Page 28 of Degradation
She shrugs and I get the impression she doesn’t talk about him if she can help it.
‘Anyway, they looked me up and then they both got scared of something and that’s when they called John, or his secretary, I guess, instead of the real police.’
I’m standing up before Shade even asks.
‘Yeah, I’ll figure out what they saw that made them change their minds,’ I say before he can ask.
I frown and my eyes flick to Daisy. ‘It’s weird that it wasn’t when they thought your name was Novelle, though.’
I go to the computer and bring up the database of all the college students and faculty. I find Daisy, or rather Marguerite Evans’ profile and read through it. I’m a slow reader, so it doesn’t surprise me when Daisy, who’s reading over my shoulder from the bed, finds it first.
‘There. On the left at the bottom.’ She points at a nondescript box that says, ‘Severely mentally challenged. Call guardian immediately.’
She breathes out slowly. ‘Can everyone see this?’ she asks in a small voice.
‘No, only the campus cops and the highest administrators in the Dean’s office.’
‘But they could just look me up and seethat?’
I delete what’s in the box. ‘Not anymore.’
When I turn around, she’s giving me a small, relieved smile. ‘Thanks.’
‘No problem, beautiful.’
Shade’s phone rings and he gets up, mumbling about needing to take it. He leaves the room, closing my door, and I hear him mumbling out in the hallway.
‘Want to watch a movie, or something?’
She perks up, nodding her head and pulling herself up the bed to put her head on one of my pillows, facing the TV.
I like that she feels comfortable enough to relax in my room like this, I realize, as I put on a comedy from where I’m sitting.
After a few minutes of watching it, I feel her eyes on me.
‘What is it?’ I ask.
‘Will you lay on the bed with me?’ she asks in a small voice.
If it were any other girl, I’d probably assume she meant something else, but this one, I’ve come to understand, means exactly what she says. She just wants me to lay on the bed with her, so that’s what I do.
I settle in behind her, breathing in her scent. I put my arm around her middle and cuddle her a little, ready to move away if she doesn’t want me so close, but instead she simply breathes out a long sigh and snuggles closer to me, fitting her body into mine.
I’m spooning with Shade’s step-sister. I don’t know why but this is different. It seems a lot more intimate than what I’ve done with her before, what I’ve done with any girl before. It should feel weird. I’m not close to many people. In fact, there are only Shade and Mav.
And now, Daisy, my mind supplies.
I find myself dozing with her and I jump a little when I feel my phone. I crack an eye and look at it lazily, waking up instantly when I see who it’s from.
‘Got called out?’ Shade asks in a low voice.
I realize he’s sitting at my desk, watching me and Daisy cuddling with a look on his face that isn’t angry, but isn’t quite happy either.
‘Yeah.’ I ease my body away from Daisy’s, making sure I don’t wake her.
I grab my jacket and take the gun from my waistband, putting it in my pocket.
‘Think you’ll need that?’
