Page 31 of Faithless
Silence fell over our table while the pieces slowly began to click together in my head. “So this resort,” I said. “Who runs it? The elite Blakeworth families?”
Gwen shook her head and spread her hands. “There’s lots of speculation being thrown around, but no one knows for sure. My employers don’t have any involvement, but they have been guests. Their friends claim no involvement either, though a son ofthatfamily claims to know an investor but apparently has been sworn to secrecy. It’s one of those things where everyone seems to know something, but no one can locate the source.”
“And probably half of them are lying,” I said. I sure as hell didn’t trust people with an obscene amount of wealth and power.
“Yes,” Gwen agreed. “That’s also a likely factor.”
“How long has the resort been around?” Torr asked.
“About five years ago was when invitations to apply began circulating. I never heard anything before that, so construction must have been top-secret.”
“And no one knowsanythingabout what goes on in there?” I asked.
“That’s correct. And those that have been guests in the past aren’t saying a word. Apparently, they lose the privilege of returning if they divulge anything.”
“Well, if that doesn’t sound fucking shady, I don’t know what does.” I drummed my fingertips on the table and looked at Torr, but his focus was across the table.
“Sorry I called you a bootlicker,” he mumbled.
“That’s alright.” Gwen smiled gently. “I’ve been called worse.”
“It’s admirable that you’re doing this,” I said. “I can’t imagine the anxiety of working for a rich asshole family who would do terrible things to me and my family if they knew—” My mouth slammed shut, but I realized my misstep too late. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s okay. My family is fine.” Gwen raised a palm. “They’re safe and far away in another territory. One of my dads is actually an accomplished hacker, so the false emergency contact information I gave to my employer cleared with no issues. They have no idea where my family is.”
“Good. Still, that can’t be easy.” I smiled, feeling an odd sort of kinship with her. “How many dads do you have?”
“I have three.”
“That’s nice. My cousin has three. I have four.”
Gwen’s polite smile went into a full-on grin. “Our lucky mothers.”
“Uh, so.” Torr cleared his throat. “What’s next? We tell everyone we’re…married? Get ourselves some colored contacts and rich people shit?”
“Right.” Gwen’s expression went serious again. “You need suitable transportation too. How did you two arrive here?”
“Motorcycles,” I said.
Gwen shook her head. I expected as much but still felt myself deflating inside. There was no other ride I preferred over my bike.
“I can store your vehicles in one of my employer’s garages. They’ll never notice. And I’ll lend you one of their cars to take to the resort. Actually.” She paused, tapping a finger on her chin. “I’ll come with you in a separate vehicle. Your stay will likely be a month long, so I’ll bring along changes of clothes and things you’ll need. I just need to take your measurements, because everything has to fit like a glove.”
“Amonth?” Torr balked. “People really go on honeymoons for a month?”
“In my employer’s circle, three week vacations of any kind are the minimum,” Gwen explained. “Any shorter than that and you will be looked down upon as frugal. Four weeks to three months are more typical.”
“Jesus.” Torr rubbed his forehead.
“What do we need for this application?” I asked.
“I’ll handle all of that.” Gwen waved her hand. “It’s sent electronically, so when I finalize today, we should have an answer by tomorrow.” She looked at Torr. “You asked about colored contacts. Yes, I’ll get you both several pairs. When you’re at the resort, you’ll want to change them out regularly. It’ll be expected of you to coordinate your eye colors with your outfits or jewelry.”
“Jesus,” Torr said again. “Fucking rich people.”
“Aww, honey!” I wrapped my arms around his bicep, leaning my head on his shoulder and batting my eyelashes with a cheesy smile. “We can have matching irises like a couple of psychos!”
“Donotever call me honey again.”
