Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“Okay. I will go for a walk with you under one condition.” He waited as if anticipating a blow. “You agree to stop stalking me.”
“I will agree to your condition on one condition. You give me your number.”
“What?” she asked, startled. “Why?”
“So that I don’t have to continue to stalk you.”
“Insufferable,” she muttered under her breath. “You know it’s Times Square up there.”
He smirked. “You’ll be safe with me.”
And for some reason, she believed him.
“Fine,” she said, holstering her weapon and then walking toward the exit with Lorcan on her heels.
She headed up the stairs, past the troll, and up into the cold of the city. She’d been underground so long that it felt good to breathe in clean air rather than the circulated air below. But it was Times Square, and she couldn’t let her guard down.
While she had been in the subway below many times now, she hadn’t been on the street in Times Square in at least a year. She was surprised to see that half of the enormous screens were back up and running. Even familiar name brands and Broadway shows were advertising on the streets again. A handful of powerful shows had started new runs this year. Monsters and humans were welcome.
And the tourists had returned in full force. Kierse expected them on Fifth Avenue. Those who could afford the high-end boutiques would always find a way. But she hadn’t expected this many people to brave Times Square . . . as if things were normal.
“It’s been a while since you’ve been here?” Lorcan asked.
“I pretty much avoided it at all costs before it was decimated.”
She had only been twelve when the war started, but she’d already been working with Jason for years. She hadn’t been a normal kid by any stretch of the imagination. Tourists were only good as easy marks. Otherwise, they made her break into hives. NYC being free of tourists had been one of the only good things about the war.
“It’s good to see it get back to normal.”
She nodded, a smile almost tugging at her lips.
“Come on. I like a little café nearby. We can get out of the cold.” He brushed a hand back through his dark hair, his big, blue eyes guileless, and smiled at her. All perfectly straight teeth and the hint of a dimple in his right cheek.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked. “We’re on opposite sides.”
He looked personally offended by that sentiment. “Are we?”
“You hate my boss.”
“Not everything is black and white.” Then his smile widened. “Plus, I’m only asking for coffee.”
She might as well see what she could get out of him. “Fine. I could use some coffee.”
Lorcan liked to hear himself talk. So he kept up the chatter as they headed down 42nd Street toward Bryant Park and an innocuous twenty-four hour coffee shop. Kierse ordered a black coffee, and he got a cappuccino, looking pleased with himself. Once they got their coffee from a harried barista, they settled into a booth.
“If you don’t wipe that smirk off of your face, I’m going to regret coming here with you.”
He brought his coffee cup to his lips, trying and failing to not smile. “I thought we could pick up where we left off.”
“Which was . . .?”
“You wanted to know about my history with Graves,” he said smoothly.
She stared down into her mug. Did she let him know that she knew something of his history? Would it be a better play to see what he said? And what was Lorcan’s play in all of this? He clearly wanted to poach her or at least figure out what Graves’s next move was. Not something she was going to give to him. But she wouldn’t mind determining exactly what his next move was.
“And why should I trust anything you’re going to tell me?”
“That’s fair,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. “I know it’s hard to see, but I’m not the bad guy in this. Graves is your villain.”
Kierse smiled, leaning forward on her elbow. “You think sending me babka is enough to make you a good guy?”
Lorcan shrugged it off with a laugh. “I thought you’d enjoy it. That’s all. I couldn’t help myself.”
“Nothing to do with Graves at all.”
“You got me,” he said good-naturedly. “But when you’re working for someone like that, you should see him for who he really is.”
“A monster,” she guessed.
“Exactly.” Lorcan leaned forward to match her posture, as if they were sharing secrets. “A girl like you shouldn’t get involved with someone like him. I don’t know what he has you doing, but it can’t be good. Is this why you’ve been going into Third Floor?”
She arched an eyebrow. He was really fishing for information. “Did you follow me there?”
“Into that disgusting place? Heavens no.” He wrinkled his nose. “But I can guess based on the entrance. Though not why.”