heartfelt pleas her family had made, each of them creeping into this room to tell him how much Lissianna needed him, how her phobia afflicted her…
Oh, now he was pissed. Greg could maybe understand if she was an agoraphobic, or if she had some other phobia that made it impossible for her to live a normal life, but hemaphobia ? Christ, even arachnophobia would have raised more sympathy in him. Spiders could be found anywhere…but hemaphobia ? Blood was not something a person ran into on a daily or even weekly basis. It hardly affected life in any meaningful way. It wasn’t good, certainly; she would be useless in an emergency and would react badly to any injury she herself, or anyone nearby sustained, but to hold him here for this was just—
“All done.”
Greg glanced down to see that she’d finished untying him. He was free. Muttering a “thanks,” he leapt off the bed and hurried for the bathroom before he said something he might regret. He wanted to yell and shout and break things he was so mad about missing his flight over this, but he couldn’t afford to. He wasn’t going to do anything that might jeopardize his getting out of this madhouse.
Chapter 7
Greg was silent and tense as they snuck him through the large house he’d been held in. He remained that way as they all clambered into a large blue van in the garage, only half-hearing Mirabeau explain to Lissianna that someone named Bastien had sent it for Marguerite to use while she had company, and they were “borrowing it” for this excursion since they couldn’t all fit in Thomas’s Jeep.
Greg noted the name on the side of the vehicle as Thomas directed him to the front passenger seat: ARGENEAU ENTERPRISES . He filed the name away in his memory.
The rest of the group joined him in silence once Thomas started the van and used a remote to open the garage door. They were all tense as he eased the van forward and steered it up the driveway. Greg supposed they were all afraid someone would come rushing out of the house and leap in front of the van to stop them. That never happened, however, and they reached the end of the long drive unmolested.
“Where to?” Thomas asked as he pulled onto the road.
Greg hesitated, reluctant to give his home address. Justas he was about to give his office address, he realized his briefcase and his coat with his keys in the pocket were still in Lissianna’s room. He’d had them with him last night and hadn’t thought to grab them on the way out. There was no way he was risking going back for them, though. With his luck, Marguerite would catch them and stop his leaving.
In the end, Greg reluctantly gave his apartment address. At least there, the doorman could let him into the building and call the superintendent to bring him a spare set of keys. Besides, it was a security building. It wasn’t like they could just walk in and drag him out if they later changed their minds.
The trip seemed long to Greg. He suspected he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. While the twins chattered nonstop, obviously finding the entire episode a grand adventure, the adults were, for the most part, silent. At least, until they reached the city proper. Then he heard Elspeth whisper Lissianna’s name. The very fact that she was whispering, made him subconsciously strain to hear what she said.
“Lissi? I’m getting these waves of anger from Greg. Did something happen while we were all down getting changed?”
“Anger?” Lissianna sounded concerned. “Are you sure?”
Oh yeah, it’s anger , Greg thought sarcastically, then frowned over the fact that Elspeth had sensed it. He really had to watch himself around these people. He already believed Marguerite had strong psychic abilities. Why shouldn’t the others be capable of it?
“He’s been quiet since he went to the bathroom.” Lissianna’s solemn voice drew him back to the conversation taking place behind him. “But I just thought he was nervous about getting out
Oh, now he was pissed. Greg could maybe understand if she was an agoraphobic, or if she had some other phobia that made it impossible for her to live a normal life, but hemaphobia ? Christ, even arachnophobia would have raised more sympathy in him. Spiders could be found anywhere…but hemaphobia ? Blood was not something a person ran into on a daily or even weekly basis. It hardly affected life in any meaningful way. It wasn’t good, certainly; she would be useless in an emergency and would react badly to any injury she herself, or anyone nearby sustained, but to hold him here for this was just—
“All done.”
Greg glanced down to see that she’d finished untying him. He was free. Muttering a “thanks,” he leapt off the bed and hurried for the bathroom before he said something he might regret. He wanted to yell and shout and break things he was so mad about missing his flight over this, but he couldn’t afford to. He wasn’t going to do anything that might jeopardize his getting out of this madhouse.
Chapter 7
Greg was silent and tense as they snuck him through the large house he’d been held in. He remained that way as they all clambered into a large blue van in the garage, only half-hearing Mirabeau explain to Lissianna that someone named Bastien had sent it for Marguerite to use while she had company, and they were “borrowing it” for this excursion since they couldn’t all fit in Thomas’s Jeep.
Greg noted the name on the side of the vehicle as Thomas directed him to the front passenger seat: ARGENEAU ENTERPRISES . He filed the name away in his memory.
The rest of the group joined him in silence once Thomas started the van and used a remote to open the garage door. They were all tense as he eased the van forward and steered it up the driveway. Greg supposed they were all afraid someone would come rushing out of the house and leap in front of the van to stop them. That never happened, however, and they reached the end of the long drive unmolested.
“Where to?” Thomas asked as he pulled onto the road.
Greg hesitated, reluctant to give his home address. Justas he was about to give his office address, he realized his briefcase and his coat with his keys in the pocket were still in Lissianna’s room. He’d had them with him last night and hadn’t thought to grab them on the way out. There was no way he was risking going back for them, though. With his luck, Marguerite would catch them and stop his leaving.
In the end, Greg reluctantly gave his apartment address. At least there, the doorman could let him into the building and call the superintendent to bring him a spare set of keys. Besides, it was a security building. It wasn’t like they could just walk in and drag him out if they later changed their minds.
The trip seemed long to Greg. He suspected he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. While the twins chattered nonstop, obviously finding the entire episode a grand adventure, the adults were, for the most part, silent. At least, until they reached the city proper. Then he heard Elspeth whisper Lissianna’s name. The very fact that she was whispering, made him subconsciously strain to hear what she said.
“Lissi? I’m getting these waves of anger from Greg. Did something happen while we were all down getting changed?”
“Anger?” Lissianna sounded concerned. “Are you sure?”
Oh yeah, it’s anger , Greg thought sarcastically, then frowned over the fact that Elspeth had sensed it. He really had to watch himself around these people. He already believed Marguerite had strong psychic abilities. Why shouldn’t the others be capable of it?
“He’s been quiet since he went to the bathroom.” Lissianna’s solemn voice drew him back to the conversation taking place behind him. “But I just thought he was nervous about getting out
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