Page 44 of Preying Heart
He rolls his eyes. “The smutty kind or the boring king?”
“Smutty, of course.” I wander around the room, purposely touching everything just to bother him. I’m also leaving my fingerprints, and I’m sure I’ve been shedding hairs. Just in case he thinks he can “disappear” me.
“I can get you an ebook reader full of smutty romances.”
“Now you’re talking. Where is this ebook reader?” I paw over his antique record player with vinyl albums slotted into wired holders. “These are all oldies.”
“My dad’s collection.”
My eyes widen, and I position myself across from him, head tilted to one side to indicate curiosity. Finally, he told me something personal.
“Did your dad build this place?”
He nods and turns away from me.
“Oh no, you don’t get to tease me. I already told you my mother left Slade and me with foster homes, and how I don’t have a clue who my father is. Now it’s your turn. Why did your dad hide out in these hills? Was he a fugitive from justice?”
“You didn’t tell me anything but the surface stuff. The forty-thousand-foot view.”
“So? You haven’t told me anything.”
“You want that ebook reader full of smut?” He rips a sheet of paper off a yellow legal pad. “Write down the names of your favorite authors and I’ll get it loaded. And don’t get any ideas. I’m not giving you any passwords.”
“Why can’t I go on the internet?” I cross my arms and whine like a four-year-old. “I don’t use my real name online, but I do have online classes and I do freelance work.”
He crosses his arms and stares down at me. “You want to stay off the grid.”
“No, you and Lucy want to keep me hidden so you can earn your bounty. At this point, I don’t know if I should be more scared of you or Gavin.”
“Gavin’s father was killed, and you’re not afraid?”
“You can’t possibly think Gavin had anything to do with that!” I bug out my eyes at him. “He wouldn’t kill his father. I don’t even think he’d kill me. He just wanted the baby out of the way, and maybe he changed his mind.”
“Sorry, but Big Dude says to keep you safe, and until we figure out who he is, you’re staying offline.”
“What will I do with all my time? How can I earn money?” I increase the whininess of my tone.
Heath turns away from me. “You don’t need money. You have all these books, movies, and games.”
“Do I get candy and popcorn to go with all that?” I move around to face him, and we play this game where he moves, I move, sticking to him like a pest. “Once I’m done here, I’m going to need seed money to change my name and start over somewhere else. Money for me and my baby. Since I’m not selling my baby to Big Dude, I won’t be getting a cut of the crypto he’s dangling.”
He paces around the pool table and I follow him.
“Well? You can’t let me languish here for nine months. I’ll go stir-crazy.”
“You already are stir-crazy.” He stops abruptly and I bump into him, which gives him the excuse to grab me by the arms. “I’m not a bad guy. You know that.”
“True, but don’t you want me to be happy?”
He nods and looks distressed at the same time. “We’ll think of something for you to do. To express yourself and make money.”
“Good, because I had quite an active online presence. I wonder if my social media followers are missing me.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. You’re going to have to change your identity again.”
“Like you and Lucy do? Change them like dirty socks?” I squirm away from his grip and make a pose like I’m modeling clothes. “I’m good at disguising myself online.”
“Are you any good with digital art?”
