Page 42 of Inside the Maelstrom: Part One
She looked up at Sampson. “I’m mad at you.” Well, it came out likeI’m smaad at yousebut I got the general gist.
“Why are you mad at me, Good Girl?” Sampson asked softly.
“You bought me a bookstore.”
He moved toward her room and I moved with him. Evan remained in the door, as if he was unsure what to do. He’d figure it out.
“No, I didn’t. I bought myself a bookstore. How do you know that it wasn’t my lifelong dream to own a bookstore in London, hmm?” Sampson murmured back to her.
“Is it?” she asked hopefully.
He laughed low, standing with her in the middle of her room. “No, Good Girl. It isn’t.”
“I don’t deserve good things. Evan says that you guys are taking more than you’re giving and I shouldn’t feel guilty, but what does he know? He doesn’t know that I would happily fuck you for free—you don’t have to buy me off. Does that make me sound like a whore?”
Sampson looked up at me, an eyebrow raised. I stepped toward her, stroking her face. “No one thinks of you like that, Viva. I’m sorry if we made you think we are trying to buy you for sex.”
She shook her head and snuggled into Sampson’s chest. “Why do you smell so pretty? No, Evan says you’re buying me for human affection, which made me sad, which made me have three shots of sambuca against a guy with only one eye called Ned. His moustache caught on fire.”
“You give it so freely,” Sampson said, holding her a little tighter even though he was standing right over her bed.
“The sambuca?”
I snorted. “No, Viva. The affection.”
“Oh. Whatever. No more bookstores,” she said stubbornly. “No more buying.”
We both nodded, and I wished Hendrick was here. “No more, Aviva. I promise. Just don’t run off again. You scared me,” I chastised gently, and she turned from Sampson’s chest to smile at me.
“I’m sorry, Otto. We should have a drink!”
I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, some painkillers and her meds. “Take your meds, Aviva, or you’re going to feel like crap tomorrow.” I handed her the pills and she threw them back without looking at them. Ah, Aviva. No regard for herself at all. How had she survived this long in a world filled with piranhas? “Put her down, Sampson. She needs to sleep this off.”
Sampson slid her to her feet, and she weaved dangerously before slumping back onto the bed. “Someone needs to turn off the bed vibration. It's spinning like hell.”
“This isn’t a rent-by-the-hour motel with vibrating beds,” Sampson said with a laugh. “Sleep tight. I have to go talk to Evan.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, which was more affection than I’d ever seen him give anyone, other than me and Hendrick.
When he left, I took off her beloved shoes then swung her legs onto the bed. She was like Elastigirl, she was that bendy when drunk. I pulled up the blankets and tucked them around her.
“Are you sure I’m worth this much effort?” she whispered.
I kissed her forehead. “I’ve never been more sure of anything, ever.”
She was already out like a light though. I turned her onto her side, just in case, and partially closed the door to her room. When I made it to the lounge room, Evan was gone, and Hendrick had come in from the balcony, still clutching the damn book.
“She okay?” he asked, and I smiled.
“Merry as hell. Ask her in the morning though—I think you’ll have a different answer.”
We were all silent for a while, relief consuming all of us until Hendrick went to the minibar and pulled out three bottles of beer. We went back out onto the balcony and watched the never-ending London traffic.
“What’s with Evan?” I finally asked, and Sampson’s jaw tightened.
“He warned me to stop fucking with her emotions. He’s worried we’ll send her over the edge.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what magic she possesses, but Evan feels protective of her too.”
Hendrick shrugged. “She gets under your skin like that.”
I watched Drix warily. I knew him, and I knew what would come next. I just wasn’t sure that Aviva would withstand it.
