“It’s so good to see you, Liza!” She tightens her arms around me before pulling back a little, her eyes downcast. “I’m sorry I ruined everything.”
“You did? What did you do?”
“I didn’t take your warning seriously, and told Andy where you were staying. Otherwise, you could’ve stayed at the Hut.”
I shake my head. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Kristen. We couldn’t have stayed there forever, anyway. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks. I just can’t believe Andy’s such a…bad person! TV shows always say people like him hurt animals, but I’ve never seen anything like that. I just thought he was nice, always killing those bugs for me.”
“How old were you?” Tolyan asks.
“Maybe five or six?” She flushes. “We didn’t spend that much time together.
“So he was a beginner,” Tolyan says flatly. “Everyone starts out small. There wasn’t any reason for him to kill bugs, except to be cruel.” He thinks for a moment. “Unless they were centipedes. They deserve death.” He pulls boxes out from the bags. “Are you hungry, Lizochka?” He shoots me a look that says I’d better be. He knows how often I skip meals when I’m stressed or anxious.
But that was the old me. The new me won’t let anything prevent refueling. I need the energy to fight for what’s right and what’s mine.
“Famished,” I say.
Tolyan nods with a grunt, then spreads the food on the table. It’s Thai, my favorite. Antoine brings out plates and utensils, and we sit around the table and start eating.
“I’ve warned everyone in your family, even the ones who don’t deserve it,” Tolyan begins. “I also had a talk with the foundation’s security.” He gives Dominic a look. “Your company, too.”
“Thanks,” I say, after swallowing a bite of green curry chicken.
“It’ll be virtually impossible for Andy to get close to you if you follow—”
“She should stay in until we have Andy,” Dominic says.
Tolyan’s eyebrows jump. “Really?” He gestures at me, one broad palm tilted upward. “By all means. Convince her.”
“He’s right. I’m not going to hide,” I say mildly, enjoying the fiery, tingling sensation on my lips from the spicy curry.
“It’s too dangerous,” Dominic says.
“You heard Tolyan. It’s not if I stick to certain routines.”
Dominic fires a death glare at Tolyan. A lesser man would be cowering, but Tolyan merely shovels more noodles into his mouth, his pale eyes on Dominic.
Inhaling deeply, Dominic turns back to me. “He lost Andy before.”
“The men I hired did, which is why I plan to stick by her myself this time,” Tolyan interjects, his tone pained.
“I can’t hide forever,” I tell Dominic.
Dominic’s expression turns stubborn. “Only until he’s caught.”
“What if we never catch him? Then what?”
“Of course we’ll catch him,” he says, as though the other possibilities have never crossed his mind.
“He can decide to flee, Dominic. I can’t let his decision dictate the rest of my life.” The muscles in his jaw flex. “Please?”
He huffs out a breath. “Fine. But you can’t even go to the bathroom without Tolyan tagging you along.”
“I’m not going into the stall with her,” Tolyan says dryly.
Kristen snorts, pressing her lips together to contain a laugh. I just giggle. The only ones who don’t appreciate the humor are Dominic and Antoine.