny.”
“That’s why you’ve got a working watch?”
August turned his wrist to study his watch. “Yep.”
I had something of an epiphany, August’s hesitation in bringing me in here suddenly making sense. “This is why you con people and accept watches as payment… so you can bring them home for Caroline to fix. It makes her happy. Therefore, it makes you happy, too.”
August’s expression remained so neutral that it was obvious it took work. “Don’t make me sound more altruistic than I am. Nothing is that simple.”
“It’s true, though, isn’t it? I was trying to work out why someone would ever leave here when they’ve got everything they need. But they’ve only got everything they need because you go out in the world and bring it back.”
August headed for the door. “Let’s carry on. There’s still more to see.”
“You don’t need to confirm it. I can see it as clear as day.”
He headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time and leaving me to follow at a slower pace. “I see who you really are now, August Stoll,” I called after him.
He glanced back over his shoulder. “You’re talking rubbish.”
“I don’t think I am. I guess it’s hard when you spend most of your time pretending that nothing and no one matters to you, to let your guard down. But… I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s nice to discover that’s not all of you, that there are more altruistic reasons for what you do.”
August flung open the door at the top of the stairs. If the room of books had been a surprise, the room full of clothes was even more so. Male clothes. Female clothes. Dressy. Casual. Name it and it was probably there. “Shopping,” August said.
“Do I have to pay?”
“No, you’re a guest.”
“Because I don’t mind paying in kind.” I let my eyes trail over him, just in case the meaning was lost.
“You don’t have to pay.”
“Maybe I want to pay. Maybe I don’t enjoy being in debt to people. Especially not someone like you, who if you give an inch is likely to take a mile.”
August’s gaze dropped to my crotch, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve got more than an inch.”
I went to shove him. Or maybe kiss him, my brain torn between the two. But he was faster, already putting space between us to render both actions equally impossible. He waved a hand at the room. “Try things on. Take whatever you need. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
“Where are you―?”
But August had already gone. Without him there to distract me, there was nothing to do but explore the treasure trove of clothes. It seemed dreams did come true. I’d wished for better clothes, and now here they were. What other secrets would I find in this place?
Chapter Nineteen
August
My grandmother wasn’t napping. She might be on the brink of ninety, something unheard of in this world, but napping had never been a part of her day. It was, however, her code word for retiring to her room with a romance novel. That’s where I found her, propped up in bed, reading glasses I’d conned from a priest, propped on the end of her nose.
She glanced up as I slipped inside the room and closed the door behind me. Placing her book down, she patted the side of the bed. I sat, having learned the hard way that arguing with her only ever produced one winner. I might be able to persuade most people to give me the shirt off their back with enough honeyed words, but Caroline Cohen was an entirely different prospect.
It was for that reason that I waited for her to speak first. When she did, as was her habit, she didn’t waste time on small talk. “So… tell me about Keaton?”
“Ex-soldier. Hell bent on avenging his sister’s death. She fell prey to a cult in Dover. He’s infected, but then, who isn’t unless they’re immune like us?”
She held my gaze and nodded. “Now, tell me the rest?”
