Page 58 of Demons and Debts
This is way, way out of my comfort zone. I don’t have the first idea of what to do for this girl besides lulling her and I’m not allowed to do that. I know she hasn’t signed.
‘I'm gonna go get Theo,’ I mumble.
I go back down to the party, mentioning Callaghan and his friends to a couple of the prospects. I want them out of here. Finding Theo in a quiet conversation with Vic in the study, I poke my head through the door, catch his eye and jerk with my head. He comes out a second later.
‘What is it?’
‘Just come with me,’ I say, and he looks a little worried, but he follows me back up the main stairs and along the hall to his room.
‘Where is she?’ he asks when we get inside.
‘In your closet. Be careful. I think she’s gone a little loco.’ I move my forefinger around my ear in a circle to punctuate my words.
Theo gives me a look and I shrug.
Yeah, I know. Pot. Kettle.
‘Look for yourself.’
Theo goes into his closet, and I follow.
‘What happened to her?’
‘Callaghan and his buddies scared her a little, but I ran them off before they could do much. I have some prospects taking care of them now.’
Both of us watch her. She doesn't stop her little rocking motion, but she does glance up.
‘I can hear you, you know.’ She taps the earbud. ‘They don't work.’
‘Then why are you wearing them?’ Theo asks.
‘I just am,’ she whispers.
‘Okay, Princess,’ Theo says in a calm voice.
He sounds almostkind,and it throws me a little. I've never heard him talk to the on-call girls like this. Maybe this is just how he talks touncontractedhuman girls.
‘I need to find out her medical history,’ Theo mutters. ‘She's not right.’
‘Great,’ I mutter. ‘Vic’s making us keep a defective one.’
Theo gives me another look as he closes the door and I shrug again.
‘You think I give a shit what she hears me say about her?’
He ignores my question. ‘Did Vic get a file from Paris’s guy yet?’
‘No idea. I know he’s going to have a conversation with us tomorrow about her though.’
Theo waves me out of his room. ‘I'll stay up here now, see if she wants anything in a little while.’
I nod, glad someone will be with her while I go check on the prospects’ progress.
‘Anything I should know about what happened to her?’
‘Not really. Like I said, Callaghan and the other two were giving her a hard time, but I broke it up pretty fast. I've been warning Vic about him for months.’
‘You and me both,’ Theo sighs. ‘Are you feeling okay?’
